Despite the devastation, bird life goes on and the kestrels which nested on the gable of the house last year have already returned, The cranes have started their migration and some flocks have passed over in the last few days. The recent warm weather has caused a number of birds to burst into song including, blackbird, song thrush and woodlark but it's still a bit early for other Spring migrants to appear.
I've sent the last few days around Fontenille and corn buntings have been common with flocks of up to 20. I've also seen a couple of yellow hammers there and a cettis warbler has been calling from the wet meadows. My first lesser spotted woodpecker of the year showed himself well as he drummed noisily in the sunshine.
On a negative note, chiffchaffs seem to have disappeared since the cold snap earlier in the year.
I'll be back in the UK for the next couple of weeks but I expect that a few spring migrants may have turned up by the time I return.
