As my old thread is still locked up I thought I'd start & new one. New home, new thread, new forum!!
Since moving in we've been really busy but here are a few photos taken along the way, these are a pair of Gland weevils, up to something naughty on the moth trap,
a Shield bug (for Rockwolf, where is she?) ,Pantilus tunicatus,
A flight of storks passing over on migration, someone asked me once, how do you know a bird is on migration "Does it have it's suitcase with it?" & they are quite right, most of the time it's circumstantial evidence,
& a local stork flying around,
meanwhile, whilst insulating the roof space I found this perfectly dried Garden dormouse (male!) which obviously died a horrible death from poisoning,
a Robin on the overhead cable, they don't come too close;
This is it's & our view of the estuary marshes,
A spider visiting the moth trap, Hogna radiata,
A burying beetle, Necrodes littoralis, also around the moth-trap
& a hornet, who wasn't agressive fortunately,
a Migrant Hawker on the marshes,
some Great White Egrets,
Cattle Egrets (probably), sitting on the fence,
& finally another Spider around the moth trap, Xysticus sp,
I'll try & finish this update later. Thanks for looking.
Best wishes
Hazel in Southwest France
I can't belive how long it's been since I posted on here, we've had cattle egrets in the garden at the end of December
a regiment of them on the vine posts in the mist in January
An early couple of storks in the January sunshine
with a Glossy Ibis a few minutes later
& some Night herons that aren't usually here in winter, also in January
then a quiet spell followed by todays big suprise of Siskins on the feeders, 1 male & 2 females, photos through the windows on a dull day!
There were a few twitchers out today about 80 miles away where a Spotted Eagle was "spotted" last night & was still around today! This is the link to some of the photos, it was dull there too unfortunately http://www.faune-charente-maritime.org/index.php?m_id=54&backlink=skip&mid=26346 &
http://www.faune-charente-maritime.org/index.php?m_id=54&backlink=skip&mid=26345
Great to see your pics as always Hazel, egrets in your garden e'h, now that's just boasting!!! Storks must be amazing to see perched up there so high and you get so many I believe. Thanks for the link to the Spotted Eagle, I have never seen one before.
Lot to learn
Thanks Gaynor, I remember you had Egrets in your field a while back, it's always a bit more of a thrill when the birds come to visit you.
I just remembered we've had a lot of SEO's on the marshes this winter (8 in one area) & subsequently about a dozen photographers came up from Bordeaux to get some good shots. I'm not sure what the locals thought. We had one photographer come up & ask where they were, but as they move around a bit it was difficult to say. We only ever saw one & this was it
It was a long way off but lovely to see!
wow, how wonderful to see the Short-eared Owl Hazel and have so many in one area, I love all owls, they really are striking looking birds.
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Regards, Hazel
Nice to get the SEO's in your area Hazel, lovely shots even if a way away, our egrets have moved on from the nearby field but last week we spotted at least four in a field about 3miles away, no chance of photos, the bank is too high and nowhere to park to creep down to catch sight of them worse luck. They seem to like being in with cattle and I'm wondering if they are cattle egret, must look up the difference between them.
We were out for a walk yesterday & at the back of a ploughed field ther were a few of our White Wagtails wandering around. (We rarely get Pied). Then I realised that there were Grey-headed Yellow wagtails there too & then among them was a Yellow wagtail (UK variety) which we only get on migration stop-over. I only had my 100mm macro lens so photos not much good, but this does show all three if you can find them (I cropped it too!)
There were Chiff-chaffs singing everywhere, as were Robins & Blackbirds. We've also had a cuckoo & Hoopoe calling in the last week, spring is coming! It was lovely & warm, but today it's back to normal, dull!
Happy Easter all.
Delete (double post)
Morning Hazel, great to hear about all the various Wagtails at the back of the field and good to know you've already heard a cuckoo and Hoopoe calling - wow ! i would love to see any of those lovely birds. btw, was a nice sunny start to the morning but now gloomy and pouring down !
sorry for the double post, the cog wheel kept going round so clicked the post button twice !
Thanks Hazy, mine was slow to send too, I just thought it was the usual Sunday go slow over here.