The Migration -Swallows and House Martins.

The migration continues with the first sighting of House Martins (Delichon urbica) just a few birds, four only counted, looping and swooping but moving fast northward along the river (in spite of a strong to moderate North wind) about 100 feet above the water at 10:00 UTC.  They were soon out of sight, and having verified their identity I did not have time to do a full count.

Swallows have continued to be present in the mornings and afternoons but gone by evening, the 27th was particularly busy with a total of 130 birds mostly feeding over the river near the bridge at 08:00 UTC but  others, 30 or so,  sat it out in neat rows on the wires supporting the kayking gates. Swallows were heard in the afternoon but by 15:30 UTC there were none present.  The next evening, the 28th they were seen spiralling up in a thermal, sharing it with 6 Black Kites but did not seem to be going anywhere and were still present at dusk, possibly because from mid-day there were Northerly winds blowing into the front which had brought rain to Le Port and which was at that time still covering Southern France. The Metstat photos showed only anarrow corridor with a South Westerly airstream was available to help northward migration from here. 

This morning there were no Swallows seen at 09:00UTC. The moderate to strong north winds had extended across Le Port as well. Only odd Swallows were seen on the river, with four at Beynac, but later in the afternoon 15:00 UTC,  30 were counted at the Bridge on the wing and by dusk at 18:00 fifty birds were counted, apparently feeding in spite of the steep temperature drop after the sunset.

At some time Swallows will stop passing through on migration and form the summer breeding population here. It will be intersting to see if it is possible to work out when this happens and when the House Martin's and Swift's summer visitors arrive. After mid-May we can expect to see all three species feeding in the summer evenings, each species using a different altitude band over the river with the white wagtails doing their switchback flight through the flight paths of the Martins and Swallows which form the two lower bands. Pleasures to come...

Plum Blossom

The broken Mirabelle plumb tree in the orchard is frequented when in flower by Chiffchaffs and is full of Blackbirds and Starlings when it is laden with fruit. The birds generally eat the lot unless jam makers get there first - which is only once every three or four years because the tree is so prolific and one harvest produces enough jam for several years.

Spring is Sprung 2009

                                              Courting Peacock Butterflies (click to enlarge)

Copulating Gendarme Beetles - How do they reach agreement on which way to go?

Arrival back at Le Port on 9th of April proved to be right at the height of the bird migration Not having been at Le Port thirty minutes, whilst digging a hole to find the tap to turn the water on, there was the famililar trumpeting and the cranes that I had photographed high in the sky going South on 25 October, (see this blog) could once again be seen flying high above, but this time northwards across the penumbra of the moon at 20:00 hours.

Two days later returning from a shopping trip I saw a bird I did not recognise fly from under the eves of the barn. Returning an hour later I was able to identify the bird as a Wall Creeper (Trichodroma muraria). This is a rare species normally found in mountains up to the snow line and is the first record for Le Port. It has dove grey upper parts and dark grey to black lower parts: the upper parts were invisible against the pale limestone of the barn walls, and the black invisible against the lichen and algae on the barn roof, so this bird always looked half its actual size. It is remarkable for its long beak but also for its crimson and black striped wings with white spots which it flirts, extending a wing outwards every few seconds as if wishing you to gasp at its daring colours. 

Later in the day I was surprised to see what I thought  were swifts flying over the river near the bridge, but these were brown and rather robust, so that one had the impression of watching small falcons catching insects. These had mottled markings on the body and were identified as Pallid Swifts (Apus pallidus) rather north of  their normal range around cliffs on the Mediterreanean. I counted five in all; another first for Le Port. The Palllid Swifts were not seen again but the Wall Creeper was seen again nine days later on the 2oth, this time catching insects over the river near the bridge to which it retreated. The Droad saw the bird too on this occassion having migrated for the long week-end. Here is a link to a decent photograph of this strange bird: http://www.birdquest.co.uk/tour_images/53998977.jpg

Over the week end a warbler was seen catching flies, and the two wing bars and eyestripe suggested it was a Yellow Browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus).

Judging by the screams of rage from a Great Tit that greeted my emergence from the house on the first morning this bird was already nesting in a hole in the house wall. A week later it was seen, a bundle of fury, trying to drive a flock of about fifteen Chaffinches and Goldfinches from the small wallnut in the garden. The numbers of finches seemed to increase between the ninth to the 25th when this was written, and these seem to be very much winter flocks although the assault by the Great Tit seemed to lead to male chaffinches chasing each other, so flock break up and pair bonding mode may not be far away.  Chiffchaffs were calling from the week-end of the 14th and up to five were counted feeding amongst Forsythia and plum blossom. Small flocks of Long Tailed Tits were also making their way through the tres. Swallows were first seen on Friday 20th in flocks of about fifty, and again the following  days up until today. A single crag martin (Hirundo rupestris) was seen on the 22nd catching flies over the river and apparently inspecting the bridge - this is a species which I became familiar with in the mountains of northern Oman. It was very separate from a flock of Swallows south of the bridge. Black Kites had already arrived and up to eight could be seen thermaling in loose congregations. Buzzards and or eagles were also occassionally seen but remained unidentified. The Peregrine Falcons were notable for their absence but a Kestrel was seen on the house roof on the 13th, apparently looking at my pillow and tea cup on the front step of the house. Ravens were heard overhead at about the same date and groups of up to six Jays regularly chase one another through the trees on the river bank.  A pair of Swans was present on the river throughout, they now seem to be regular winter visitors, but only for the last four years or so. White Wagtails were seen on the barn roof and feeding over the river and a single female Black Redstart were seen from the 10th onward around the barns too. Owls at night, including one making a bubbling noise. Again the machinery in one of the barns is covered in bird excrement and outsized owl pellets. A Song Thrush was seen in and around ivy covered poplars but the body of a Song Thrush was found below one of the house windows on the 22nd and it may have broken its neck flying into glass.

The weather was sunny and warm reaching 22c on 18th and continuing sunny but cooling until the 24th. The beetles and butterflies are mating already with a courting pair of Peacock butterflies seen on the 11th and single butterflies subsequently. Then Red Admirals, Orange Tip, probably a female Brimstone and an unidentified white butterfly resembling a Green Veined white. but with not spots on the fore-wing, all seen from the 20th.  From the 10th the Gendarme beetles were also out, socialising over seed capsules or copulating whilst on the move. When joined up tail to tail, it would be interesting to know how they agree in which direction to travel. There must be a Ph.D there for somebody.

Huge amounts of plum blossom this year, especially on the broken mirabelle in the orchard.