Birding In South Of France (1 Viewer)

[Race Bannon]

Had the chance to spend a week in the south of France and did a little bird watching this winter. Having trouble with a small gray gnatcatcher? with an eye ring that bobs up and down occasionally. Caught a few pics of him on Cap Ferrat. About the size of a sparrow. I am just a newbie to this forum and have more questions but will start here.

Any suggestions.

 

[Kits]

Welcome to Birdforum. I hope you enjoy your visits.

If you ask in the ID board, with photos, you should get some help.

Bird Identification Q&A

Ask for advice on WILD bird ID questions. PLEASE include the country in the title of your thread. No photos of eggs or captive birds.

www.birdforum.net

 

[snapshot2022]

Hello and a warm welcome from all of us at the Bird Forum enjoy your visits.

 

[Chris G6 UXU]

Hello and welcome to the forum from all the staff, enjoy and all the best.

 

[delia todd]

Hi Race and a warm welcome from me too. We don't have "gnatcatchers" in Europe, they're mostly, I think, found in South America. Over here we have flycatchers and warblers, but I can't think of one that looks grey I'm afraid, so I hope the ID forum can help you out.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I hope to hear about all the birds you see when out and about.

 

[Fritz73]

Hola! Welcome to Birdforum

 

[Lisa W]

Hi, welcome to the forum. I think you will find us a friendly and helpful group.

 

[Race Bannon]

View attachment DSC_3158.jpeg
Here is the little guy. This is on Cap-Ferrat Feb. 28 2025.
Bobs up and down every now and then. Almost like a bow.

 

[delia todd]

Hi again Race

A female Common Redstart

This looks like it I think: Common Redstart - BirdForum Opus

 

[Race Bannon]

Wow! Thanks for the quick reply. I will look at the other pictures I have and check the id.

Jon

 

[kb57]

Sorry Delia, I can see where you're coming from with common redstart as it does look quite pale, but this looks much more like a female black redstart to me. Relatively uniform colouration, which the OP described it as grey, and season of observation - wouldn't expect common redstarts in SE France before April (per eBird coastal records).

 

[delia todd]

Sorry Delia, I can see where you're coming from with common redstart as it does look quite pale, but this looks much more like a female black redstart to me. Relatively uniform colouration, which the OP described it as grey, and season of observation - wouldn't expect common redstarts in SE France before April (per eBird coastal records).

Wow! Thanks for the quick reply. I will look at the other pictures I have and check the id.

Jon

Aaaargh!!! 'course it is!!! Sorry Jon.... wasn't thinking. Had a lot on my mind this morning and having thought Redstart couldn't get any further LOL.

Don't you just hate females

Thanks KB

 

[Race Bannon]

Sorry Delia, I can see where you're coming from with common redstart as it does look quite pale, but this looks much more like a female black redstart to me. Relatively uniform colouration, which the OP described it as grey, and season of observation - wouldn't expect common redstarts in SE France before April (per eBird coastal records).

View attachment DSC_3121.jpeg
Here is another. It's winter and I have problems with gulls. Black-Headed Gull or Mediterranean Gull? Or something else.
Again this is souther France in Feb.

 

[kb57]

View attachment 1631332
Here is another. It's winter and I have problems with gulls. Black-Headed Gull or Mediterranean Gull? Or something else.
Again this is souther France in Feb.

The dark cheek spot, not extending to the eye, and relatively slender (but not too long) pale orange bill with black tip identifies this as a black-headed gull. Brown feathers on the mantle age it as a first winter bird.
Mediterranean first winter gulls will have a more robust grey / black bill, more of an eye patch than a cheek spot, and more extensive brown on the leading edge of the wing. In flight, Med gulls lack the white leading edge of black-headed gulls, and adults have pure white primaries, and appear to have shorter / more rounded wings in flight.
I expect in S France you also need to look out for slender-billed gulls (we have them in Portugal) - they have a distinctive 'goose-like' profile when swimming, high tail and head / low body, and a longer bill - they're getting easier at this time of year too, as they have pure white heads, and some have a pink suffusion on the breast. A little more tricky in flight though, as they share the white leading edge of black-headed.

 

[Race Bannon]

Here is another. Sorry for the really bad picture but you take what you can get sometimes.
Thanks again for all the help.
Race

 

[kb57]

I'm struggling with this one, only thing I can suggest with that facial pattern is a firecrest....best to open a new thread in the Bird ID section, with date and place of sighting in thread title, then you'll get more attention. There are worse pictures than that one there, and people still have a go at ID.

 

[Race Bannon]

View attachment DSC_3091.jpeg
Here is another gull. In the area between Nice and Monaco, Feb. of this year.