Today I was treated to my first Charente lesser spot of the year (apart from the one that died when it ht my glass door). I watched it climbing up a dead tree as I was cycling down a track along the dried up Tardoire.
My announcement in my last post about the shrikes having left for southern climes proved premature because I came across a young bird just south of St Angeau. The only other observations of note were a flock of about thirty goldfinches at la Poterie, several pied flycatchers calling and two separate grey wagtails, again by the waterless Tardoire.
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Return Migration
There's no doubt that there's a touch of autumn in the air at the moment as even though the sun is sending out plenty of heat, the mornings and evenings are getting cooler. Today was an extreme case in point; it was only 14C at 9am when I began my bike ride and the first rain in weeks was threatening--- and duly arrived before I got back home.
I say all this as preface to the fact that It seemed a propitious opportunity to see if there was further evidence of the year's return migration other than the pied flycatchers in the garden and lots of swallows sitting on wires.
I decided to pop up to the plains as this relative high point hereabouts (all of 130 metres) is where migrating birds often take rest to feed up. I was cycling past the site of eolien 4 when I came across my first wheatear of the autumn flying up from the side of the track. He was quickly joined by a couple of others and then the group expanded to six or more as they perched on the mountain of excavated rocks. It occurred to me that it might be a good idea to leave this sizeable pile of interesting habitat rather than use it for backfill so that future migrants could make use of as a slight compensation for the unwelcome intrusion of the wind turbines ---but then I doubt if anyone would listen.
A red kite made an appearance a little further down the track; although not necessarily a long-distance migrant, the species disperses after breeding and this individual was not from around here.
A flock of a dozen or more blackbirds which were feeding on hedgerow berries were a post breeding group which were probably migrating but the three whinchats which I flushed from the roadside between the bio farm and Artenac certainly were. Just by them in a bush was a calling willow warbler, a species like the wheatear and the whinchat which mainly breeds far north of here.
Negative evidence of return migration came from the absence of the family of red backed shrikes which I have mentioned in earlier posts and not a single call of a golden oriole; both these beautiful birds seem to have left us until next spring.
I say all this as preface to the fact that It seemed a propitious opportunity to see if there was further evidence of the year's return migration other than the pied flycatchers in the garden and lots of swallows sitting on wires.
I decided to pop up to the plains as this relative high point hereabouts (all of 130 metres) is where migrating birds often take rest to feed up. I was cycling past the site of eolien 4 when I came across my first wheatear of the autumn flying up from the side of the track. He was quickly joined by a couple of others and then the group expanded to six or more as they perched on the mountain of excavated rocks. It occurred to me that it might be a good idea to leave this sizeable pile of interesting habitat rather than use it for backfill so that future migrants could make use of as a slight compensation for the unwelcome intrusion of the wind turbines ---but then I doubt if anyone would listen.
A red kite made an appearance a little further down the track; although not necessarily a long-distance migrant, the species disperses after breeding and this individual was not from around here.
A flock of a dozen or more blackbirds which were feeding on hedgerow berries were a post breeding group which were probably migrating but the three whinchats which I flushed from the roadside between the bio farm and Artenac certainly were. Just by them in a bush was a calling willow warbler, a species like the wheatear and the whinchat which mainly breeds far north of here.
Negative evidence of return migration came from the absence of the family of red backed shrikes which I have mentioned in earlier posts and not a single call of a golden oriole; both these beautiful birds seem to have left us until next spring.
Monday, 19 August 2013
Mid august
The hot weather has been with us for some weeks now and looks to continue. A female pied flycatcher has been in the garden for the last few days and when I check back to last year's posts I see that the autumn arrival of this species was in the same week in 2012.
Irv and I undertook a long walk last week from Piegut to Montbron------it took nearly six hours so it must have been long----.and we came across our first short-toed eagles of the year about half way through the trip. This species is listed as breeding in Charente but is a very rare sight.
A far commoner raptor is the sparrow hawk but it's quite easy to go several weeks without seeing one so I was pleased when a female flew low across the road in front of my bike this lunchtime.
Irv and I undertook a long walk last week from Piegut to Montbron------it took nearly six hours so it must have been long----.and we came across our first short-toed eagles of the year about half way through the trip. This species is listed as breeding in Charente but is a very rare sight.
A far commoner raptor is the sparrow hawk but it's quite easy to go several weeks without seeing one so I was pleased when a female flew low across the road in front of my bike this lunchtime.
Sunday, 4 August 2013
Daytime Nightjar
Nightjars are of course crepuscular birds and I usually go to look for them in the early summer around sunset; it's also possible to find them just after dawn as I mentioned in a recent posting. Coming across one in the middle of the day is quite unusual but that is just what happened on Wednesday as I cycled down a forest track near Cellfrouin. A female suddenly flew up from just ahead of me and then proceeded to fly around me calling loudly. Sometimes it hovered just a few yards away at head height and sometimes it setttled in a nearby bush but still flapping its wings.All this was I suppose a distraction technique as I must have been very near its nest (there was some bracken close by). So as not to cause it more distress I rode away still hearing it calling in the distance.
The only other sighting of note in the forest was a small flock of hawfinches.
The only other sighting of note in the forest was a small flock of hawfinches.
Thursday, 1 August 2013
more shrikes
After yesterday's post about the paucity of red backed shrikes this year, I saw another male (carrying food) near Saint Angeau and then this morning, when I cycled past the La Tache site, yesterday's singleton had turned into a family of six!
Orioles were again in numbers in my garden and along the Bonnieure , swifts were still around the church tower at St Angeau and stone curlews were calling near Lairiere earlier today.
Yesterday I cycled from La Poterie to Montignac mainly by way of the old roman tracks; it was a very interesting (and hot!) journey done without binoculars to avoid neck-ache. Other than the male shrike just mentioned, the most interesting bird was a confiding melodious warbler as I haven't seen one for a while.
We have just entered August and I have to confess that I still await my first bullfinch of the year. Where have they all gone??
Orioles were again in numbers in my garden and along the Bonnieure , swifts were still around the church tower at St Angeau and stone curlews were calling near Lairiere earlier today.
Yesterday I cycled from La Poterie to Montignac mainly by way of the old roman tracks; it was a very interesting (and hot!) journey done without binoculars to avoid neck-ache. Other than the male shrike just mentioned, the most interesting bird was a confiding melodious warbler as I haven't seen one for a while.
We have just entered August and I have to confess that I still await my first bullfinch of the year. Where have they all gone??
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