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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Another great day in the Pyrenees 2018 (1 Viewer)

lovely couple of hours in the mountains today.

A pass over Sparrowhawk looked to be the highlight of the walk up but then a fly past Lammergeier - I was lining up the camera when Bo started barking and my park friends arrived. I missed the photo and spent the next 5 minutes wondering whether Bo was allowed to be where we were.

Anyway, we spent an hour looking for Ibex but failed - they had seen two lots about 30 mins before. Instead we were treated to a Golden Eagle, a pair of Short Toed Eagles, then a Peregrine and some choughs and Ravens. Fantastic, no noise not much talking just the birds!

On the way back to the car had Rock Bunting, Water Pipit and a very vocal Nuthatch.

I missed my siesta but it was great.
 
After all the excitement over Jackdaws, would you like us to bring a couple of dozen Woodpigeons next month? ;)
 
After all the excitement over Jackdaws, would you like us to bring a couple of dozen Woodpigeons next month? ;)

Looks like they have stayed although not on the church as the Kestrels saw them off. I think they are somewhere round the mayors garden...

Currently in Spain although birdwatching limited. Have clocked a Purple Heron and a very smart male Common Redstart. Went to walk up the Ifach rock but just after half way noticed that children weren't allowed - we had five so had to turn back. I'm pretty sure that I heard a Blue Rock Thrush at the exit of the tunnel. If I'm honest I wasn't comfortable walking after the tunnel so having the kids was a useful excuse.
 
Still not a lot of birding! Back from holidays and busy cleaning restaurant to open tomorrow (apart from writing this obviously). Quick trip round airport produced nothing today. No Eagle Owl and no Scops.

Rain and snow!
 
Nice little walk this morning with Bo.

Started, immediately, with a male Cirl Bunting and further down the road 3 Rock Buntings. Always great to see and very attractive!

I could hear a Short toed treecreeper but couldn't locate it until he finally gave himself up. This was followed by a pair of Nuthatch, Chiffchaff, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Kestrel overhead and a Great Spotted Woody. Not the heights of the Wallcreeper or such like but all nice to see.

Back at the car I disturbed a Whitethroat - not that 'common' here and finished witht he Cirl Bunting again. Bo was obviously bored, although he did manage to spot the Rock Buntings again, because he decided to fully roll in some cow pooh.

From the car I clocked a nice male Whinchat and a foraging Melodious Warbler.

All of these, Dragnil will be pleased to hear, we were within earshot and or sight of his preferred 'lodgings'.
 
Sounds good, we've just had a spell in Sicily then the north of Italy so ready for Luz once more. Looking forward to it as always. I'll try to pick up the Wallcreeper at Esnandes on the way!
 
Should be not far from breeding grounds if not nesting already...

Few red footed falcons in country so you might get lucky there!
 
Speaking of Wallcreeper made a couple of half xxxx attempts of tracking the beast down. Snow levels are such that skis are required for some places so being lazy I left the skis at home at took the scope instead.

Couple of recent reports around Gedre proved unsuccessful although did hear a Bonellis Warbler and saw a large-ish group of grifters - one coming quite close. A Goldie passed overhead.

The second trip was to Gloriettes but scanning the cliffs again proved fruitless. There were a few Wheatears vying for attention but very little else. Did manage a nice party of Izzard - about 12 with 4 young so that was great! They were feeding in the snow line.

Sun has come out and that snow line is going to recede but for the fact that more is forecast...

Last bit of news was hearing a pair of Scops Owls the other night. Both male and female 'dueling' around the corner from the house. Great news as its on the way to the pub...
 
I'm useless I forgot the Alpine Swifts! 5 of them high above Gavarnie. They look like they will breed again - I think 10 was my high count last spring so maybe 5 pairs with 5 sitting now and 5 flying around... Only an assumption.
 
Great little walk to today didn't produce many birds but 4 adult Lammergeiers together! Never seen four adults together before so excited!

Other birds pale into insignificance but did see three small parties of Meadow Pipit which we only get on migration here - 8, 3 and 3. Followed by a singing Rock Bunting which I managed to scare away...
 
Raider in the mist....

Very difficult day - cold -2 and snowing, not great visibility. Failed with many birds but were treated to this fellow and also the chick in the nest...
 

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Weather forecast is promising - could be good when warmer conditions kick off the breeding season. Hoping for Rock Thrush above Heas and Citril Finch wherever we might find them. It's great to be returning!
 
The sun has come out! Despite this the 'barrage' was very quiet! I scanned and scanned and scanned the cliffs but couldn't find anything of interest. Finally a Golldie flew over and was met by a young Lammergeier (maybe 2ca) which drifted up and down the slope opposite for a good five minutes.

