A couple of days ago in a meadow close to Bourcelaine on the border with Charente |Maritime, Irv and I watched a small group of water pipits feeding in a flooded meadow. A flock of about 1000 starlings was filling the trees and wires nearby.
Yesterday, large flocks of lapwings, again about 1000 strong, were in the fields near to Terrebourg.
Monday, 20 February 2012
Sunday, 19 February 2012
cranes and a few woodland birds.
The milder, calm weather, plus the time of year, made yesterday a good one for crane migration but as there was little else in prospect in the wide open spaces,we decided to visit the forest near La Tache to try and locate a few more woodland species.
We weren't disappointed.
As so often, the forest was at first bereft of birds until we located a foraging mixed flock. The first one held the usual collection of long-tailed, blue and great tits but with only fleeting glimpses of firecrest, short toed treecreeper and lesser spotted woodpecker and it quickly melted away into the silence. Not long after though, and in a more open stretch of forest which contained lots of dead trees we were able to watch a second flock for some ten miutes. This one gave us good views of a lesser spotted woodpecker, several firecrest and at least two s.t. treecreepers. The first bonus was a group of four hawfinch and the second was the familiar bugling sound of cranes coming from behind the trees. A skein of about 150 birds soon revealed itself above us. They were not very high up as we were ourselves on one of the higher bits of land in these parts and we had a good view of them make their wavering way northwards.
Some twenty miutes later while we were walking along the road that used to demarcate occupied and Vichy France, we heard and then saw two further skeins, this time numbering about 300 in total.
So, as it turned out, we got the best of both worlds; a crane migration and a few more forest birds (which happily brought my 2012 list up to 100 species). There will probably be little new now until the Spring migration starts properly.....but then you never know.
We weren't disappointed.
As so often, the forest was at first bereft of birds until we located a foraging mixed flock. The first one held the usual collection of long-tailed, blue and great tits but with only fleeting glimpses of firecrest, short toed treecreeper and lesser spotted woodpecker and it quickly melted away into the silence. Not long after though, and in a more open stretch of forest which contained lots of dead trees we were able to watch a second flock for some ten miutes. This one gave us good views of a lesser spotted woodpecker, several firecrest and at least two s.t. treecreepers. The first bonus was a group of four hawfinch and the second was the familiar bugling sound of cranes coming from behind the trees. A skein of about 150 birds soon revealed itself above us. They were not very high up as we were ourselves on one of the higher bits of land in these parts and we had a good view of them make their wavering way northwards.
Some twenty miutes later while we were walking along the road that used to demarcate occupied and Vichy France, we heard and then saw two further skeins, this time numbering about 300 in total.
So, as it turned out, we got the best of both worlds; a crane migration and a few more forest birds (which happily brought my 2012 list up to 100 species). There will probably be little new now until the Spring migration starts properly.....but then you never know.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
woodlarks
The weather continues to improve with some sunshine today and the snow reduced to just a few patches with rhe rising temperatures. The most interesting birds around at present seem to be the woodlarks which are flocking in groups of up to 20 . They are easily distinguished from the more common skylark, even if they are not calling or singing, by their small size and short tails when in flight and the absence of any white on the wing edge. When on the ground, their supercilium is very obvious, stretching almost to the back of their heads.
Nuthatches and green and great spotted woodpeckers are easily seen at present and I watched a short toed treecreeper going about its business at La Tache again yesterday.
Nuthatches and green and great spotted woodpeckers are easily seen at present and I watched a short toed treecreeper going about its business at La Tache again yesterday.
Monday, 13 February 2012
thaw?
The first signs of thaw are in the air today but snow is still on the ground everywhere. Yesterday was very bitter and yet another woodcock showed itself, this time by the side of the road at Valence. Several snipe are still in the shallows or on the river there and a flock of over 20 cormorants flew overhead in an easterly direction.
I've provided the 3 surviving male mallards at La Poterie's pond with some food and they are clinging on on a square metre of water which they have kept unfrozen. A rather desperate looking moorhen was wandering around in the partly re-built house. I hope he gets himself a share of the food.
