Another absolute scorcher today so there was only one thing for it - up at 4 a.m. for some early morning birding. We were at Sailly Bray for sunrise, and so were a host of singing warblers - Sedge, Reed, Garden, Whitethroats and Blackcaps. Some pretty angry dogs and cows added their sounds to a dawn chorus which quickly included Wrens, Yellowhammers, Linnets and Drawwaters.
We tried a few known Bluethroat breeding sites unsuccessfully but did manage great views of Reed Buntings, Lapwings, Oystercatcher, Spotted Flycatcher and this young Grasshopper Warbler at the Pont de Dien picnic site.
We also had our first of many Turtle Doves, purring away from a telegraph wire in the distance.
We drove on to the nearby Foret de Crecy, picking up an overflying Cuckoo and Green Sandpiper en route. The forest itself was encouragingly still alive with bird song; as soon as we left the car we were on to Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, a Garden Warbler and another purring Turtle Dove. A felled clearing held a couple of displaying Tree Pipits, Blue, Great and Marsh Tits and also a Nuthatch and G.S. Woodpecker.
By 10 a.m. it was already uncomfortably hot for birding so we bashed on towards Quend Plage. The moment of the day occurred on our way out of the Forest, though, as a huge adult Wild Boar charged across the road in front of us causing me to slam on the breaks. Absolutely massive, a class act.
Best of the rest were a couple of White Storks over Le Croton, 6 Sanger Terns blogging at sea and some adult Meds getting involved on a chip fuelled Gull melee on Quend Plage..
New species to list: Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Marsh Tit, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo, Oystercatcher, White Stork, Sandwich Tern, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Tree Pipit, Shoveler, Shelduck, Little Egret, Spotted Flycatcher, Reed Bunting, Green Sandpiper (67)
New butterflies: Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock
No comments:
Post a Comment