birding beaumonts

13th August

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, (fat chance of seeing a bluethroat here though)...

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 guide southwest over the town, squadron-like, at 13h10.

12th August

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).

22nd June

Great views of this NUTHATCH (sittelle torchepot) this morning - a real rarity here for some inexplicable reason. MELODIOUS (polyglotte) still on site, but trying his luck now in the prairie.

17th June

Quite an entertaining falcon show at midday with this PEREGRINE, a HOBBY and a couple of KESTRELS (crécerelle) all flying around. The poor MELODIOUS WARBLER (hypolais), surely an unpaired male, continues to sing non-stop from the Compost.

15th June

Superb record of a BARN OWL (Effraie des clochers) last night.

13th June

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.

11th June

This MELODIOUS WARBLER (polyglotte) was still on site today and singing much more than yesterday. A pair of distant HOBBIES (hobereau) wandered around over the bois de Vincennes.

10th June

A PEREGRINE flew towards Romainville this afternoon carrying large, dangling prey in its talons. A MELODIOUS WARBLER (polyglotte) was singing near the cascade.

3rd June

Excellent nocturnal migration last night with two LITTLE BITTERNS (blongois nain), one just before, and another after midnight. There was also another singing QUAIL (caille des blés).

25th May

Two QUAILS (caille des blés) went over in the early morning and this one, at 02h50, must have been flying really close to the mic !

21st May

This is the building in the Résidence Jean Moulin, just opposite the park entrance, that houses a colony of SWIFTS (martinet) every year, several couples nesting in the tiny slits above the window panes. There was great drama here early this morning with one bird flapping helplessly at one of the windows (the arrow marks the spot), unable to fly and totally stuck, one of its wings apparently jammed down a small crevice. Thankfully it was no longer hanging there an hour later, so our bird must be alive and well.

No birds of great note today, although a LITTLE GREBE (grèbe castagneux) and a COOT (foulque) had flown over in the night.

20th May

A QUAIL (caille des blés) flew over in the early hours and a BLACK STORK (cigogne noire) glided east towards Fontenay in the late afternoon.

17th May

Another singing MELODIOUS WARBLER (polyglotte) on site today. A local-looking BLACK KITE (milan noir) flew low overhead towards the town and the first WHITE STORK (cigogne blanche) of the year flew over. This disgruntled-sounding QUAIL (caille des blés) flew over just before dawn.

12th May

Record shot here of the first HONEY-BUZZARD (bondrée) of the year. Also migrating north was a rather late MERLIN (émerillon) and a PEREGRINE.

There was another HAWFINCH (gros bec) sighting in the early morning and there's definitely a pair of NIGHTINGALES (rossignol) around the cascade now, one bird regularly bounding around the rocks where the water flows.

8th May

For the last few days the SWIFTS (martinet) have been gradually sorting it out and today they were all flying about in pairs, with plenty of copulation action going on as well.

Nothing new today on site. A couple of MARSH HARRIERS (busard des roseaux) and BUZZARDS (buse) migrated over - still no sign of any Honeys...

7th May

Singing MELODIOUS WARBLER (polyglotte) on site.

6th May

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.

4th May

Interesting skywatch this morning with two pairs of HAWFINCHES (gros bec) flying high overhead to the north, along with a TURTLE DOVE (tourterelle des bois), a steady small stream of SWALLOWS (rustique) and this superb male GOLDEN ORIOLE (loriot).

1st May

Well the epic PIED FLYCATCHER (gobemouche noir) saga continues with a second male bird there this morning, both birds fighting it out occasionally in the same tree. They could be told apart fairly easily by the amount of white in the forehead, today’s newcomer having just the tiniest of spots, as opposed to the complete bar on the usual bird.

30th April

Another shot here of the PIED FLY (gobemouche noir), still in the same tree this morning and avidly gobbling down its remaining catepillars.

An invisible MELODIOUS WARBLER (Hypolaïs polyglotte ), the second this spring, was singing on site and a couple of HAWFINCHES (gros bec) flew high overhead.

29th April

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.

26th April

Flyover TURTLE DOVE (tourterelle des bois) this morning.

25th April

A frustratingly invisible MELODIOUS WARBLER (polyglotte) was singing in the Petite Prairie this morning, and the first HOBBY of the year flew over.

24th April

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...

23rd April

The NIGHTINGALE (rossignol) is still on site but today was another hopeless, cloudless one with empty blue skies. Thank God a few birds can still be got at night ! At just after midnight there was this first ever SPOTTED CRAKE (Marouette ponctuée ) for the park, followed just 13 minutes later with a wet-my-lips QUAIL (caille des blés) - it’s probably been the best April so far on record, and there’s still another week to go!

21st April

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.

20th April

During a short skywatch today a COMMON TERN (sterne pierregarin) flew north and a flock of 14 CROSSBILLS (Becs-croisés des sapins), another long-time-no-see bird, suddenly exploded into view over the cascade and carried on going low and east towards Fontenay.