At my brother's house at Laplaud (which is more like Lapland at he moment) a nuthatch and a great spotted woodpecker are regular visitors to the fat balls. I've had nothing more exotic than a cirl bunting at La Tache.
I've provided the 3 surviving male mallards at La Poterie's pond with some food and they are clinging on on a square metre of water which they have kept unfrozen. A rather desperate looking moorhen was wandering around in the partly re-built house. I hope he gets himself a share of the food.
At my brother's house at Laplaud (which is more like Lapland at he moment) a nuthatch and a great spotted woodpecker are regular visitors to the fat balls. I've had nothing more exotic than a cirl bunting at La Tache.
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Arctic Charente
It was a bit nippy today to say the least and a walk across the plains revealed a landscape that resembled the Cairngorm plateau (but sadly with no ptarmigan). In fact there were few birds at all and I struggled to clock 20 species. Many of those I did see began with 'wood' and the best of these was woodcock, two this time and very close to where I saw yesterday's bird but giving even better views as I was on foot.
On a patch of road that had been blown clear of snow five woodlark were busy foraging for something and eventually flew off making their musical call. Woodpigeons were trying to feed on roadside verges that were partly sheltered form the wind and snow by trees and both green and great spotted woodpeckers showed themselves.
Blackbirds and song thrushes are still plentiful and desperately trying to find food where they can.
Still no cranes--and I don't blame them--- but my brother reported seeing some yesterday near Roumazieres.
On a patch of road that had been blown clear of snow five woodlark were busy foraging for something and eventually flew off making their musical call. Woodpigeons were trying to feed on roadside verges that were partly sheltered form the wind and snow by trees and both green and great spotted woodpeckers showed themselves.
Blackbirds and song thrushes are still plentiful and desperately trying to find food where they can.
Still no cranes--and I don't blame them--- but my brother reported seeing some yesterday near Roumazieres.
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
woodcock and jack snipe
Two good species today.
I can thank the chasse for the woodcock. They were (very unsportingly given the freezing conditions) out in force around a La Tache wood this afternoon. As I was manouvering around one of their parked vehicles in the snow, a woodcock flew up from the roadside and moved ahead of me along the road , its slow wingbeats being very reminiscent of an owl. Fortunately the men with the guns did not seem to see this beautiful and secretive creature and it crossed the road to enter a wood in an adjacent field.
On reflection, the hunters were probably intent on bigger game; I had seen four young wildboar and heard the adults in the same wood earlier in the day.
The mainly crepuscular woodcock is supposed to breed in the Charente forests but this is the first one that I have seen here.
I risked driving down to the Son-Sonette river at Valence (and only just made it back as the wind had drifted the snow across the road over the plains making them virtually impassable). Birdwise the trip was worth it though as a flock of 9 jack snipe were feeding in the shallows. They were nervous and occasionally they silently flew off and circled low down through the poplars before coming back to the same spot. About the same number of lapwings were with them.
One advantage of severe weather conditions is that unusual birds can turn up anywhere and that usual ones can turn up in unusual places.
I just managed to get beyond 30 species today ! When the weather improves we might get some cranes.
I can thank the chasse for the woodcock. They were (very unsportingly given the freezing conditions) out in force around a La Tache wood this afternoon. As I was manouvering around one of their parked vehicles in the snow, a woodcock flew up from the roadside and moved ahead of me along the road , its slow wingbeats being very reminiscent of an owl. Fortunately the men with the guns did not seem to see this beautiful and secretive creature and it crossed the road to enter a wood in an adjacent field.
On reflection, the hunters were probably intent on bigger game; I had seen four young wildboar and heard the adults in the same wood earlier in the day.
The mainly crepuscular woodcock is supposed to breed in the Charente forests but this is the first one that I have seen here.
I risked driving down to the Son-Sonette river at Valence (and only just made it back as the wind had drifted the snow across the road over the plains making them virtually impassable). Birdwise the trip was worth it though as a flock of 9 jack snipe were feeding in the shallows. They were nervous and occasionally they silently flew off and circled low down through the poplars before coming back to the same spot. About the same number of lapwings were with them.
