wheatears moving through

I always regard migration as the best bit of birding, probably because it cn offer surprises, no matter how slight, and so it was a delight this week to come across a half dozen or more wheatears on the Lairiere plains and another one near Le Pont d'Agris. hey were making use of the very recently ploughed fields to feed as they paused on their jorney to Africa. A few meadow pipits and white wagtails accompanied them.
Buzzards and kestrels were abundant in the last of the clear warm weather. Three of the former were circling over the house and I saw well into double figures in the course of  a morning. One of these which obligingly remained sitting on his roadside fence post as I cycled by was a dark chocolate colour, demonstrating the the french name of le buse variable is more descriptive than the english one.
Chiffchaffs are still 'hoo-weeting' away in the bushes and a female blackcap was near La Tache on Thursday.

Common Buzzard --le buse variable--in typical plumage but local birds can vary from almost the colour of black kites to very pale ones which resemble short toed eagles.

The last 24 hours have been ones of light showers and that is the forecast for the rest of the week. The temperature today reached 20+ however and although it's expected to fall over the next few days,  it still feels very mild and the occasional swallow can be seen flying around.