19th April

The first WHITETHROAT (grisette) of the year was singing in the prairie this morning and an invisible GOLDEN ORIOLE (loriot) sang and called briefly from the Bois de Bordure. A group of four migrating SAND MARTINS (rivage) is worth a mention.

18th April

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.

17th April

Absolutely fantastic slighting today of this migrating PALLID HARRIER (busard pâle) which flew rapidly to the northeast - a first for the park !

Even without the harrier it was very good birding with a corking male PIED FLYCATCHER (gobemouche noir) and the first GARDEN WARBLERS (fauvette des jardins) of the year. Interestingly the warblers appeared to be already in a couple, with a discreetly singing male close to another bird, which was half asleep and looking on.

A group of 3 SAND MARTINS (rivage) flew over and the first SWIFTS (martinet) are now trickling in. Photos below of the NIGHTINGALE (rossignol) which continues to sing in the southeastern corner, and a confiding HEDGEHOG (hérisson) which was trotting around in the open by the cascade...

14th April

NIGHTINGALE (rossignol) still singing (only just) in the same spot this morning, and a migrating GREEN SANDPIPER (cul blanc) dropped in briefly.

12th April

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!

11th April

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.

9th April

A male RING OUZEL (plastron) on site this morning.

6th April

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...

5th April

Very birdy this morning with good diversity and several ticks for the year. SONG THRUSHES (grive musicienne) were on the move, with ones and twos, or very small groups, almost constantly on view high up.

A nice image was had of 6 RING OUZELS (plastron) flying over together, a little after this single bird had stopped en route in the prairie.

One or two TREE PIPITS (pipit des arbres), the first of the spring, buzzed over but they were impossible to pick out against another blue and cloudless sky. A group of 3 GREAT EGRETS (grande aigrette), very high up, beat a slow path north and other flyovers included a pair of MEDITERRANEAN GULLS (melano), a couple of YELLOW WAGTAILS (printa) and a GREEN SANDPIPER (cul-blanc), which almost came in to land at the marsh.

These two MARSH HARRIERS (busard des roseaux) flew fairly low overhead and quite a few SWALLOWS (rustique) were migrating, sometimes singing on the way. A single HOUSE MARTIN (hirondelle de fenêtre) was the first of the year, as was a NIGHTINGALE (rossignol) which gave a few blasts of song.

3rd April

Flocks of REDWINGS (mauvis) were on the move this morning and the first SWALLOWS (rustique) of the spring suddenly burst into view, racing low over the cascade.

2nd April

One of two MARSH HARRIERS (busard des roseaux) here flying over in the early morning light. A small bunch of YELLOW WAGTAILS (printa) went over as well, the the first of the spring.

1st April

The first WILLOW WARBLER (fitis) of the year this morning - just a few snatches of song.

28th March

Quite good early morning with the first MARSH HARRIER (busard des roseaux) of the spring flapping slowly north, and a HAWFINCH (gros bec).

27th March

A BRAMBLING (pinson du Nord) flew over early this morning.

26th March

There’s been a strong and cold northerly wind these past few days, and cloudless blue skies almost devoid of birds - just the odd small flock of CHAFFINCHES (pinson des arbres), WHITE WAGTAILS (bergeronnette grise), MEADOW PIPITS (farlouse) and SISKINS (tarin) going through. This rather dull situation was livened up a lot last night, just before midnight, with this flyover LITTLE GREBE (grèbe castagneux) - a first for the park no less!!

14th March

A grey and windy morning. One of a group of three GREEN SANDPIPERS (cul blanc) here, flying up and away after a brief pit-stop at the marsh on their way up north.

Not a lot else to report apart from the grand return of our beloved MOORHENS (poule d’eau): they disappeared completely during last year's summer but a steady-looking pair was back again at the marsh yesterday morning, and again today, looking very much in the mood for building a nest.

27th February

Great excitement this evening when I started to hear THIS COOT (foulque macroule) flying overhead in the clear and starry night sky, and if hadn't been for the blasted trees all around I might even have seen it. Difficult to be sure of what’s going on exactly - it felt at the time like a single bird meandering around, perhaps checking out all that open water now at the marsh, but maybe there's a few of them flying up north together, who knows?

22nd February

There were more GOLDEN PLOVERS (pluvier doré) on show this morning, racing around as they do very high in the sky, and the first CHIFFCHAFF (véloce) of the year, singing half-heartedly, was found at the compost.

This ROOK (freux) and a couple of SKYLARKS (alouette des champs) flew over but the star bird today was this nocturnal COOT (foulque macroule) flying over in the early hours.

15th February

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.

21st January

A female BLACKCAP (fauvette à tête noire) seen today.

18th January

Excellent find for Pierre along the Avenue des Marronniers - a MIDDLE SPOTTED WOODPECKER (pic mar) - the first rarity of the year !

16th January

Pierre had a male BULLFINCH (bouvreuil), a very good record these days...

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