I decided to continue round the lake and was rewarded with a singing male Rock Thrush. Bearing in mind I had seen one at the bottom of the valley on Tuesday, in the rain, I wasn't too hopeful about finding this fella! A small flock of Alpine choughs (c.80) over the point and an Izzard passed about 20m behind us - pretty quickly when he saw us. Back to the Chough which had mostly dispersed but they were replaced by two Wallcreepers, one flying about 20m above the other. I tracked them virtually the whole length of the cliff until at the other end one dived into the cliff. After spending 20 mins unsuccessfully scanning with the scope we returned to the car... This was the bird that had been requested but only I saw it!

We moved off to Gavarnie and a picnic lunch. Citril Finches have failed to return to their old nest site in the village and I couldn't pick up any Swifts. We headed for the Lammy nest and it was great looking into the nest and seeing the young (albeit through a scope). The Alpine swifts, 7, were picked up but sadly not seen by all and a couple of cracking male and one female Red Backed Shrike - one male busily impaling a beetle in a bush.

One last ditch attempt for Wallcreeper and blimey 2 wallcreepers! They flew out from the cliff in what looked to a territorial battle. One doubled back over our heads and descended, maybe a mile across the valley, the second one disappeared in the other direction - Great!

Birds not numerous but high quality...
 
Great - found a black shouldered kite nest near Lourdes followed by Rock Sparrow building a nest. Supporting cast Short toed Eagle, Hobby and 99%sure Woodchat - difficult to confuse but was at 140 on dual carriage way....
 
Funny game birdwatching and what a great leveller the weather can be!

Tuesday Wednesday in cloud and rain Thursday Friday sunshine. So the birds - well the ones I expected to be 'easy' were hard and the ones I expected to be hard were easy! I have 4 preferred spots for Rock Thrush and nothing appeared but fortunately the back up paid off on pretty much the last chance to pick up this bird. I thought while I'm here I'll chance my arm for an Accentor and bang there he was. The latter was a bird that, because of the snow levels, I had written off.

Lammergeier - what can I say, 6 different adults and the chick performing in the nest. Incredible views but at the same time they were absent from two of the areas visited because of the weather. Disaster avoided when the sun came out.

Eagle Owl - a banker but a no show! I'm really starting to worry about this one as that is now 2 weeks where adults or chicks (not seen this year yet) haven't been seen when at this time over the last couple of years they have been daily and during the day.

Citril Finch - after finally finding the birds last week they duly performed all round Gavarnie. Neither group connected last year but this year we had them in two places and amazing views at Gavarnie.

Significant absences for the week Black Wood, Alpine Swift but the significant pluses were the Citril and the Accentor - I think that is 'credit'.

By my reckoning 100 species for the week albeit a couple heard only...
 
No sign of weather improving in fact Lourdes is now on flood alert as we are here (albeit we are ok personally).

Scops Owls were out in force a couple of nights ago, despite weather comment, with both male and female calling the other night - not even sure there weren't three birds (but too early for young here).

Sadly, been scouring the cliff for eagle owl and it looks like they have failed. I don't know whether they are capable of trying again? In fact I have set up scope in four different sites including the cliff opposite and looked under every nook and cranny. Yes I know that doesn't mean success but this time last year we were watching the chick on a daily basis and even being fed during the day ie active...
 
Well not a lot of birding as the weather improves and restaurant fills up!

A report of Ruppells Vulture has me searching the skies and double checking every Griffon Vulture. Another of Eleanoras means I will have to scrutinise every Hobby. Two great birds and 2 I would like to see (again for the latter).

A short trip to the Vignemale was partially successful - the first Lammy chick flying around is always great to see. Then while checking the second managed to see two adults huddling together, on the cliff face, about 300m left of the nest. We didn't wait for them to fly but saw another in flight further up the valley.

A couple of stunning and sunning Red Backed Shrikes but no Golden Eagle in evidence.

At Lourdes had a couple of Hoopoes and at Tarbes another two. I found a nest about 10 years ago at Tumulus golf and one was doing a tour around the clubhouse/restaurant. Bo thinks they are great to chase - me less so and girls just keep shouting look its the bird from the night garden...

Great days.
 
Not much to report I'm afraid. Grabbed a couple of days at the coast with the kids before going 'full' time.

Spotted Flycatcher feeding in the garden. Funny how see these only rarely outside of migration and this year a hatfull - including this pair.

2 (from 4) Lammies off the nest so not a bonanza like last year. I think that is about standard this year across the range.

The bear was camera 'trapped' last week above Luz. It seems to be a lot bigger than the last.

Hobby and Black Shouldered Kite seen yesterday. There has been an Eleanoras floating about but I haven't hooked up with it unfortunately. Out of interest there were 9 together at Cendras the other day!

Black Vulture at Bagneres - again not by me but eyes to the skies.

Not long before migration starts, great stuff... I'm aiming for a male Pallid and Lesser Spotted Eagle so not too high...
 
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