Another Great Day in the Pyrenees 2022 (1 Viewer)

[rosbifs]

Birding opportunities have been scarce

My mind has been occupied. I want to say that I am deeply saddened by the events in Ukraine. I fail to see what this madman has to gain but already the human cost has been too much. Stop it you idiot!

To clear my head I went to the woods. First surprise was a Goshawk flushed just in front of me - magnificent. In the background a Middle Spotted Woodpecker chirped up. Two maybe three and then a little lower a 4th! I was also hoping for Lesser Spotted but no drumming or calling although there was an active Great Spotted and a daytime hoot of a Tawny Owl. Onto wood two now in search of the Lesser Spotted - sadly, not really, a pair of Middle Spots instead so I think I'm comfortably seeing my daily record - not counting young birds.

A quick failed search for Wallcreeper and Sardinian Warbler drew the outing to a close...

 

[rosbifs]

Other birding news

Three of the local pairs of Lammergeier have installed themselves, two highly visible, and the fourth nest hasn't been found, yet...

A Long Eared Owl was fairly vocal around my flat but has since gone quiet. I don't know whether he has decided to move deeper into the woods.

The Tengmalms have been fairly quiet this year - of the general prospections only one has been heard calling so far. I have lined up a wood but not quite up to it - long story but I got wiped out by a button lift and have some remaining concussion - basically, the whole cable derailed and hit me on the head - a nice headache and a damaged helmet, thank god I was wearing one.

I had a few days in Portugal. Not much time for birding but it was nice to catch up with a Southern Grey shrike and the first Swallows of the year. I caught a glimpse of a Swift without being able to assign species. There has been a handful of Plain Swifts in the area but also some Pallid have arrived so couldn't say as I was on ring road at 120km/h...

Saw 6 Golden Eagles loosely in the air together last week - it's a spot between two territories so could understand why there were 6 of them!

Green and Great Spot are in full voice around me with calling or drumming.

Crag Martins seem to have arrived back in the village in small numbers.

Firecrest calling in garden this morning and two Kestrels flying overhead.

 

[rosbifs]

So some very short sorties - getting out and about a little more now...

No Lesser pecker but the Middle Spot showed again and is looking very interestingly at one tree in particular, please, please, please...

I had a couple of successful trips for the Eagle Owl, calling at least, always nice. And some unsuccessful for the Wallcreeper. One was seen in the village and on my old neighbours house!!!!

A couple of Rock Sparrows in the usual place - looking like they'll be nesting again. One Booted Eagle, Short Toed Eagle, couple of White Storks... A friend saw Hen Harriers 'sky dancing' with food pass last week - could be interesting to follow up.

My friend saw some Swifts in Lourdes the other day which, apparently, is 12 days earlier than the previous arrivals. He tried to turn them into something else but the conclusion was common.

Owls generally have been quiet. One Scops kicking around the village but Tengmalms very quiet this year - maybe four records in the region - compared to last year!!!!! (by comparison Pygmy very active in the Cevennes region - hope they breed again in Spain, and ultimately closer, not that it was far away)

 

[rosbifs]

A day of drumming! Inspired by a local pair of Great Spotted and some regular drumming I thought I would head to my favourite wood.

I watched a Great Spot finding a juicy insect in one branch and, encouraged, headed a little higher. There was a fair amount of drumming but seemingly all Great Spots but at the same time a couple of lighter slightly longer drums. I was looking for Lesser Spot which eluded me last time .

A Middle Spot was calling below and there were at least four Woodpeckers within about a 200m radius. The 'lighter' drum got me excited and I thought, see ID thread, I got myself the lesser. In the next tree a Great Spot was drumming as well! Anyway, having reviewed the photos I feel it was Middle and it was definitely drumming - interestingly was almost at a 45 degree angle and I couldn't get the back pattern. In the moment I didn't want to disturb him too much.

As I turned to leave I could just about hear a higher Black Wood.

I descended to Argeles to check out my other Middle Spot and Lesser Spot area. Sure enough I picked up the Middle fairly quickly and a calling Green. The Middle proceeded to excavate a partially finished hole so I kept my distance. In the background another Great Spot drumming but no Lesser.

The supporting cast was Short Toed Treecreeper, 3 Black Kites overhead and some distant Griffons. I didn't go as far as Pibeste but there are 2 Egyptians and two Short Toed Eagles back already.

A great morning.

Ps went to scope the new Lammy nest yesterday. The nest was pretty hard to find despite directions and difficult to see anything when I found it - I could just about make out the females head as she is sitting.

