Just back from a family holiday to France. Whilst it was a non-birding trip, ~70 species were seen over the 10 days.
We stayed in a small Gite in Secondigny teeming with wildlife; an idyllic location surrounded by lakes, woodland and orchard. Many highlights including breeding Golden Orioles, Black Redstarts, Swallows, Wrens, Robins and Goldfinch amongst others. We also had Cirl Buntings, Turtle Doves and Serins in the garden. However, it was a privilege to witness 3 Black Redstart chicks fledge from the nest in the barn next door and then watch their parents feed them over the next few days.
Other highlights from the trip included my first ever Melodious Warbler (I think it was anyway!), and Black Terns, Black Kites, and Montague's Harriers, plus a fleeting glimpse of a Hoopoe. Will post some more photos as I process them...
A list of all the birds I saw in around the Gite is below (the 'b' denotes evidence of breeding):
We stayed in a small Gite in Secondigny teeming with wildlife; an idyllic location surrounded by lakes, woodland and orchard. Many highlights including breeding Golden Orioles, Black Redstarts, Swallows, Wrens, Robins and Goldfinch amongst others. We also had Cirl Buntings, Turtle Doves and Serins in the garden. However, it was a privilege to witness 3 Black Redstart chicks fledge from the nest in the barn next door and then watch their parents feed them over the next few days.
Other highlights from the trip included my first ever Melodious Warbler (I think it was anyway!), and Black Terns, Black Kites, and Montague's Harriers, plus a fleeting glimpse of a Hoopoe. Will post some more photos as I process them...
A list of all the birds I saw in around the Gite is below (the 'b' denotes evidence of breeding):
Male Black Redstart
Recently fledged Black Redstart
Recently fledged Black Redstart
Male Black Redstart
Male Black Redstart
Male Black Redstart
Turtle Dove
Pretty sure this is a Melodious Warbler but stand corrected as never seen one before!
Female and male Cirl Buntings, respectively
Black Kite
Hobby
1. Blackbird
2. Black Redstart (b)
3. Blackcap
4. Blue Tit
5. Buzzard
6. Cuckoo
7. Chaffinch
8. Chiffchaff
9. Collared Dove
10. Carrion Crow
11. Cirl Bunting
12. Dunnock
13. Great Tit (b)
14. Green Woodpecker
15. Great-spotted Woodpecker
16. Goldfinch (b; btw there is a nest in the hedge between the 2 Gites I forgot to mention)
17. Greenfinch
18. Golden Oriole (b)
19. Grey Heron
20. Green Sandpiper
21. House Sparrow
22. Hobby
23. Kestrel (b)
24. Kingfisher
25. Magpie
26. Mallard
27. Moorhen
28. Robin (b)
29. Swallow (b)
30. Swift
31. Sedge Warbler
32. Starling
33. Spotted Flycatcher (b)
34. Serin
35. Sparrowhawk
36. Turtle Dove
37. White Wagtail
38. Woodpigeon
39. Wren (b)
looks like melodious to me
ReplyDelete