Spent the end of the afternoon at the gravel pits at Osselle:

Great Crested Grebe - 2

Little Grebe - 2

Mute Swan - 2

Mallard - 3

Coot - 2

Grey Heron - 6, adults and juveniles

Little Egret - 1

Black Kite - 1

Common Sandpiper - 1 adult

Little Ringed Plover - 1 adult

Woodpigeon - several

Green Woodpecker - heard

Bee Eater - 1

Yellow Wagtail - 1 heard

White Wagtail - several

Melodious Warbler - a family

Black Redstart - 1

Red-backed Shrike - 1 female

Jay - 1

Tree Sparrow - common

Linnet - 2 juveniles

Serin - a few

Goldfinch - small flock

A walk to Beure dragging a suitcase full of couscous for a barbecue with friends yielded the following:

Goosander - A few families.

Mallard - A few broods, one with a male in tow.

Coot - One with 2 chicks near Velotte.

Black Kite - 2

Swallow - Already a few juveniles.

Sand Martin - A small group near Beure.

White Wagtail - Plenty of juveniles about.

Reed Warbler - 1 singing.

Melodious Warbler - 2 near Beure seemed to be feeding young deep in brambles.

Although the prospect of spending a weekend camping at a small private fishing lake with a barbecue and far too much wine didn't really seem that great for birding, I took my stuff with me anyway and actually got a lot of painting done, I love drunk painting though! The best birds were a flyover male Golden Oriole, a Honey Buzzard carrying nesting material, a superb male Red-backed Shrike near the tent and a flyby adult Yellow-legged Gull. Other things seen were a pair each of Buzzard and Black Kite over the lake, singing Yellowhammer, a male Kestrel a Green Woodpecker and a few Black Redstarts. Cuckoos and Chiffchaffs were heard, with Tawny Owls taking over as night gathered.

Despite an irrational fear of frogs (don't laugh!) I still had to do some drawings of them. Great subjects! Marsh or Edible I don't know, no way am I going to pick one up to measure its toes!

I biked upriver to Vaire-le-Petit to have dinner with the in-laws, stopping for birding on the way of course! Goosander families seem to be low with at least 2 chicks and a female by the cascades at la Malate and a female with just one chick on the canal before Roche-lez-Beaupré where a Goldfinch chick was seen with at least 4 adults, feeding on Japanese Knotweed. Several Black Kites and a Kestrel were seen. By the farm at Chalèze there were at least 6 Collared Doves and a pair of Woodpigeons. In the reeds behind the papermill at Novillars, there were at least 3 Reed Warblers singing and a male Cirl Bunting fed on the path. Nightingales and Serins were encountered in suitable areas along the route. A Black Redstart fledgling was being fed at Vaire, where a pair of Common Redstarts were busy at a nesting site. A Short-toed Treecreeper seems to have chosen an old barn wall for a nesting site, which also contains one or two pairs of Tree Sparrows.

Today (26th) at least 6 House Martins were gathering mud from a puddle next to the playing fields behind Lycée Pergaud.

Just a quick hike up to the top of the hills resulted in a flyover Black Woodpecker a singing Redstart, Bonelli's Warbler heard, 2 Hawfinches, Marsh Tit, 2 Goldfinches, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Black Kites and some recently fledged Great Tits. In the morning there was a fledgling Starling at Orchamps.

In La Grotte St Leonard there was a Wren's nest and some large unidentified bats flying and hanging upside down near the entrance.   

A lot quieter today on a quick visit to the gravel pits - no people due to the rain, and very few birds!

On and around the water there were only a pair each of Mallard and Coot, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Mute Swan, 1 adult Grey Heron, 2 Common Sandpipers, a few singing Yellow Wagtails and a singing Reed Bunting. Overhead there were 1 Kestrel and 1 Black Kite. A Cuckoo was calling from somewhere. All I sketched were the Sand Martins.

Beaucoup moins intéressant aujourd'hui pendant une visite rapide aux gravières, il n'y a avait personne à cause de la pluie et très peu d'oiseaux.

Sur et autour de l'eau, il y avait un couple de colverts et de foulques, 1 grèbe huppé, 1 cygne tuberculé, 1 adulte de héron cendré, 2 chevaliers guignettes, quelques bergeronnettes printanières chantaient, et il y avait un chanteur de bruant des roseaux. Dans le ciel, un faucon crécerelle et un milan noir. Un coucou poussaient des cris quelquepart. Tout ce que j'ai dessiné étaient les hirondelles de rivage.

An early visit to the gravel pits.

Mute Swan - cygne tuberculé - 1

Mallard - colvert - 1 or 2 males on the pits, small groups including some females flying over.

Goosander - harle bièvre - 1 female flying along the river.

Great-crested Grebe - grèbe huppé - 3

Cormorant - grand cormoran - a few singles flying over.

