Today was sunny and warm in the sunshine (20C) but with a quite chilly easterly. In the endless springtime quest for early migrants I took myself off once again to the flooded Tardoir. The waders there were still restricted to lapwings and golden plovers which was a little disappointing but I was cheered by the sight of a group of eight ducks sailing on the water. They consisted of four brightly plumaged male shovelers with two dowdy females and a pair of teal. The two groups eventually separated before the shovelers flew off northwards with very noisy wingbeats as they passed over my head. The teal drifted downstream to mix in with a flock of about 170 black-headed gulls. The only other birds in the muddy fields which now resemble tidal mudflats were six grey herons and small groups of white wagtails.
Cranes are still moving; about 300 went over the house yesterday evening and smaller groups passed today. One of my French neighbours tells me he saw about fifty white storks near Coulgens last week.
Stella suggested that I repair one of the nest boxes today so I obligingly took it down but was then followed by a noisy blue tit who was apparently already taking up occupation and rather irate that I was walking off with its house. I quickly nailed it back on the tree trunk and its owner moved back in.
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