birding beaumonts

17th June

Really great to hear these wonderful atmospheric hoots from a male TAWNY OWL (hulotte) just before daybreak, and some overnight recording also picked up fainter-sounding WATER RAIL (râle d’eau) and GREEN SANDPIPER (culblanc) flying over in the blackness.

And there’s more good news with at least one successful breeding pair of WHITETHROATS (fauvette grisette) - adults can be seen right now taking food to noisy nestlings in the prairie.

24th May

I should mention that one « new thing » I’ve been doing this year is leaving my recorder and microphone out in the late evening and collecting them the next morning to see what’s flown over during the night; amazingly they haven't been discovered and stolen - yet. Anyway there’s been some good results so far: some flyover COOTS (foulque macroule) in early spring, a few records of TAWNY OWL (hulotte) and, most excitingly, this QUAIL (caille des blés) flying overhead this morning at about 01h48, only the second record for the park and a patch tick for me!

18th May

An eventful day kicked off with a cute-looking bunch of baby SHORT-TOED TREECREEPERS (grimpereau des jardins) clambering around the trees in parc Mabille, being fed intermittently by busy parents. A SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (gobemouche gris) was in the same area.

A skywatch followed with HONEY BUZZARD (bondrée) and HOBBY flying over, followed later by this very tatty and exciting-looking falcon migrating north - to me it looked exactly like a RED-FOOTED FALCON (faucon kobez) although, according to the powers that be, it's only a darned KESTREL (crécerelle)....bah!

13th May

Here's one of the 3 HONEY BUZZARDS (bondrée) that went over today. This annoying northerly wind is still blowing, and the migrating SWALLOWS (rustique) were all racing low, hugging the ground.

12th May

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER (gobemouche gris), TREE PIPIT (pipit des arbres) and REDSTART (rouge-queue à front blanc) in the prairie this morning. The first BLACK KITE (milan noir) of the year flew over.

11th May

Heavy rain overnight and showers all day seem to have brought a few things in: this distant WHINCHAT (tarier des près) was in the prairie along with a REDSTART (rouge-queue à front blanc), and a singing REED WARBLER (effarvatte) was at the reedbed.

8th May

A singing MELODIOUS WARBLER (hypolais polyglotte) early afternoon at the Jean Moulin entrance.

5th May

More grey skies and strong winds: almost nothing today apart from a small group of YELLOW-LEGGED GULLS (leuco) circling north early on, another brief view of a HAWFINCH (gros bec) and three WHITE STORKS (cigogne blanche) moving slowly overhead.

1st May

A disappointing day - thick morning mist never really cleared properly which spoilt the skywatching, and on this bank holiday the park was heaving with uncivil adults and screaming kids running around everywhere….the idea of emigrating to Alaska came to mind.

A LESSER WHITETHROAT (babillarde) rattled three times near the cascade but there was not much to look at apart from clusters of local SWIFTS (martinet) hawking insects overhead - according to Pierre they all arrived in town yesterday.

27th April

This COMMON TERN (sterne pierregarin) was a really good record this morning, battling its way north against a gale force wind. Two singing WHITETHROATS (grisette) on site now.

22nd April

The first GARDEN WARBLER (fauvette des jardins) of the spring this morning and there was another flyover HAWFINCH (gros bec).

21st April

Good birding this morning with this RING OUZEL (plastron) tac-taccing up a tree by the mare Perchée, although it was quickly dislodged by a local MAGPIE (pie). A bit later another MAGPIE found and chased off this rare HOOPOE (huppe fasciée) which was lapping around high over the prairie.

The first migrating HOBBY of the spring appeared, and there were local-looking pairs of HAWFINCH (gros bec) and BULLFINCH (bouvreuil).

20th April

Nice male PIED FLYCATCHER (gobemouche noir) on site this morning and a group of 4 FIELDFARES (litorne) flew north. Significantly more SWIFTS (martinet) going through today, and there were first spring records of SAND MARTIN (rivage), HOUSE MARTIN (fenêtre) and WHITETHROAT (grisette).

14th April

This blasted cold northerly wind continues, although it did play it’s part in an excellent skywatch today with Isabelle: we got the first SWIFT (martinet) of the year, a pair of HAWFINCHES (gros bec), another migrating SHORT-EARED OWL (Hibou des marais) and this SHORT-TOED EAGLE!!(circaète) which flew overhead in the early afternoon. This is still a top draw bird in the region and the first I’ve ever seen at Beaumonts, whoopee!

13th April

A long skywatch in the company of Emmanuel, Maite and Remi was almost devoid of birds, maybe because of a cold northeasterly...only a few CORMORANTS, MEADOW PIPITS (farlouse) and LINNETS (linotte mélodieuse) flew over.

A pair of local-looking SERINS jangling overhead towards the cemetery, and this smart male REDSTART (rouge-queue à front blanc) by the mare Perchée, were welcome distractions from the empty sky.

Much earlier in the day a superb male RING OUZEL (plastron) had been found at the Compost, followed moments later by frustratingly distant views of a pair of CURLEW/WHIMBREL (courlis cendré/courlis courlieu) beating a strangely slow path northeast against an early watery sun (and that infernal wind).

12th April

Lots of MEADOW PIPITS (farlouse) flying over early this morning against a cold northerly wind. A FIRECREST (triple bandeau) was singing along the Jean Moulin entrance path.

31st March

A distant SHORT-EARED OWL (hibou des marais) was the highlight today, circling for ages over the Bois de Vincennes and apparently not really knowing the right way to go. Fairly good passage early doors with SONG THRUSHES (musiciennes), REDWINGS (mauvis) and MEADOW PIPITS (farlouse) dominating. Nice to see 3 more SWALLOWS (rustique) going over.

30th March

The first MARSH HARRIER (busard des roseaux) and SWALLOW (rustique) of the spring appeared this afternoon and an OSPREY (balbu) circled around for a thermal over Fontenay.

26th March

A WOODCOCK (becasse des bois) flushed at first light this morning from the Petite Prairie.

9th March

Grey and windy. This confiding KESTREL (crécerelle) was hanging around the cascade and the first GOLDEN PLOVERS (pluvier doré) of year appeared, a distant flock of 13. Hardly any GULLS around...

24th February

More nice sunny weather, and an interesting skywatch in the morning with Emmanuel, Maite and Pierre:

WOODLARKS (lulu) were seen flying overhead and there were a couple of small groups of CORMORANTS and these 5 JACKDAWS (choucas).

The first BLACKCAP (fauvette a tête noire) was singing at the Cascade.

23rd February

A few things moving north this morning including a flock of CHAFFINCHES (pinson des arbres), a pair of LINNETS (linotte) and a JACKDAW (choucas).

A REED BUNTING (bruant des roseaux) on site, and a CHIFFCHAFF (véloce) was singing near the cascade.

17th February

A PEREGRINE this afternoon, plus a couple of LAPWINGS (vanneaux) going north.

9th February

This REDWING (mauvis) was one of around 18 or so on site this morning and there were quite a few CHAFFINCHES (pinson des arbres) and a tight flock of about 30 STARLINGS.

An incredibly mangy, grey-coloured, wirey-tailed FOX (renard) trotted gingerly across the Praire.

21st January

Pierre had a male BULLFINCH (bouvreuil) today, sadly now a very good record...

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