 

[3Italianbirders]

Fantastic! I love woodpecker season!

 

[Ian Bell]

I enjoyed reading your posts.I have flown over the Pyrenees many times to Spain and often looked down and thought,how much I would love to visit and what birds and mammals I could see.

 

[rosbifs]

And then it rained and then it snowed! 22deg c last week and snow in the village this. Only 5-10 sms in the village but they did say up to 60-80cms in the mountains. Obviously, this could well have an effect on the migration, nesting and also sitting, in the case of the Lammys who'll be desperately trying to keep their eggs warm.

Anyway, just before the rain there was a big influx of Black Kites, a steady migration over Argeles. A lone Egyptian who'd clearly have enough of flying in the wet. Lots of Swallows with an odd House Martin.

The cold has also bought some of the altitudinal migrants back down with a cute Stonechat in my car park - great.

 

[rosbifs]

The Stonechat was joined by a small troop of Rock Buntings that have kicked around as the snow deepened. Birds have been grounded everywhere, a cracking male Redstart in the village, which I failed twice to get a photo of, and as the clouds lifted this Short Toed Eagle sat on an Eagle Owl lookout post...

A little higher up the mountain a 'hunting' Lammy and a flock of Woodpigeons. The pigeons suddenly diverting and taking evasive action as a Peregrine crashed through the middle although failed to connect, wow, followed by a flock of 28 migrating Black Kites. Finally a quick scope of the Lammy nest...

 

[rosbifs]

Thick and fast!

Down the mountain and trying to get a recording of the Middle Spot drumming. There were a couple of candidates but couldn't be sure. However, ample compensation everywhere, a high flying Goshawk but I couldn't get a camera lock! An adult Lammy came over which is significant because I got a picture but later when scoping I got another but this time a 4th(?) year - dark head but beginnings of orangey belly. A Golden Eagle put in an appearance as did a coupe of Buzzards, a Black kite, Griffons, Short Toed Eagle and a Sparrowhawk.

On the Woodpecker front there were at least 3 Middles and 4 Great Spots and finally got a soft calling Lesser but once only. I played the call for 10 seconds and there she was. Came to say hello and then gone.

 

[rosbifs]

Couple of minor sorties

On Friday was heading to Lourdes so took in the woodpecker site at Argeles. First bird though was another Lesser Spot - literally parked car and this was the first bird in the tree next to the car park. The Middle spot was still perfecting his nest and on the way back to the car its looks like the Lesser, female, was inspecting cavities for her nest - fingers crossed.

Onto Lourdes and with a bit of time to spare I went to the airport where I clocked 2 Woodchat shrikes - I'm sure that they breed somewhere in the vicinity as they are regular but I don't live close enough to invest enough time searching! Then three cracking male wheatears, toyed with the idea of them being Greenies but three male wheatears sounds ok!

On Sunday I had just enough time, while the chicken was in the oven to get to Puydarrieux where the the water was overflowing. I got a Wood Sandpiper whilst he worked around the edges. I failed to get a good picture that puzzled me as the camera has been behaving recently, ignoring haze that is. The thing that surprised me was the numbers of fish - thousands upon thousands in the shallows and some seemingly quite big - at least 60-70 cms long - god knows what they were doing... well probably someone on here too.

Finally an Osprey flew over the far side of the lake.

Great stuff - I literally just thought why am I not seeing an Osprey and what would they make of all these fish, a meal out of it!

 

[rosbifs]

First Whinchat of the year for me following a short trip out in the snow.

Today went for a sniff at Goshawk but also a couple of other 'locals', starting, with Peregrine and two Kestrels high over a ridge, a very distant Goldie and an adult Lammy. Good start although in fairness hadn't planned on much. That said I did get an Eagle Owl sunning himself and the other adult Lammy on the nest - very orange indeed.

I very plain faced Kestrel the other day...

Great birds making relief from working!

 

[rosbifs]

So a trip down the mountain so took in the usual sites. A couple of birds were on my mind - the woodchats, maybe bee eater, roller, red footed falcon and pallid harrier….

The day started with my first red backed shrike disappearing into a hedge and a pair of very annoyed cirl buntings! Then onto the rock sparrows - my little enclave were present - 5. Now here’s the question it looked like a chick begging for food - vibrating wings - I though he about it but could it have been a courtship thing? Anyway, I know they breed but didn’t want to claim an early brood…

Out in the country two Hobby’s were flying around annoying the swallows! Another first for the year. When I jumped out of the car I could hear three nightingales, great, and then a cuckoo.

