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French local patch (1 Viewer)

C

Chris in France

Well-known member
I resumed serious birdwatching about three months ago after an absence of too many years, although I've always been a casual observer.

On my usual route most of the birds I see are the common ones, like Black Redstart, Moorhen, White Wagtail, Blackcap and Grey Heron, but a few days ago I added Green Woodpecker (first sighting this year) and Coal Tit (first sighting in France) on the same evening walk. Yesterday afternoon I varied my local patch route and came up trumps with Hoopoe (second only sighting since March) and Linnet (first sighting in France). I shall definitely be taking the new route more frequently in future!
 
Clouseau said:
Hoopoe as a local patch bird!?
'Green with envy' of Norfolk here!
Click to expand...

Actually, the Hoopoe's also on my garden list since it appeared on my home turf back in March! It also turned up at least twice last year before I started taking serious note of comings and goings.........
|:d|
 
I'd like to have Hoopoe as an expected yet delightful local patch tick!

Have you started a patch list from scratch?
 
Andrew said:
I'd like to have Hoopoe as an expected yet delightful local patch tick!

Have you started a patch list from scratch?
Click to expand...

I don't have a list specifically for the local patch but I have noted the birds I've seen on walks round and about since the middle of May. I could, therefore, start a backdated patch list on my database if I wanted to. However, in addition to my recently started life, year and garden lists I also maintain a daily list of birds seen and usually incorporate my local patch sightings in that. Is there a good reason for keeping a separate patch list, apart from personal preference?
 
Chris,

As a matter of interest, where are you based in France? I have a holiday home in southern Burgundy and last week added both Black Kite and White Stork to my garden 'fly-over' list.

Dave
 
Blincodave said:
Chris,

As a matter of interest, where are you based in France? I have a holiday home in southern Burgundy and last week added both Black Kite and White Stork to my garden 'fly-over' list.

Dave
Click to expand...

West Burgundy, Nièvre (58) departement, not far from the Loire. I guess that your holiday home is in the Saône-et-Loire (71) departement, which I know reasonably well, although not for birding opportunities. I've seen neither Black Kite nor White Stork in this area yet, although I 'ticked' Black Kite six weeks ago in Geneva. I've heard that there are Black Storks around here but have yet to see one. When are you coming back again?
 
Chris,

A local patch list has some advantages, common birds you see on the 'super-reserves' and the coast suddenly become rare and very exciting. Another is that it might make you look harder and that way you learn your patch better by examining for likely holding places and so forth.
 
Andrew said:
Chris,

A local patch list has some advantages, common birds you see on the 'super-reserves' and the coast suddenly become rare and very exciting. Another is that it might make you look harder and that way you learn your patch better by examining for likely holding places and so forth.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Andrew. For the time being I'll continue to incorporate my patch sightings into my daily list to limit duplication, but might add a patch list to my database at some future date. Thanks again for your thoughts.
 
Two more local patch 'firsts' to report: on Sunday a Common Tern was flying up and down the town's man-made fun (fishing) lake and, yesterday, a brilliant male Cirl Bunting in full summer plumage was seen taking a drink from the local river. A female was with it but I didn't see that until they both flew off together.
 
I've decided to combine reports on birding by car around my locality with reports on what I see walking around my local 'patch'. This morning I drove out with a friend for another morning's birding around here. There was not a lot about, probably because it was very hot, but I added

Melodious Warbler
Whinchat

to my French list and there were repeat sightings of the following birds:

Common Buzzard
Stonechat
Hoopoe (several)
Red-backed Shrike
Kestrel
Yellowhammer
Grey Heron
Great Crested Grebe
Jay
Common Tern
Black Kite
Corn Bunting

plus the usual suspects. No Harriers this time around.
 
I was out on my usual local patch walk last night and had three (for me) good sightings. A juvenile Dipper was seen perched on a rock beside the river Nièvre, the first time I've seen this bird in my area. There must be adults around so I'll keep a sharp lookout from hereon. I then saw a Common Tern for only the second time fishing the local lake, which is usually empty but for swallows and house martin flyovers, and, last but not least, a rather ragged female Cirl Bunting on my way home. I've seen a male and female before on the same walk but they were seen in a different area. To cap it all, I also saw a huge muskrat feeding beside the river, the sort that comes into our garden at night and chomps away at the fallen apples!
 
Here are new birds seen on my local patch list since my last post at the beginning of July:

Skylark
Golden Oriole (flyover)
Grey Wagtail
Kingfisher
Nightingale*
Common Sandpiper

*Cetti's Warbler removed from list and replaced by Nightingale. I wasn't 100% sure about original ID and changed my mind after receiving Birdguides CD Rom of European Birds and seeing the constantly moving behaviour of the Cetti on video, it's so unlike the bird I saw. Since the Nightingale is the only other similar-coloured bird I know of with a tail-raising habit (apart from the Blackbird which I know and can discount) it must have been this one. It doesn't say much for my judgment of size!
 
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New birds ID'd and added to my local patch list since my last report (18 August):

Pied Flycatcher
Willow Warbler
(Northern) Wheatear
Spotted Flycatcher
Long-tailed Tit

Most evenings I walk around part of my local patch (includes an artificial lake, a small river with a handful of rivulets flowing from it and an old mill, along with plenty of trees and bushes along the way). I usually see at least one bird that I don't see every night and last night was a good night because I found 4 of them: Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, 2 Kingfishers and a Pied Flycatcher.

Most of the smaller summer birds are leaving or have already gone and I haven't spotted the Common Sandpiper (seen a few times around the mill) for over 2 weeks, so it's probably moved on, too.

I'm now waiting for the winter birds to arrive.
 
It's a long time since I submitted a local patch report but since spring is round the corner and summer birds are already returning I thought I'd list some of the interesting birds seen so far this week.

Tuesday: Green Woodpecker, Bullfinch
Wednesday:European Turtle Dove roadside out of town (year first), Cirl Bunting (year first), Little Grebe on calm stretch of fast-flowing River Nièvre just outside the town, a first for the river.
Thursday: Reed Bunting(year first), Common Chiffchaff, and Barn Swallow (an early first year sighting)
Today: House Martin (another early year first, a remarkable one following yesterday's first sighting of the swallow), Hawfinch, Black Redstart (year first) and Bullfinch again.

What will I see tomorrow morning?
 
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bois de vincennes, paris

On a quick business trip to paris i had a chance to get out for a day (6th march actually) and went to the bois de vincennes. I set out from metro chateau de vincennes and went straight through the bois to the lac de minimes and from there crossed the bois diagonally to the lac daumesnil. The woodland had been closed off in many places and allowed to revert to its natural state by the municipal authoraties. The result is an amazing habitat within walking distance from the merto system. Anyway saw a great spotted pecker, a pair of green peckers, sinensis cormorant, also nuthatch, 19 sightings of Jay (regularly calling), a very light coloured male kestrel, a buzzard and all the usual (esp tits, finches) plus big collection of dodgey wildfowl. I even ticked a few french birders, something i never say during the 10+ years i lived in paris in the 90s!
 
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