Tuesday 7 May 2013

May

I've just got back from a birding trip to Portugal where, among other things, it was good to see bustards again as I haven't come across one in Charente for a few years now.
Everything has greened up here in the last two weeks with almost every tree in full foliage. Golden Orioles must have arrived while I was away as their loud distinctive song can be heard coming from the woods. Nightingales and blackcaps seem to be singing everywhere, a hoopoe was calling around the village today and I heard several melodious warblers and a bonelli's warbler on my walk.
 I watched a male montague's harrier hunting close to the house yesterday afternoon. This more delicate version of the hen harrier is a summer visitor; it was very common sight in Portugal and it's strange to surmise that this individual could possibly be a migrant which I saw down there some two weeks ago.

No comments:

Post a Comment