Back to Tarbes and a scoot around the airport and there she was - a harrier - I was pretty sure that I was looking at a 2cy female but quickly posted up in if forum… I tentatively put the news out but the bird didn’t hang around. Partial confirmation arrived from my photos. Then in front of laptop and a book or three I pieced together an id. Sadly wasn’t a male!

Great day of firsts for the year!

 

[rosbifs]

Couple of dips going for the Eagle Owl so thought I would spend the evening at Gavarnie.

After a lot of searching I had brief views of the Alpine Swift as I started my short walk. Lots and lots of 'hirundelles' as the sky threatened to make my walk wet.

Some chaffinches, high Griffons, Tree pipit but quieter than I had hoped. A little way to the east an Iberian Chiffchaff has been found and seeing as this is the border you never know! Anyway, finally I got the call of some Citril Finch and they were seed hunting - a party of three or four with a pair, male female, Serin. Turning back to the car a Golden flew over head and entered a cave above the village - could this be the nest that we have been looking for? Cautiously I would say possibly, if that is cautious enough, as I had seen this cave used before as a roost when the pair/nest was opposite = I scoped the other nest which is seemingly empty....

I then spent a good 45 minutes scoping for Wallcreeper at nest site. Will have to look at last years reports to see when they were present - should be here abouts at least displaying but this was c.20h30.

To cut the long story short no Eagle Owls again.

PS during the day whilst gardening got a nice Booted Eagle overhead... Scops Owl intermittent...

 

[Ratal]

Absolutely love these threads you share.

The bird list though is just mind bogglingly awesome!

 

[Evan Atkinson]

Great stuff, would love to see most of them!

 

[rosbifs]

The day started with a Spotted Flycatcher in the village, a little too early to suggest it's a breeder but I suspect breeding around Dragnils campsite last year...

The weather is too hot for comfort so I decided to take the girls up the mountain for a walk and a picnic. We headed to Gavarnie to keep an eye of the Golden Eagles. Sure enough they were in constant presence round the 'nesting' cliff - can't be anywhere else. The girls didn't want to walk the extra 20 mins to get a better view as we perched high above the village. Sadly couldn't find any Alpine Swifts... Whinchat, Ring Ouzel, Griffons, House Martins making up the numbers.

After the picnic we descended to the Lammy site so I could scour the cliffs for the Wallcreeper. Not even time to fire up the camera and I missed the money shot of the adult Lammy jumping out of the nest high above me but directly towards me! In the hour or so I was there it didn't come back. Unfortunately, nor did the Wallcreeper - I checked the dates and the courting display was done and dusted by this time. I guess I have to ge there in the morning when there is more food gathering, as I suspect the female is already sitting so one less bird flying around (according to literature she will do 99.9% of the sitting and will probably not emerge for another 3 weeks or so).

A Peregrine put in an appearance. Great to watch as it tried to buzz along the cliffs I suspect trying to catch an unweary Crag Martin. It seemed to attempt grabbing at a few ledges - a little bit obscured but the sort of place where the Martins would be sitting... Interesting.

Whilst all this was happening the girls were playing in the river - OMG there was about 2 metres of snow in the water and them as well!!!!!!

A great afternoon albeit having dipped on the Wallcreeper.

 

[rosbifs]

Absolutely love these threads you share.

The bird list though is just mind bogglingly awesome!

Thank you. Great time birding for me too...

 

[rosbifs]

Great stuff, would love to see most of them!

Only a trip away....

 

[rosbifs]

Sorry I have just read my Pallid Harrier post above - I said that I ws pretty sure I was looking at a '2cy female' - which I wasn't sure. I thought it might be a 2cy Pallid though.

Assigning female came from the id thread as did the confirmation of species...

 

[rosbifs]

Male and female Scops Owl 'dueling' outside my bedroom last night. In other news Flav comfirmed a Wallcreeper couple nest building in last years nest on the way to Heas.

Trip to Toulouse - I sniffed around, without success, for Woodchats around Tarbes.

Did get a Hoopoe and then around the airport a Red Backed Shrike and Crested Lark. On that note I am sad by the expansion of works around Tarbes airport - the runway is perhaps now half lined with planes and tarmac. This was a great scrub area and held migrants and breeders not found in numbers elsewhere! The hedgerows that used to hold the Woodchat have been flattened and ploughed....