Wallcreeper (2 Viewers)

[picknage]

Dear all

Does anyone know if there are any wintering wallcreepers around again this year in easy to reach locations?

I have a chance to go to the mainland from the UK during mid Feb and would love to have the chance to see one.

Probably would drive from UK so somewhere within a few hours drive/couple of days total trip would be best.

Thanks very much

Nick

 

[nickderry]

You can check on ornithomedia.com for national French sightings. I notice there was a wallcreeper in the Ile de France region yesterday. One or two regularly seen birds in my region, but I suppose it would be a little far for you.

 

[TwoDipsfromAmsterdam]

You can check on ornithomedia.com for national French sightings. I notice there was a wallcreeper in the Ile de France region yesterday. One or two regularly seen birds in my region, but I suppose it would be a little far for you.

Nick

I guess that the IdF bird you mention is the one on the Eglise de Dourdan. That's a few kilometres south of Paris and would probably need a car but quite "do-able" from the north coast.

David

 

[rosbifs]

The one at Dourdan has been around for at least 6 weeks so would be a safe-ish bet.

Once your on the peripherique head for Orleans - south west corner of Paris. Dourdan is about 10 mins off the ring road/motorway. I reckon you would be there in about 3 hours from Calais.

Can't miss the buildings in the centre of the town.

Good luck.

 

[picknage]

Thanks!

Thanks Nick, David and rosbifs for your replies- all very helpful info- hopefully it will stay just a few more weeks.

Would be a great bird to see

 

[bittern]

There are almost always some easily seen Wallcreepers close to Geneva at Fort l'Ecluse about 25km from Geneva. Plenty of low cost flights from the UK to Geneva.

Mike

 

[picknage]

Thanks Mike- good to know too. Are there other alpine or winter birds near you too?

 

[bittern]

Well Geneva is quite close to many ski resorts that have Snowfinch and often Alpine Accentor, Alpine Choughs are easy to see as well. Anything particular you are looking for? I have very occasionally seen Alpine Accentor at the Wallcreeper site. Most other wintering birds are on the lake and are duck, maybe Ferruginous might be of interest to you and a dozen or so are wintering in the port of Geneva. There are many Red-crested Pochard too.

Mike

 

[bittern]

There was also a Wallcreeper on the castle in Annecy today...

Mike

 

[bittern]

...and I saw one today at Fort l'Ecluse.

Mike

 

[picknage]

Hi Mike

Thanks very much for the info and the PM. We are most interested in seeing the alpine birds you mention- we have not seen many true alpine ones. So snow and citril finch, wallcreeper, lammegiser, alpine chough, alpine accentor and any others I may be forgetting. Also mainland woodpeckers like black we cannot see here.

Do you know about how long we would need there to have a chance at most of these if we rented a car?

Thanks a lot

Nick

 

[bittern]

Hi Nick,

I PM'd you but some of these species need trips up to ski resorts, Snowfinch/Alpine Accentor, also not many Citrils in winter either. You could waste quite a lot of time and money doing the resorts... The Wallcreeper is pretty reliable with several sites and Alpine Chough is not hard to see too at higher altitudes. Lammergeier should also normally be possible. However I think the end of May would be a better time of year if that is possible for you. We should also have the summer influx of Griffon Vultures beginning by then...

Mike

 

[nickderry]

Wallcreeper in Besançon town centre this morning - seen from the number 4 bus.

 

[rosbifs]

Agree with 'Bittern' about end of May being better time of year.

The french Pyrenees is very accesible from the south of England - Stansted or City airport - flying to Lourdes or Pau - both less than an hour. We have all the alpine birds plus seven Woodpeckers (some more common than others obviously), lots of raptors including Black Shouldered Kite, Lammy and now occassional Black Vulture!!

Wallcreeper still kicking around Dourdan - just south of Paris by the way - plus one in my village - Luz st Sauveur....

 

[Blackduck]

Wallcreeper seen at Fort l'Ecluse on Friday 6th December 2013 at 1100 on the cliff face above the Lower Fort near the via ferrata. Seen again at 1300, where it gave excellent views on the walls of the Lower Fort. We then passed through the tunnel, emerging to find a Lammergeier being mobbed by a Buzzard.

 

[yves0071]

Hi,
Usually we can see some on the cliff surrounding the small village of Bruniquel (north of Toulouse) from mid november to March.
Also Alpine accentors are visible in the village at the same period.

Yves