Another Great Day in the Pyrenees 2016 (1 Viewer)

rosbifs · Jan 8, 2016

Try and keep this one up to date if I can!

To bring you up to speed
Tuesday - rehabilitation - have to start walking so took the opportunity to head to Argeles. I thought I'd try my hand at finding a Red Billed Leothrix - everyone is talking about them and I haven't even tried to find one - ok that is still true but I did see a nice Hawfinch or it was nice to see a Hawfinch. After 20 mins out I was delighted to turn into freezing rain and wind.

Wednesday -5 Alpine Accentors in Ski cafe. I had to 'babysit' a youngster from the club who fell on the first run of the day. I'm not skiing yet this season so I would've been elsewhere other than my youngest forgetting her gloves and me chasing the bus up the hill...

Today - on another pretence I headed to Tarbes. Shopping was one thing but thats like 15 mins of the outing. I found a couple of Black Shouldered Kites and a male Hen Harrier but then a bird I have mentioned elsewhere - a little leucistic Linnet - I saw it briefly about 10 days ago but hadn't been able to refind it until today about a km from first sighting. Pretty little thing...

Target this year is Pallid Harrier - I cannot fail this year - and a local White Backed Woody. Going with the Parcs on a WB Woody ringing outing nr Lourdes so should nail one. The problem is the walk in - its 1hr straight up hill - I did it once when I was fit so I know whats in store and also that there is no guarantee as didn't see it last time.

stuartvine · Jan 8, 2016

Looking forward to following the 2016 story

Mark Lew1s · Jan 9, 2016

Re red-billed leiothrix, I found them very easy to come across in the summer, but they were making a lot of noise then! Around Morlaas and Serres Morlaas, lac de Gabas, and lac de Louet. I can give you a spot near Morlaas where I saw and heard them several times if you like.

rosbifs · Jan 9, 2016

Fat Paul Scholes said:
Re red-billed leiothrix, I found them very easy to come across in the summer, but they were making a lot of noise then! Around Morlaas and Serres Morlaas, lac de Gabas, and lac de Louet. I can give you a spot near Morlaas where I saw and heard them several times if you like.

It was never a bird that I thought I had to 'tick' (if I'm allowed to) or look for even - but it now seems to be getting a bit more press for this area I'm thinking I should make a bit of an effort!

rosbifs · Jan 11, 2016

Now I'm gutted! My 'burnt' orange Hen could have been a Pallid. Unbeknownst to me a Juv Pallid was seen 3 days after my bird in Pau. It has been refound and 99% identified as Pallid. So I bird I have been craving flew past me almost un-noticed.
There are some subtle differences - I was sure I counted five fingers and mine had a smart collar where the current bird in question (from the view I have seen) has a less obvious collar. Likelihood of different birds is slim though.
I haven't been sent directions yet but could have gone this morning!!! It is in the Lescar area. Double gutted.

Richard Prior · Jan 11, 2016

That's really frustrating, my sympathies - and good luck if you get a chance to go and have a look at this (maybe the same you saw) one. I had a 'one that got away' myself this morning, a harrier sp came up onto our plateau but was immediately sent into reverse by the gale force wind before it got within decent range, presumably returning to the Arve valley and away from the oncoming snow......

rosbifs · Jan 14, 2016

Got it!

So now no more sleepness nights for cocking up so magnificently a month ago.
Lots of rain and didn't really hold out much hope but first bird was a Hen H and then this fellow!

He landed about 50m in front of me but was too hidden to enjoy. He then flew quite close before heading into the military camp. En-route he dived bombed a Cormorant pretty much knocking it out of a tree. I waited for about an hour but no return. I did later catch up with him again over the camp but at distance - seen from main road.

In the meantime just had the company of three Black Shouldered Kites (this picture taken just before site - 5 in all today). I spent a good 20 minutes in a little wood. This is prime RedBilled Leothrix country and one was calling (I'm pretty sure because it was certainly a call I didn't recognise but some of the notes resembled the youtube of the bird) but I couldn't find it to confirm or even 'tick'...

What a day! Puts to bed the mystery for me.

rosbifs · Jan 18, 2016

Decided to head off to Pau again - couldn't resist the temptation of another Pallid episode.

