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Message: <blockquote data-quote="davercox" data-source="post: 2758882" data-attributes="member: 34161">The campsiteOn the campsite itself, in good numbers, a nice selection of birds was found, many of them on or around our pitch, and most were pretty common in the villages around.In no particular order :Spotted Flycatcher: after finding no flycatchers at all in France last year, I was delighted to see very good numbers of this species on and around the site, though I did wonder, in the often cool and damp weather, if they were doing well: they were often attempting to feed on the ground like Robins, which I haven’t seen before.Common and Black Redstart: both very numerous on and around the site.  Two years ago I reported finding both species together on a forest campsite in eastern Belgium, and again here you could not separate these species on habitat: Common Redstarts were often found in villages and even in the nearby town of Potes; indeed I could barely say that they were more rural than Black Redstarts here (or Blacks more urban than Commons).  A fledgling Common Redstart spent too much time under our car wheels as we were preparing to leave, but I do believe it survived.  I was interested to hear its calls: a very Robin-like ‘tic’ and a begging call ‘weezh’.  Its father, one day, led to a Fall From Feminine Favour as it found its way into the awning when we were out, and, of course, cr*pped over everything including Madam’s pillow case that was out for a bit of air.Chaffinch: again, fledgings noted being fed; very tame, at least two different adults wandered into our awning from time to time.  Madam enjoys herself putting words to Chaffinches’ final flourish.  In west Cornwall, apparently, they say ‘cheers m’dear’.  Here it was ‘where’s me shirt’.  Don’t mock, this is good scientific stuff.Goldfinch: very numerous, and very vocal, and, although I didn’t actually see any juvs being fed, I’m pretty sure they were there based on the racket (I love Goldfinches, really I do).Serin: good numbers, again with lots of song heard.Blackbird: one of the two commonest birds (the other was Blackcap) in this area, including the neighbouring hillsides.Great Tit: easily the commonest tit species in this area, though not very common.White Wagtail: at least two pairs on site.  Two very young juveniles, including one that spent most of one day on our car, being fed by its dad.House Sparrow: mostly around the site restaurant area, but groups occasionally wandered round the site helping to keep it clean and tidy.Cirl Bunting: I’m lucky enough to live in Cirl Country in Devon, but even so I was pleased to see and hear several around the site.  On one memorable day, two very young fledglings were down on the lane leading to Turieno, and being chastised and scolded severely by their dad for playing in the traffic.Woodpigeon: for the sake of completeness, I have to mention the Woodpig. Reasonable numbers, probably not quite so many as at home.Also seen/heard on or from the site but more occasional or less numerous :Common Kestrel: only seen twice, clearly not common here.Wryneck: one presumably solitary bird called in and around the site almost throughout our stay, although towards the end it did seem to have given up for this year.Swift: I recognised only Common Swift.  Good numbers in the town of Potes: they also wandered up and down the valley.Tawny Owl: wretched attempts at hooting disturbed our nights quite often.  Certainly not an adult male, but I do not know what age/sex this bird was, or quite WHY it was making so much racket in June, all comments welcome.Raven and Carrion Crow: both wandering around here pretty frequently.  Ravens also Fell From Feminine Favour by repeating the same dull noise a good deal at 5 a.m., not at all like our vocally brilliant birds in Dawlish.Griffon Vulture: often visible in groups of up to a dozen soaring over and around the mountains; occasionally wandering down to the campsite and surrounding area.Common Buzzard: the most common and widespread BOP here, except when the Griffons con-descended.Short-toed Eagle: what was presumably the same bird seen quite low over the site on several days.  Others (singles and pairs) seen elsewhere in the valley.Black Kite: again, possibly just one bird occasionally over the site, and down towards the town.Barn Swallow and House Martin: fair numbers around the nearby buildings, Swallows also quite numerous in the town of Potes.Song Thrush: less common than Blackbird but present in good numbers with plenty of song going on.Firecrest: one probable pair in conifers just outside the campsite fence.Stonechat: one pair just over the road from the site; a few others seen elsewhere in the valley.And then we come to a curious set of raptor species, all seen well within the first few days of our stay but not again.  Could they have been migrating ? if so, where to ? (this applies particularly to the vulture)Egyptian Vulture: one giving superb views just across the road from the campsite, and I guess the same bird again later in the day, May 28.Honey Buzzard: one over the wooded foothills opposite the site, May 31.Booted Eagle: two in the same general area as the Honey Buzzard, May 29; three above Brez, May 30.Red Kite: one seen well over the edge of Potes, May 28 (we did see another on the trip but that was outside the Deva valley).</blockquote>

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