Black Kite - milan noir - A pair plus 4 together.

Buzzard  - buse variable - 1

Kestel - faucon crécerelle - 1

Hobby - faucon hobérau - A pair.

Ringed Plover - grand gravelot - 1

Little Ringed Plover - petit gravelot - 1

Greenshank - chevalier aboyeur - 1

Common Sandpiper - chevalier guignette - 1

Black Tern - guifette noire - 2 dropped in at 7:45am.

Green Woodpecker - pic vert - 1 heard.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - pic épeiche - 1 heard.

Turtle Dove - tourterelle des bois - Heard.

Collared Dove - tourterelle turque - In the village.

Cuckoo - coucou gris - Heard.

Kingfisher - martin-pêcheur - 1

Yellow Wagtail (flava) - bergeronnette printanière - Plenty seen.

White Wagtail - bergeronnette grise - A few.

House Martin - hirondelle de fenêtres - A few in the village.

Black Redstart - rougequeue noir - 1 singing male.

Stonechat - tarier pâtre - 2 males (one singing) and a female.

Whitethroat - fauvette grisette - One male in songflight.

Red-backed Shrike - pie-grièche écorcheur - 2 males and a female.

Tree Sparrow - moineau friquet - Reasonably common.

Goldfinch - chardonneret - 1

Cirl Bunting - bruant zizi - 1 female.

A beautiful hot day at one of my favourite sites, highlights being the lack of people, my first Tawny Pipit, a Hoopoe, 2 Little Egrets and very smart Whinchat and Wheatear.

Mute Swan - 18

Mallard - Not many at all!

Great Crested Grebe - 4+

Little Egret - 2

Grey Heron - 1 immature bird.

Honey Buzzard - 1

Black Kite - 4

Kestrel - 1

Coot - 1 (!)

Common Sandpiper - 3+

Wood Sandpiper - 3

Little Ringed Plover - 4+

Hoopoe - 1

Green Woodpecker - 1 heard.

Blue-headed Wagtail (flava) - At least 2.

Tawny Pipit - 1 

Sand Martin - The colony is swarming with birds.

Wheatear - 1 male and 3 females.

Stonechat - 1 singing male.

Whinchat - 1 male.

Nightingale - At least 4 singing.

Whitethroat - 1 male.

Garden Warbler - 1 singing.

Tree Sparrow - About 10

Cirl Bunting - Male and female present.

After hearing plenty of Bonelli's Warblers yesterday without seeing a single one, I popped up to a place where I was told had plenty of Bonelli's - just behind the Citadelle, there weren't plenty - there was just one, but he was so obliging, feeding and singing in an open bush right next to some steps that I could sit on that I was over the moon. The song was already familiar to me, but it was the first time I could hear the call - nothing like a Willow Warbler or a Chiffchaff, much more like a Siskin than a warbler. Other sightings were a pair of Woodpigeons, a Peregrine, a pair of Buzzards, 3 Kestrels and a male Goosander. A good number of Swifts are now back high over the town.

Butterflies included Brimstone, Red Admiral, Orange Tip and Scarce Swallowtail.

I spent a good few hours by the viewpoint sketching and painting. Surprisingly, mammals were more in evidence today. There were 2 adult Chamois with a suckling fawn, 1 Roe Deer, 1 Red Squirrel and a Red Fox, asleep in the sun.

Other non-avian sightings included several Brimstones, some in pairs. 1 Peacock and a Wall Lizard.

2 Ravens, a pair of Woodpigeons and a male Peregrine were seen around the cliffs. Most annoying were the no less than 4 singing Bonelli's Warblers that refused to show - I still need a good, long view of this species, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were singing in the woods, Willow warbler was notable by its absence. More obliging was a singing Coal Tit, so obliging it was almost picked off by a male Sparrowhawk.

Yesterday there was a female Siskin in Rue Tristan Bernard, many people are reporting reasonable numbers lingering.

A day trip out with the family resulted in a Dipper or two, a good few Crag Martins and a male Bullfinch. A pair of buntings flew up from the path in the usual spot for Rock Buntings, but they were off and out of sight before I could get on to them.

A nice full day in the field, attempting to prepare for the STOC-EPS bird survey, but being a little beaten back by the snow. Here is a summary of the highlights.

Red Kite - Several seen, including a displaying pair.

Black Kite - a good few, including a group of 12 heading north between Osse and Nancray.

ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD - one flew over at Glamondans - a long-awaited lifer.

Collared Dove - 8 at Glamondans.

Black Redstart - Back in reasonable numbers in suitable habitat, seen at La Vèze and around Glamondans.

Stonechat - A male and 3 females at La Vèze, 2 males and 3 females near Glamondans

Wallcreeper - A window tick! One on the building opposite as I had a fag out the window this morning!

Tree Sparrow - Plenty at Glamondans.