The problem I had was the closer I got to Pau the worse the weather got - deja vue. I picked up a Grey Partridge on route - they're not that common here - and arrived 'on-site' with lunch in hand. There were a couple of Harriers floating around but not the Pallid. Through the rain I could see four possibly five Black Shouldered Kites.

I decided to try the local lake but the water is soooo high it was full of coots and Mallard oh and some Pochard. I couldn't get an angle that meant I stayed half dry so went back to Harrier site. A few probes of trying to skirt security of the army base but I couldn't get a view of the grass lands any nearer than the main road so gave up there too.

Anyway, at one point I had three Black Shouldered Kites, 2 Hen Harriers and a Great Egret in the view at the same time was the highlight followed quickly by a Marsh Harrier. The rain abated and I stretched my legs only to put up three Short Eared Owls at about 20m!

Then 6 BS Kites over miltary camp on the way out of the place and a daily total of 13!(my best daytime count)

After taking daughter number one to musique I had a blast around the Eagle Owl site - see rubbish picture for evidence....

rosbifs · Jan 20, 2016

Just like buses - found another Eagle Owl. In fairness have been looking for two years in this spot where the parc national had found one. Even better news, for me, is that it is 5 mins from the house!!!!!

Warixenjalka · Jan 20, 2016

So we see it soon at your Garden list.

I also saw one Eagle Owl yesterday, when I was walking home from work. I heard distant hoo-voice and start looking at trees nearby. I dídn't see nothing, but the hoo repeated approximately every ten seconds. Then I noticed behind the trees and the houses of the cellphone tower (or how you call them?). I dig binoculars out of my bag and started to scan the tower. And there he sits - about one third part down from of the top of tower. And it was lifer to me! First one in 2016. B

:king:

rosbifs · Jan 20, 2016

Warixenjalka said:
So we see it soon at your Garden list.

I also saw one Eagle Owl yesterday, when I was walking home from work. I heard distant hoo-voice and start looking at trees nearby. I dídn't see nothing, but the hoo repeated approximately every ten seconds. Then I noticed behind the trees and the houses of the cellphone tower (or how you call them?). I dig binoculars out of my bag and started to scan the tower. And there he sits - about one third part down from of the top of tower. And it was lifer to me! First one in 2016. B :king:

Good work. My first was in Finland at my uncles summer cottage. We could hear this thing, in the middle of July, but I had no idea what it was (probably 14 at time). We climbed onto the roof and set up a mic and a washing up basin to record it. Then played it to Dad when got back to England. Its a long story but two years later when back at the summer cottage we headed into the woods and found the bird - it was a good 2-3km away awesome things!
I guess it is already a garden tick...

rosbifs · Jan 20, 2016

rosbifs said:
Just like buses - found another Eagle Owl. In fairness have been looking for two years in this spot where the parc national had found one. Even better news, for me, is that it is 5 mins from the house!!!!!

A pair tonight...

rosbifs · Jan 25, 2016

A gentle stroll in the woods today. Trying to walk off the excesses of the weekend.

Greeted by a calling Green Woody then Black which flushed into the trees below. I was suprised to hear both Woodies calling so well - it is January but then the weather has been soooo mild that I guess they are getting active.

Some Nuthatches were calling the Tit flock 'bustled' past - Great, Blue, Crested and Marsh joined by two Treecreepers (these aren't as common as the ShortToed here and tend to be at this sort of altitude 1000m+. Spent a bit of time studying tracks but I think they were too old to be conclusive - dog probably - I think the hunters have been in this wood recently.

Long story short a pleasant walk!

rosbifs · Jan 27, 2016

Another shopping trip and another chance to see the Pallid Harrier. Met a couple of really nice birders on site so that was good - and almost as rare as the Pallid here!
Only a couple of Kites (black shouldered) but one was pretty vocal. They might actually be thinking about a family...

rosbifs · Feb 2, 2016

Time for a change of scenery and a trip up the mountain. Ok so I had to pass the Eagle Owl site. I found her under a bush yesterday - at 20x mag you couldn't pick her out but at 38x you could see her back. We are honing in!

Today I was driving past and picked her out without binos - it was 1pm!! I hurredly took a photo and continued.

I managed to pull a roadside Wallcreeper out of the bag. This little fellow was pretty high up so I decided to shift to directly under the cliff - the result was not to see him again...

