birding beaumonts

Another busy migration day with a good passage of SKYLARKS (alouette des champs) and higher-than-usual numbers of REED BUNTINGS (bruant des roseaux).

There were a few more GOLDEN PLOVERS (pluvier doré), a SERIN and REDPOLL (sizerin), but top bird was easily this migrating SNIPE (bécassine des marais). 

Not many passerines moving today but excellent for raptors in the afternoon : this is one of at least 15 BUZZARDS (buse), and 11 RED KITES (milan royal) included a superb slowly drifting flock of 6 in the late afternoon.

Also going through were large numbers of CORMORANTS, a few LAPWINGS (vanneaux), a HEN HARRIER (busard St Martin), 3 GREAT EGRETS (grande aigrette) and a flock of 9 WHITE STORKS (cigogne blanche).

The powers that be sent in some people today to deal with the troublesome ASIAN HORNETS' (frelon asiatique) nest reported on 22nd September - and this is what’s left of it now...

REED WARBLER (effarvatte) gone now from the pond although the HERON was there again this morning, catching lots of tiny fish.

Yesterday’s REED WARBLER (effarvatte) is still on site and this late SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (gobemouche gris) was near the Mare de bas in the afternoon.

Good skywatching all morning with heaps of birds going overhead, most of them MEADOW PIPITS (farlouse) and CHAFFINCHES (pinson des arbres). The first BRAMBLING (pinson du Nord), SKYLARK (alouette des champs) and LESSER REDPOLL (sizerin cabaret) of the autumn flew over, along with a few WOODLARKS (lulu), a MARSH HARRIER (busard des roseaux) and a couple of HAWFINCHES (gros bec).

Another grey, wet and windy day with BLACKCAPS (fauvette à tête noire) suddenly all over the place.

A big blast from the past was seeing a HERON back again fishing in the pond, now full and lush-looking after all the recent rain.

A rather weird and wonderful day started at dawn with these two white DOVES (palombe) sitting on top of a conifer, and the discovery later of a very active and fascinating ASIAN HORNET (frelon asiatique) nest near the mare de Milieu.

Mid-morning a strange wader-like call overhead revealed this BAR-TAILED GODWIT (barge rousse), a first for the park and only the 2nd ever for the department, flying in leisurely but determined fashion straight northwest towards Bagnolet.

Just a record-shot here of what is the latest SWIFT (martinet) I’ve ever seen here, flying south late morning. Nothing much else happened….

Record shot here of a distant WHINCHAT (tarier des prés), miles away in the middle of the prairie early this morning. 

This was not a day for raptors, although several flocks of SWALLOWS (hirondelle rustique) were migrating south.

There were 9 migrating HONEY BUZZARDS (bondrée) today, including this one which dive-bombed down like a sparrowhawk, landing somewhere out of sight in the wooded borders of the prairie.

Also going south today were a group of 5 WHITE STORKS (cigogne blanche), a BUZZARD (buse) and 8 MARSH HARRIERS (busard des roseaux).

Plenty of birds on site right now including a superb male REDSTART (rougequeue a front blanc) , at least 3 SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS (gobemouche gris) and 8 PIEDS (gobemouche noir).

Almost every summer (coincidentally when people are leaving to go on holiday) we get escaped cage-birds turning up, like the BUDGERIGAR (Perruche ondulée) which flew over this morning, and the pair of COCKATEILS (Calopsitte élégante) which were on site yesterday afternoon.

This is one of several brand-new and attractively designed information boards that now appear in various parts of the park. I must say the authorities are doing a really good job these days (and a few more bluethroats would be welcome)...

The first PIED FLYCATCHERS (gobemouche noir) of the autumn were seen this morning and a distant wheeling flock of 9 WHITE STORKS (cigogne blanche) took a whole half-hour to organise themselves and eventually glide southwest over the town, squadron-like, at 13h10.

