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Another great day in the Pyrenees (1 Viewer)

rosbifs

PutAin STOP
Ukraine
Well things are starting to get hot and the birds are starting to show.

Bit of recce work today. Managed to score a WALLCREEPER - this isn't massively unusual but the thing is that there very little access to the higher mountain areas. I went in through the back door is how the story goes and was a little lower than I wanted to be but I might even have found this years little hidey hole!! Ok it might well have been 1,000 miles (ok not a 1000 but needed a scope) away but at least I could the bird and I didn't have to walk for the day.

There were the usal Vultures round and about and a family of Kestrels - it's always great to watch the 'training' - "what do you mean stay still - look how fast I can fly - whoosh".

I did some cross country and at 1455m found a Bonellis WArbler - I usually see them at lower altitudes so it was a suprise - particularly as, at this time of the year, it shouldn't be migrating.

Add to this the Lammergeier about to leave the nest brilliant!
 
Another Wallcreeper today but at a different site. Caught a glimpse, watched in Bins until seemingly settled then transferred to scope - never to be seen again!! Very frusrtrating but nice to see...

Got a Rock Thrush, Lammergeier and Golden Eagle on walk back.
 
Took the girls to the park today and was pleased to see Booted Eagle and Short Toed Eagle over the village.

The sun is out the Tourmalet should be opening soon. Should be able to get amonst the Accentors with access to higher areas...

Off to double check my Wallcreeper 'possible nest site' tomorrow.
 
Couple of record shots. BS Kite wasn't very happy about the rain. Rock Thrush - this was my first of the year - despipte there being 6 in the ski car park a couple of Sundays ago.
The Subalpine (very unusual for here - hope he finds a mate!) was from May...
 

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How has been this snowy year in your area? In mine (Belagua, Ansó, Echo, Canfranc), has been extremely wet. There is still a lot of snow in the mountains. Meybe cause of this the wallcreeper is searching better places at lower altitudes.
 
Not been quite so great last few days. Bareges half washed away and the top end of our village.

Not much in way of bird watching as have been digging out people's houses and garages. Think this go on for a while but at least we weren't directly hit.

As for bird watching access to most places is possible with exception of bareges for the reason above. Some english birders last week managed to get most birds on offer iniding the accentors and the wallcreepers above gavarnie.

Hoping visitors still come to our mostly still beautiful area...

Ps should add that the wallcreepers have been in the 'usual' areas. Was hoping that they were lower because of snow...
 
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Not sure when i will get back to proper birding but whilst 'digging' have seen a couple of ST And Booted Eagles over the village - always raises my spirits. At the back of one of the premises even a Spotted Flycatcher which are unusual for here...
 
At last back to some proper birding, and, three days of it!

The highlight of the first day was 7 White Storks. These are very early migrants or maybe non-breeders. A few hundred Black Kite round the tip area are always spectacular. Weather meant having to come off the tops although I did visit a new valley up to the barrage Tech. Fantastic. A distant call of a Black Woodpecker but otherwise suprisingly lacking in birds!

Wednesday was Gavarnie. After unsuccessfully spending some time round the Lammergeier nest headed up to Col du Tentes. Red Backed Shrike, Ring Ouzel and Rock Thrush all showing well. A little offshoot road for the Alpine Accentor, it was calling but difficult to find, eventually scoped at mid cliff but they (2) were favoring the ridge lines. A handful of Griffons quite close to the road were perched, obviously, waiting for the tourists to leave and get back on a dead sheep - although there wasn't much left of it! Back to the Lammy nest where the adults and juv were on display plus a Golden Eagle albeit brief.

After linch an unsuccessful walk for the Wallcreeper but did throw up better views of the Lammy. A Ruff showed up - very rare up the mountains and this was 1650m.

Day three and a trip down the mountain. Picked up Hoopoe (new nesting bird for the area), ST Treecreeper, all the tits barring Crested, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Bonellis Warbler and a couple of mozzie bites. Tried a couple of places for Black Wood but very quiet then up to Bareges.

My heart sank, this is the first time I have been up since the floods. Everyone is working very hard to get access, repair buildings, pull down buidings and things will return to normal but it hurt. I couldnt even manage a single photo. And yet above the village everything is as normal!

Had to work a bit but caught up with a Snowfinch followed by two roadside on the la Mongie side. An easy trip down to Bagneres and back to the tip for Booted Eagle. I was taken in to see the 'carpet' of Black Kites - incredible to see some many trying to keep out of the way of the machinery. One sole Booted Eagle and no sign of the Storks.

Not a bad three days making up for some of the birding 'downtime'. Strangely dipped on Black Wood mind. Oh well back to the day (well night) job...
 
Nice one Charles, good to hear you're getting out and about in your superb home area :t:

Hi Larry,
The snowfinch was on the plateau that we walked to and then an adult with young the 'other' side (La Mongie).

I'm certainly glad to be out too. After the floods things have really changed round here. Good news is that there are temporary roads to Bareges and Cauterets now. The work rate has been amazing but things will take a while to get back to normal.

350 Black Kites on migration yesterday in 25 mins plus some usual suspects. 5 male RB Shrike - at least two with young. Two pairs Melodious, one with young.

Cheers,
Rosbifs
 
Hi just started reading your thread, so sorry to hear about your village hope all is well again soon. Always wanted to visit the pyrenees but have only got as far as Southern Germany in Europe, but its the mountains i love and there birds, i am still lucky however has the Scottish Highlands and the Lake District are not far from my home, but reading your birding adventures and especially the birds you are seeing as me making plans for my next holiday and i no were i am going :) look forward to your next post. Thanks Damian
 
Had me some migration watching the other lunchtime.

Mainly Black Kites at the moment - i guess a thousand in the time i was on the Soulor. There was the first Monties Harrier - which I missed as I was counting the kites. A handful, of Honey Buzzards then some local birds - Lammy, Egyptian Vutlure, Booted Eagle, Short Toed Eagle and a Golden Eagle attacking the ST Eagle. The Col is 'manned' during the migration time and it is both imformative and interesting. Although they do take advantage of the fact that I can speak english when some 'foreign' tourists start arriving!

The best question was 'how close can you get to the birds(vultures) because 15 years ago we got really close!'. The best answer is lie down. Not really - a walker fell off the mountain in spring and before the rescue helicopter got to her (1.30 hours) the vultures had moved in!!

Anyway, peak BKites is next week so I'll be back...
 
Back again on Thursday and more Black Kites - over 2,000 on the day. Currently the Col Soulor is ahead of Organbidexka (the tradional migration watchpoint and best known) - obviously, no-one is being competitive - much.

I try to do the spotting (calling groups) and then the counting is done by the 'permanents'. It's not an easy task - a group of 380 came over in one go. I did get volunteered for a smaller group 90 and 48 - imagine the pressure!

A couple of adult Pikeys (gypo, Egyptian Vultures) came over and then a juv got everyones pulses racing - it had no tail (or not much of one) so looked different to begin with.

I tried for the nearby Wallcreepers but they weren't playing. It was too hot to spend too long out as it touched 38° on the thermometer. Too hot for an englishman I'm afraid.

Work has kept me occupied for a couple of days although did manage a nice pair of Citril Finch above Bareges. Looking forward to a nice male Pallid at the Col in the next month or so!!
 
9000+ black kites over the Soulor on Sunday then 3000 in the 90 mins before I got there on Monday!! After i got there virtually none as the cloud came in....
 
Some none migration birding. This is an exciting time of year here with anything possible. I didn't find any of it but it was worth the try. My targets were Black Shouldered Kite, Woodchat Shrike, Hobby, Grey shrikes and Roller.

I got none of the above but did refind my Crested Larks a couple with possible third but you know how things are in the corn fields and corn stubble - pretty difficult. A little further along a productive bit of scrub. THis area has been left wild and the flowers and bushes are attractive with Whitethroat, family of Stonechats, Melodious Warbler and a Fan Tailed Warbler (Zitter).

Pleased with this little patch.

I did get a few Red Backed Shrikes - a male, then a female and two young, then another two females along the road. Last visit I did have another two families so they were either hiding or departed.

A strange party of Kestrels is subject to another post but will probably remain unresolved...
 
Just found this thread. So sorry to hear about this disaster. I had a wonderful holiday based in Bareges a few years back and the wildlife was great. I recall getting alp accentor at Gavernie and black woodpecker near Bareges. Infact I got my first wallcreeper within a few miles of the village thanks to the owner of the guest house where I was staying giving me directions.
I hope the area is open for business soon and holidaymakers return. I can assure folks that they won't be disappointed. I now recall I was there for Bastille day and the locals made me very welcome; the wine just kept flowing!
 
StuartReeves - took me a good 40 mins to dig out enough of the car and then jack it up a bit to then get 4 wheels on the deck! Got a tick thrown in for the bargain.

Malkoa - Bareges is great but sadly badly hit. The road is now back open and massive strides have been made. The village is working hard to back on track. The Wallcreeper are still there -I'm guessing you went up the valley de Glere. They used to nest in a derelict building up there. It's a fair trek mind.

Black Woodpecker are well known in the woods above Bareges (most woods around here actually). I have a soft spot for them having seen them when I was 13 in Finland. Fantastic.
 
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