Another Great Day in the Pyrenees 2014 (1 Viewer)

rosbifs said:

Harriers harriers and harriers!

7 different Hen Harriers yesterday - 4 female, 2 male and one 1er annee. The 'juv' got me excited but only after I got home. I thought it was fairly unmarked burnt orange apart from a thin well defined collar. Anyway, typically I didn't get a picture - it started to rain blah blah blah - and in fairness I did count five fingers, but the bird was 'typical'.

4 Black Shouldered Kites - pails in insignificance as there was an organised count the other day north of Tarbes - 170 birds with 75 at one roost site!! Incredible numbers. This is no longer a 'rare' bird...

Also found some Corn Buntings so with the usual birds turned into a good day.

More Eagle Owl visits but without positive results.

Click to expand...

oops meant to say that the hen harrier was NOT typical!

Spent the afternoon looking for it yesterday to no avail. Going to census at roost site on Saturday so it may turn up then!

Did get a Merlin though. It was comical I couldn't get to my scope (not that really needed it as was close enough) or camera as can't climb over seats (see above) - so you get that do I make a move and risk scaring it moment. Yep, no picture attached so scared it...

I then tried to get amongst the Lapwings and they flew off. Then a female Hen Harrier working her way up the airport fence - by the time i got in position she had turned around. It turned inot a day of failures - notwithstanding said birds + 2 Male Hen, 2 BS Kite....

Just been birdcounting. Never seen so many birders - in France.

Over the military camp we personally (our post) had:
Min 4 Male Hen Harriers going to roost - could have been as high as 8. 2 Female fly past against 35 overall in three roost sites.
18 (eighteen) Black Shouldered Kites. The light got so bad could easily have been more (this was our 'low' count) as they were displacing, arriving, perched, hidden! This was the total as we had this roost.
Maybe 8 different Merlin - about 24 overall in three sites (ours was preriphery (however you spell that))
2 Short Eared Owl - only in front of us!

Even for here 35 HenH's was a great count. I was suprised how much better my mates swarovski 65 scope was better than my Nikon 78 (admitedly with 38x wide) in the fading light.....

At last an Eagle Owl calling!

Handily next to my daughters music lesson is an Eagle Owl site and after various unsuccessful visits this winter scored. Even more handily the lesson starts at 17.30 which is just about dusk. 17.35 installed, opened door and there was the call! Ok so I couldn't see the bird, not because of light or trying, despite listening to it for 20 minutes.

No more music and the prospect of having to start work again means that it will have to wait until January the 4th now....