Red backed shrikes have not been common this year but a male in superb plumage allowed me to watch him for some time as he sat on top of a hedge near La Tache's bio farm. the fact that he was reluctant to fly away indicates that he probably had a nest nearby; a pair did breed close to here last summer.
After the scorching heat of most of July we had fierce storms and strong winds for two days. Many trees have been toppled or damaged and my village is still on only provisional electricity supply as it's taking a week to repair power lines. Much of the sun flower crop is lying on the ground after the southerly gales. Today we are back to blue skies and I daresay high temperatures by this afternoon.
Several swifts were feeding high up yesterday so they have not quite left us yet and orioles were still singing this morning. Starlings are flocking and one flock of well over a thousand birds was wheeling around Chasseneuil last Friday evening. From my house I have heard stone curlews calling all night, presumably displaced by the harvesting. Almost all the grain is now in and fields are already being harrowed; it makes you wonder how ground-nesting birds manage to survive
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