Hawfinch - 2 and a single at La Vèze, 150 flew over Glamondans.

Brambling - A male at la Vèze, a female at Glamondans,  5 between Osse and Nancray.

Yellowhammer - At least 4 males at Glamondans.

25 large gulls (Yellow-legged or Lesser-black Backed), flew over Herriot primary school at 3pm this afternoon, heading towards Thise.

25 goélands (leucophés ou bruns) ont survolé l'ecole Herriot à 15h cet après-midi, direction Thise.

Now the new cycle route along the river is open, it's a lot quicker to get to the allotments and airfields round by Chalèze and Thise.

Mallard - At least 5 pairs between Rivotte and Chalèze.

Goosander - At least 5 pairs between Rivotte and Chalèze. Plus some non-paired birds.

Little Grebe - 1 in winter plumage and 1 in summer plumage near to town, then 5 by the Pont de Chalèze.

Cormorant - 13 between Rivotte and Chalèze.

Buzzard - Several seen, 3 together at Chalèze and 3 together at a rookery at Thise.

Kestrel - 1 male Chalèze.

Moorhen - At least 3.

Coot - Only 1.

Woodpigeon - 1 singing by Malate, plus 1 and 2 flying over.

Stock Dove - 3 flying over the fields at Chalèze.

Collared Dove - 9 together at the cowsheds by Chalèze plus 1 in the village.

White Wagtail - A total of 5, 1 singing on the hangars at the airfield.

Skylark - Approx 100 seen together distantly on the airfield at Thise, counts of 9 and 31 may have been groups from this bigger flock.

Song Thrush - 3 singing.

Black Redstart - 1 male at Malate - the first back this spring. 1 heard singing the following 2 days in Rue Mégevand.

Jay - 2 together.

Linnet - 1 pair in the allotments.

Siskin - 2 flew over the rookery at Thise.

Brambling - 2 females and a male kept company with the Chaffinches in the allotments.

Reed Bunting - 1 male in the allotments and 1 female by the Pont de Chalèze.

House Sparrow - Several males prospecting for nest sites under the Pont de Chalèze.

Avec l'ouverture de la piste cyclable, allers vers Thise prend beaucoup moins de temps.

Colvert - au moins 5 couples entre Rivotte et Chalèze. 

Harle bièvre - au moins 5 couples entre Rivotte et Chalèze, plus quelques individus.

Grève castagneux  - 1 en plumage nuptiale et 1 en plumage hivernale vers la ville, plus 5 vers le pont de Chalèze.

Grand cormoran - 13 entre Rivotte et Chalèze. 

Buse variable  - Plusieurs, y compris 3 ensemble à Chalèze et encore 3 à Thise.

Faucon crécerelle - 1 mâle à Chalèze.

Poule d'eau - Au moins 3.

Foulque macroule - 1

Pigeon ramier - 1 en chant vers Malate. 2 et 1 en vol.

Pigeon colombin - 3 au-dessus des champs à Chalèze.

Tourterelle turque - 9 à côté de Chaléze et 1 dans le village.

Bergeronnette grise - 5, y compsis un chanteur à l'aérodrome.

Alouette des champs - Une centaine à l'aérodrome, 2 groupes de 31 et 9 auraient pu avoir fait partie de ce plus grand groupe.

Grive musicienne - 3 chanteurs.

Rougequeue noir - 1 mâle à Malate, le premier de retour ce printemps. (Un chanteur est entendu le lendemain et le jour après à Rue Mégévand.)

Géai des chênes - 2

Linotte mélodieuse - 1 couple dans les jardins ouvriers.

Tarin des aulnes  - 2 sont passés.

Pinson du nord - 2 femelles et un mâle avec les pinsons des arbres dans les jardins ouvriers.

Bruant des roseaux - 1mâle dans les jardins ouvriers. 1 femelle vers le Pont de Chalèze. 

Moineau doméstique - Plusieurs mâles dans les trous sous le Pont de Chalèze.

Hoping for some visible migration, I climbed to the top of Chaudanne where snow was still lying around.

Cormorant - A single and a pair passed over.

Buzzard - 9 were seen, including a pair displaying over Bregille, hard to tell which were local and which were passing.

Peregrine - 1 chasing low down.

Woodpigeon - 2 flocks passing through together at 12:10 totalled approx. 100 birds.

Skylark -  4 flew over low.

White Wagtail - 1 on the river.

Mistle Thrush - 2 in the tops of trees.

Song Thrush - 1

Fieldfare - c100 passed over at 12:30 (with c10 Starlings), followed by approx. 30, then 4, 2, 5, 3, 1.

Chiffchaff - 1 singing at the top of Chaudanne, 1 seen next to the river.

Yellowhammer - 1 male at the top of Chaudanne.

En espérant de voir un peu de migration, je suis monté jusqu'au Fort de Chaudanne où il y avait toujours un peu de neige par terre.