Skywatching was a bit hard-going this morning what with the heatwave and all but at least there were a few migrating SWIFTS (martinet), and this HONEY BUZZARD (bondrée) was the best of five.

Quite birdy on site with a SPOTTED FLY (gobemouche gris), a couple of WILLOW WARBLERS (fitis), a REED WARBLER (effarvatte) in the reedbed and at least two calling NIGHTINGALES (rossignol). 

Excellent news today with fledgling NIGHTINGALES (rossignol), one of them hiding here, milling around with agitated parents - this confirms successful breeding inside the park for only the second time.

HONEY-BUZZARDS (bondrée) are evidently still migrating - there were 3 of them today, along with a BLACK KITE (milan noir).

The MELODIOUS WARBLER (polyglotte) continues to sing. 

One of several SAND MARTINS (rivage) here seen migrating overhead this morning and there was a SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (gobemouche gris) on site.

Best bird today though was this REDSHANK (gambette) which had flown over in the night.

A grey, cloudy, windy day with bits of rain. A very high-flying bunch of waders, racing north in and out of the rainclouds, was impossible to photograph and, thinking about it, they might well have been RUFF (combattant), a potential patch tick, drat!

The agony was lessened though by this superb male PIED FLYCATCHER (gobemouche noir) which spent a long time, in the same small tree, hunting down and bashing catapillers (chenilles), flies being very much off the menu these days.

Otherwise the NIGHTINGALE (rossignol) is still there at the cascade, a COMMON TERN (sterne pierregarin) flew north, and a PEREGRINE wandered around towards Vincennes.

It’s always great to see MED GULLS (mouette mélanocéphale) here but I do wish they’d fly a bit closer to the ground sometimes - this was a pretty classic sighting today of two wheeling north against the blue. 

Otherwise nothing new - the NIGHTINGALE (rossignol) continues to sing day and night, and must surely be getting rather tired...

This male SPARROWHAWK (épervier) flew over with what I guess might even be a sparrow? (moineau), and there were good views of another migrating COMMON TERN (sterne pierregrain) and the first BLACK KITE (milan noir) of the year.

At least two NIGHTINGALES (rossignol) still present, one of which is singing non-stop, day and night.

After a six-year absence this excellent WOOD WARBLER (pouillot siffleur) turned up today, singing from the tall trees halfway along the Sentier des Vergers.

True to form the first REED WARBLER (effarvatte) of the year avoided the reedbed, prefering to skulk and mutter from the nearby nettles at the compost. A very high male HEN HARRIER (busard St Martin), the first I’ve seen in ages, glided straight east.

It’s been a good year so far for MED GULLS  (mélano) and a group of 3 more, all adults, flew over today. A superb low-flying OSPREY (balbu) flew northeast and there were the first SAND MARTIN (rivage) and SERIN of the year.

The NIGHTINGALE (rossignol) was singing again near the mare de Bas and this morning I actually managed to see it!

An excellent skywatch late morning with this distant migrating WHIMBREL (courlis corlieu), only the second record for the park, plus the first SWIFT (martinet noir) of the year. Lots of unidentified little dots were flying high to the north, the vast majority probably MEADOW PIPITS (farlouse). 

Another MEDITERRANEAN GULL (mélano) flew over in the company of a few BLACK-HEADEDS (rieuse). A NIGHTINGALE (rossignol) was singing at the Mare de Bas.

Another RING OUZEL (plastron) flew over early doors and the SONG THRUSH (musicienne) passage continued - this bird looked like it’d had half a wing shot off somewhere along the way...

Early signs of spring migration this morning with this JACKDAW (choucas), 3 ROOKS (freux), LINNET, SKYLARK (alouette des champs) and WHITE WAGTAIL (bergeronette gris) all flying overhead. There was also a large, disjointed, distant flock of around 180 GOLDEN PLOVER (pluvier doré).

A TAWNY OWL (hulotte) was recorded during the night.