One advantage of severe weather conditions is that unusual birds can turn up anywhere and that usual ones can turn up in unusual places.
I just managed to get beyond 30 species today ! When the weather improves we might get some cranes.
snow
The snow is still lying deep and crisp and even but the skies are blue and the radiant temperature from the sun is 14C despite the fact that the air temperature is below freezing.
I managed a walk along the River Charente at Montignac yesterday and watched a water pipit feeding with a few redwings close to the river. A snipe was another interesting sight on the river bank where the snow had melted. The only other bird of note was a male blackcap.
I managed a walk along the River Charente at Montignac yesterday and watched a water pipit feeding with a few redwings close to the river. A snipe was another interesting sight on the river bank where the snow had melted. The only other bird of note was a male blackcap.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Feb 2012
It's seems like a long time away but I'm finally back in Charente and a cold one it is! On Thursday when I arrived, the temperature was below freezing and several inches of snow are lying on the ground today.
Nevertheless the birds need to be recorded and so I've braved the elements. The most notable thing on Friday Feb 3 was the large number of song thrushes that were feeding by the roadsides and in the fields. there were also plenty of blackbirds but no sign of redwings and fieldfares which are the usual thrush suspects at this time of year. Brambling were also distinctly absent from the chaffinch flocks and I managed to see just one, albeit my first of the year. A short toed treecreeper was a welcome sight in the old sweet chestnuts.
Yesterday produced 29 species of birds around La Tache including two more s.t.treecreepers, a nuthatch and three woodlark.
Today (in the snow) 29 species again revealed themselves--but a slightly different bunch. A male hen harrier was having a tough time trying to see anything to eat as he flew over the snow drifts. Several cirl buntings were feeding with the chaffinch flocks but the largest flocks by far were those of skylarks which were in the hundreds as they whirled about and dotted the snow.
At the two opposite ends of the bird size spectrum, three big mute swans flew low over my head while I was on top of the plains and a tiny, bright firecrest was feeding with long tailed tits among the hedgerow trees as I dropped back into la Tache.
I note that the signs have gone up on the plains to indicate that 8 wind turbines are soon to be built there. At 105 metres in height they will dominate the landscape and probably completely end the sense of the wide open space. I know they are all part of the grand plan for renewable energy but I have become increasingly sceptical about their real contribution to this laudable end and although arguably more attractive that the electricity pylons which have scarred our landscapes for so long, I think they nevertheless are an unwanted visual intrusion into the rural scene. Any impact on our birds remains to be seen.
Nevertheless the birds need to be recorded and so I've braved the elements. The most notable thing on Friday Feb 3 was the large number of song thrushes that were feeding by the roadsides and in the fields. there were also plenty of blackbirds but no sign of redwings and fieldfares which are the usual thrush suspects at this time of year. Brambling were also distinctly absent from the chaffinch flocks and I managed to see just one, albeit my first of the year. A short toed treecreeper was a welcome sight in the old sweet chestnuts.
Yesterday produced 29 species of birds around La Tache including two more s.t.treecreepers, a nuthatch and three woodlark.
Today (in the snow) 29 species again revealed themselves--but a slightly different bunch. A male hen harrier was having a tough time trying to see anything to eat as he flew over the snow drifts. Several cirl buntings were feeding with the chaffinch flocks but the largest flocks by far were those of skylarks which were in the hundreds as they whirled about and dotted the snow.
At the two opposite ends of the bird size spectrum, three big mute swans flew low over my head while I was on top of the plains and a tiny, bright firecrest was feeding with long tailed tits among the hedgerow trees as I dropped back into la Tache.
I note that the signs have gone up on the plains to indicate that 8 wind turbines are soon to be built there. At 105 metres in height they will dominate the landscape and probably completely end the sense of the wide open space. I know they are all part of the grand plan for renewable energy but I have become increasingly sceptical about their real contribution to this laudable end and although arguably more attractive that the electricity pylons which have scarred our landscapes for so long, I think they nevertheless are an unwanted visual intrusion into the rural scene. Any impact on our birds remains to be seen.
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