With this years lack of snow I actually managed to drive up to 1800m through the tress and a little off road - unbelievable. There wasn't much about apart from 3 Nuthatches right at the top border of the woods.

edit - forgot a great Rock Bunting on the way back

Snow is forecast so will be last chance to get to this sort of height.

rosbifs · Feb 24, 2016

Love it when a plan comes together!

Tried a couple fo places in the gorge for Wallcreeper and found one with a good view down (towards river and up above road). 2nd visit and a couple of Wallcreepers today. Awesome - except didn't have camera! Went home for camera - had to work a bit so that was a mistake and by the time I got back couldn't find them again. I had been slightly above them and quite close so next time...

Last night I had a tentative Tengmalms sortie. I've got a couple fo places, where I can drive after work, in mind. Anyway, I had about 6 stops and some 30 seconds blasts but no replies - in fact nothing. At the last one I heard some hooves and saw 3 Wild Boar charging off to hide by the light of the moon. The fact that it was so clear might mean that if there were owls they were hunting. Anyway, I was pleased with the boars.

Other news is that the, most local, pairs of Lammys are sat on eggs with one already feeding - they are all in slightly differnet places this year (one 200m, one a couple of miles). All should be feeding within a week. Once the holidays are finished will step up the Eagle Owl work with some more prospecting...

wilko · Mar 3, 2016

This sounds great, and I cant wait for my vacation to the french Pyrenees next september with my family. I will go spotting / photographing birds for a couple of times then. I'm especially interested in birds of prey,.. got any basic tips for spotting them there?

rosbifs · Mar 4, 2016

wilko said:
This sounds great, and I cant wait for my vacation to the french Pyrenees next september with my family. I will go spotting / photographing birds for a couple of times then. I'm especially interested in birds of prey,.. got any basic tips for spotting them there?

Look up....

Seriously, Septmeber is a great time here with migration in full swing. I would recommend heading to Organbidexka or Col du Soulor. At the Soulor there are 'local' Egyptian Vulture, Lammergeier, Booted Eagle, Short Toed Eagle, Golden Eagle (to name bt a few) and then there are the birds on migration. I think Organbi gets more birds in September but fewer Black Kites in August...

rosbifs · Mar 5, 2016

Been seeing single Black Kites over the last week - spring is coming! Wallcreepers prooving ellusive agian. At least 18 Accentors at Ardiden ski car park - I know one site above Luz but it would be interesting to know where the rest nest. Some Snowfinchs around the car park and restaurant too - Larry would be pleased.

Can't tell whether the, most, local Lammy has hatched - definately sitting on something but too small to tell other than that...

The holidays are finally over so more free time. Lunches and dinner for 3 weeks was too much. Finally, got some skiing in with the the girls! The downside side is that there has been some snow over the last few days (and set to continue) meaning that access to some of the higher places I wanted to visit after work will be difficult particularly on roads that don't get much passage. I don't fancy an hours walk at midnight through Boar and Bear invested woods - actually don't fancy a 5 minute walk...

rosbifs · Mar 8, 2016

Chasing Rock Sparrows today - or should I say shadows as drew a blank.

7 Black Kites at the airport got me excited followed by a very 'pale' female Harrier. I couldn't get near enough, didn't have my scope or camera - argh! Remembering what happened last time! It was either a Monties or Pale but seemed quite compact and when she landed did seem to have a 'bright' face. Couldn't get a good handle on the underwing apart from fairly unmarked (white) hand but dark finger tips (just very tip) - the upper wing definately had solid, dark trailing edge to the secondaries but only slightly contrasting with the rest of the wing - almost like an insert - this was about the only thing I got a good view of. I probably broke the speed limit when it landed nearer the main road but I could relocate it.

However, to finish the excursion I stumbled on a Pied Wagtail - awesome (not that I didn't see millions in England) because they are rare here. I managed to get some photos with the phone - enough for a record anyway.

Another Great Day in the Pyrenees 2016 (1 Viewer)

PutAin STOP

Attachments

Well-known member

My real name is Mark Lewis

PutAin STOP

PutAin STOP

Halfway up an Alp

PutAin STOP

Attachments

PutAin STOP

Attachments

PutAin STOP

Birdwitcher

PutAin STOP

PutAin STOP

PutAin STOP

PutAin STOP

PutAin STOP

Attachments

PutAin STOP

Developer of BirdingApp

PutAin STOP

PutAin STOP

PutAin STOP

Attachments

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread