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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)

rosbifs

PutAin STOP
Ukraine
About time I kicked this off.

Been a slow start to the year for various reasons but now at the end of the season and fewer time constraints means more birding!

Winter has been limited to short forays rather than extensive birding. A trip to Puydarrieux to watch the evening roost of the Cranes was fantastic. Black Shouldered Kites in the surrounding fields always welcome.

Big news here is
1. A pair of Jackdaws came and sat on the church this morning. Nearest record in 35km down the mountain. So the parcs came to look and check them out.

2. A new, as far as we can tell non-breeding, pair of Lammergeiers over the village. So we are now up to 4 pairs with three managing to stick out the winter on their nests.

3. A new calling Scops Owl in the village on Sunday. That makes 2 definite and I haven't visited the third site. No sign of the Eagle Owl today - again.

4. New site for Cirl Bunting this morning.

5. Still 10/11 Hawfinches in the village.

6. First Short Toed Ealge over the village.

Things beginning to hot up.

Looks like could be a great year!
 
The joy of birdwatching - when Jackdaws are less common than Lammergeiers! Sounds good, fingers crossed for a good spring.
 
Great find.

Whilst washing up I caught a glimpse of a Sylvia Warbler from the window (we overlook the neighbours garden as we don't have one of our own). I immediately thought it was different and rushed to get my bins. I kept thinking its got a moustache so grabbed the camera. I thought Subalpine but the photos showed too much of a white throat then one of the back made me think that it could be or could it be a wet Whitethroat.

A quick birdforum post and Subalpine came back - Great!! So a first for the village for me although there has been breeding in the next valley the last couple of years.

Roll on next find...
 

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Gaining momentum...

Subalpine still in neighbours garden this morning but can't see her now.

Trip to Lammy nest produced fantastic adults in flight and then perched about 100 metres above the nest. Great.

Despite searching couldn't find Bouquetin (Spanish Ibex) or Eagle Owl (try again later).
 

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Hello. We are coming your way around mid-June. We are stopping in the Alpilles and then driving west for the Black-shouldered Kites, then heading into the Pyrenees and crossing into Spain. Could you tell me the general area where the kites can be found? I obviously don't want to know about the nesting sites, but just one area where they are more reliably seen. I have seen them a long time ago in Spain and Portugal, but the rest of my family hasn't. We are still planning our itinerary (we may or may not reach the Atlantic coast), will have our own car and haven't booked any accommodation yet, so don't have any time or place-related constraints. Thanks a lot!
 
I'm sure Rosbifs can give you a more detailed answer - but black-shouldered kites are pretty difficult to miss around Pau Airport (Whenever I land there I usually see 2 or 3 while the plane taxis to the terminal). Try along the D716.
 
Mr Scholes is right - a good place to see them is the airport at Pau - plus it's easy to find! Drive to the airport but do not go in the main entrance, instead, stay on the main road and turn left at the next roundabout. This will take you to the perimeter fence almost level with the control tower. From here the birds are generally visible and with little risk of disturbance from you.

There are 3 pairs in the vacinity of the airport and one opposite this point - fairly safe as it's in the military camp!

I haven't seen the figures from 2017 yet but I suspect we are getting close to 200 pairs now. Our biggest winter roost here approached 100 birds...
 
Yes, that reminds me of the fruitless hours I spent staring at "the stick" until you told me it was the wrong stick! ;o) We'll try again next month...
 
I haven't seen the figures from 2017 yet but I suspect we are getting close to 200 pairs now. Our biggest winter roost here approached 100 birds...

I had no idea they were so numerous in S.France! We've had large roosts down here, but involving 20 ish birds.
 
Yes, that reminds me of the fruitless hours I spent staring at "the stick" until you told me it was the wrong stick! ;o) We'll try again next month...

These can sit in plain view and easily be missed, so don't be hard on yourself. I've put them in the scope giving crippling views and folk just can't see them sometimes and then after a long minute go "wow" how couldn't I see that!
 
These can sit in plain view and easily be missed, so don't be hard on yourself. I've put them in the scope giving crippling views and folk just can't see them sometimes and then after a long minute go "wow" how couldn't I see that!

My funniest last year was setting up the scope and smiling whilst saying its there. The first person spent a good minute not seeing anything only for it to have gone! On second visit you could see one eye one side of the stick and one eye the other. I think only one was confident at what they were seeing until finally on third visit the bird sat out for all to see!

I found last year that once the chick was fledged (I initially thought earlier) that there was nearly always an adult visible albeit that it sometimes takes some finding.

This stick isn't actually the nest but the male 'hideout'. It's about 5m from the nest but interesting the chicks spend a lot of time here once they start 'roaming'. Can't wait to see how many this year...
 
I had no idea they were so numerous in S.France! We've had large roosts down here, but involving 20 ish birds.

I will ask the question for the actual figures but the growth has been exponential. I can't imagine it will be too long before they are breeding at Argeles and Pibeste area (they're very close to Lourdes already) - or is that wishful thinking.
 
There are no definite figures but an estimation for 64 + 65 regions of France (Tarbes Lourdes Pau Biarritz corridor) is 150-200 pairs - add regions 32 + 40 then we should be easily into the 200 pairs plus. Fantastic...
 
Fabulous! They really are a tenacious raptor - in the past they were almost exclusively in large wild habitats in Portugal - mainly grazing woodlands in the Alentejo but nowadays they seem to do well close to humans in what seems like less than ideal habitat.
 
One of the reasons for their expansion here is their breeding - up to three broods per year. Can be on the nest as early as March and as late as November. Initially, I was told that they like the heat and they couldn't survive a cold winter! I saw one hunting at 5am but they seem to like hunting at dusk. At the roost, I went to, it was dark and birds were still arriving so like owls they're not afraid of the dark. They did a pellet inspection from the bigger roost and found that 95% of the bones were mice or voles. Running out of facts...

Anyway, I'm happy for their success as I get to see them regularly.
 
Thanks - interesting info. Actually, they can go on hunting into the night time, I always remember seeing two different birds in the pitch black hovering near the roadside one evening in the car headlights.
 
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