Gruissan, France (Another day in the Pyrenees - on holiday) (1 Viewer)

Well a couple of short days. The weather has been fairly poor but have had fun with the kids.

To report so far

couple of Bonellis Eagles on the airport run - collecting the parents.
couple of young Med Gulls trying to keep out of the driving rain and a Serin and Crested Lark sheltering ont he campsite. So glad that we are neither bird nor under canvas at this moment.

Checked in at the LPO for any news. One guy was really helpfull and friendly the other a little off - almost snobiish and I had my best clothes on (and best French accent (which does resemble Worsel Gummidge)). Anyway, the long and the short is not a lot because of the 'english' weather.

Still underterred we have had about an hours birding today and managed to see 12 Bee Eaters (very very late), about 300 flamingos, some Snipe with a Jack, Ruff, and 7 Glossy Ibis.

Couldn't pluck up the courage to get out the car for most of them but managed to try out the Panny with a couple of flight shots of the bee-eater...

Few bits and pieces to report.

A feild with a hundred pkus Yellow Wgatails was definately interesting. Try as a might I could only find 'british' or 'blue headed'! I'm sure with a better vantage point I could have have a great deal of fun here (or sore eyes).

A tree that produced Cirl Bunting, 6 Serin, Common Redstart, chaffinch, blackcap and unkinwn warbler (probability says Sardinian) but i didn't get enough - was worth a stop even if the irate french struggled to pass me on the narrow lane.

Drifting past was a nice St Eagle and a Honey buzz!

Migration has picked up with the wind and the 'Roc' clocked up in the region of 500 Sparrowhawks and some Storks - both with the black passing at 20 metres!

The field of Yellow wags had gone with start of the guns I guess. Should wear a hard hat when birding here! Pigeon migration has kicked off with the dawn chorus of volleys of pellets! How they make it past here and the whole coast I don't know. Good luck pigeon.

Some pictures later....

rosbifs said:

Few bits and pieces to report.


Some pictures later....

Click to expand...

Hiya,

Interesting report, I have just come back from 2 months in the central pyrenees, migration seemed pretty much over when I left a few days ago! Nice to see you still have some stuff.

The bastards were shooting swallows where I was and everything else they good see - I guess practise for the pigeons. Sad really.

They really are idiots! I guess because the pigeons have only just started they were bored.

I don' know if you have seen my other thread but the Col de Soulor and then Organbidexka have been on fire. 54000 Black Kites over the Soulor! Unfortunately the wind really dropped off in September so thing were quiet.

Now there is a bit of wind from the right direction Gruissan has kicked off. Yesterday we had 9 Pallid Swifts - I don't know whether it is particular to here but they start to breed now. Water levels were really high so couldn't find any waders in the usual places. I guess i will have to get onto the marshes today.

I put a report of my sightings up, I was in Salechan. My max was about 600 bk in a day but that was in early august! Good luck, and keep posting

Well what a pain - the internet in the camp site has been down so I haven't been able to keep updates going!

Well we went onto the Salt marshes and found some of the waders but not in the numbers I thought. Found about 14 Little Stint, some Plovers, an Avocet, couple of Dunlin. Subsequent days have been more profitable with 30-40 Little Stint and a single Temminck's (quite late for them here).

Great news was finding the Eagle Owl hooting away the other night about 7.00pm (subsequently 6.40pm). Light was ok and the site has very easy access with about 5 mins walk to see the bird!!

Heard a Penduline Tit about 3 days ago but couldn't find the buxxxxx until today when agot a mixed bag of Penduline and Bearded (11) then a smaller group over the car of 5. These no longer breed in the area so are returning for winter.

Missed out on 4 Red Throated Pipits but got a big suprise today with a Sacred Ibis. Not sure on the rights to count one here but they have been wild since 1976 (according to Collins), surely 37 years is enough - that's nearly as old as me!! Up to 93 species which isn't bad for 'occassional' birding...

The parents flight was cancelled in the strike the other day so we have had and extended/enforced but welcome extra few days - in the changeover we managed to pinch their mobile home as it is larger and better equipped!!

What an afternoon! Headed inland for the some dry birds. Dad picked up a Blue Rock Thrush en route but I couldn't stop.

After spending 40 mins in a field looking at nothing we decdided to move on. Ok a field of nothing apart from a couple of Fan Tailed Warblers, Wheatear, a couple of Rock Sparrows that quickly grew to 31, some Corn Buntings, Greenfinch, Buzzard.... I went exploring - it looks like the 'higher' scrub has been cleared out and probably for our target bird (maybe wishful thinking but there is a conservation project going on - even in France).

Came across a nice mixed flock of Serin and Linnet (30 and 10) plus the first Black Redstart of the trip! Then a shock Stone Curlew as 7 flew up from the side of the road. These are prize birds for the hunters so good to see them alive.

Finally, in the distance a flock of the Little Bustard (27) of them - my biggest flock ever. And typically they circled and landed in the first field we had been searching. Quickly sped round and relocated int he field. A short walk behind a blind hedge to get some cracking views - result.

Now off for target number 2 - the Shrike. After accusations of unsportsman like behavoir we realised the smell was a water treatment plant and the Shrike sat above it. We had been questioning why they seem to be in decline and wonder about the smell being the cause! Seriously, they used to be fairly easy in this area. Could it be the reduction in scrub to accommodate the Little Bustards? Either way sad.

A great end to the last day with my parents!! Celebrated with a nice bottle of Vacqueras (2011 is a great year and 10x better than 2009 or 2010)....

Guess I should really start a new thread as now hit Spain.

To wrap up France had a good couple of last days. Finished on 109 species with the last couple picked up at the migration point. Hen Harrier, Skylark and a few bits. All we seemed to be counting were Chaffinchs - the daily total was over 9;000 most of which passed in the afternoon. It was pretty hectic. You can only really count the 'close' birds and obviously the ones you can identify so imagine the actual numbers that are passing.

Got two Honey Buzzard which I guess will be the last of the year.

I left a few in the bank for next year.

Right Spain...