birding beaumonts
Subtitle
6th April
.jpg)
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
.jpg)
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.
.jpg)
.jpg)
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
.jpg)
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
.jpg)
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
.jpg)
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...