Grand cormoran - 1 individu et un couple sont passés hauts.

Buse variable - 9 observées, y compris un couple en parade au-dessus de Bregille.

Faucon pèlerin - 1 à Chaudanne.

Pigeon ramier - 2 nuées passaient ensemble à 12:10 pour un total de 100 oiseaux approx.

Alouette des champs - 4 sont passées.

Bergeronnette grise - 1

Grive draine - 2

Grive musicienne - 1

Grive litorne - 100 approx. sont passées à 12:30 avec une dizaine d'étorneaux, puis un groupe de 30, puis 4, 2, 5, 3, 1.

Pouillot véloce - 1 chantait en haut de Chaudanne avec un autre à côté de la rivière.

Bruant jaune - 1 mâle en haut de Chaudanne.

2 White Wagtails flew over Pont Battant early this evening.

2 bergeronnettes grises ont survolé le Pont Battant tôt ce soir.

A good long bike ride all the way to beyond Avanne-Aveney.

Greylag Goose - Domestic bird still present.

Goosander - Pairs flying round cliffs and tree holes round Tarragnoz, one seen in a nest hole.

Mallard - Also one female prospecting for holes in trees!

Tufted Duck - 7 males and 4 females in the usual spot at Beure.

Little Grebe - 10 together by Ile Malpas, most in winter plumage still.

Grey Heron - At least 3 nests seen in woods after Aveney.

Buzzard - 4+ Avanne, 3 Port Douvot, plus singles seen along the way.

Sparrowhawk - 1 immature in fields at Avanne.

Peregrine - singles over Tarragnoz and Avanne.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - 2 around Avanne.

Middle Spotted Woodpecker - 1 after Avanne.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker - Heard by Ile Malpas and Avanne.

Grey-headed Woodpecker - Probable heard after Avanne.

Green Woodpecker - Very vocal along the way, 1 female in an orchard behind the sewage works.

Woodpigeon - A pair seem to have settled by the Citadelle, 3 Avanne, 2 after Avanne.

Kingfisher - Seen flying into the bank Ile Malpas.

White Wagtail - 1 on the locks near Velotte, 1 at Avanne.

Dunnock - 1 Avanne.

Blackcap - 1 male at Avanne.

Chiffchaff - 1 singing at Avanne.

Stonechat - A pair at Avanne.

Song Thrush - 1 in song at Avanne.

Mistle Thrush - 1 seen after Avanne.

Blackbird - 4 males chasing a female at Velotte.

Marsh Tit - By the canal after Avanne.

Jay - 6 together at¨Port Douvot.

Greenfinch - 4 at Avanne.

Reed Bunting - 1 male at Avanne.

Cirl Bunting - A pair at Avanne. 

Goosanders searching the cliffs for a nest site. Tarragnoz.

Spent a little time in the Forêt de Chailluz sketching the captive deer and boar, highlights were about 40 Hawfinches in the trees overhead and one coming down to drink.

J'ai passé un peu de temps à la Forêt de Chailluz pour dessiner les cerfs et sangliers captifs, le meilleur était une quarantaine de grosbecs dans les arbres, et un qui est venu boire.

Went in the opposite direction and headed towards Thise. I never see a great deal when I go this way, but if we get some rain soon, the airfield is usually excellent when flooded.

Buzzard - 4 together over Montfaucon, plus one on the aifield at Thise.

Kestrel - 1 over the Citadelle.

Coot - Ones and twos, plus 3 together at Chalezeule.

Green Woodpecker - 1 on the edge of a field at Thise, plus one or two heard along the way.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - One heard at Thise.

Woodpigeon - 3 at Chalèze.

Skylark - 2 at Chalezeule, and perhaps the same 2 at Thise.

Song Thrush - 1 singing at Chalezeule.

Mistle Thrush - 1 calling at Chalezeule.

Bullfinch - 2 females and a male at Thise.

Je suis allé dans le sens inverse vers Thise. Je ne vois jamais grand chose dans cette direction, mais si on aura bientôt un peu de pluie, l'aérodrome inondé sera intéressant.

Buse variable -  4 ensemble au dessus de Montfaucon, plus une à l'aérodrome.

Faucon crécerelle - 1 au dessus de la Citadelle.

Foulque macroule - quelques uns ici et là, 3 ensemble à Chalezeule.

Pic vert - 1 au bord d'un champ à Thise, quelques uns entendus en route.

Pic épeiche - 1 entendu à Thise.

Pigeon ramier - 3 à Chalèze.

Alouette des champs - 2 à Chalezeule, peut-être les mêmes à Thise.

Grive musicienne - 1 chantait à Chalezeule.

Grive draine - 1 a poussé un cri à Chalezeule.

Bouvreuil pivoine - 2 femelles et un mâle à Thise.