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. 

After taking a hammer to the old bike and its wheels that wouldn't be replaced, my new bike and I had a quick ride down to Port Douvot.

Tufted Duck - 18 (12 males) between Beure and Port Douvot.

Red-breasted Merganser - 1

Mandarin - 1 male at Vélotte

Peregrine - 1

Green Woodpecker - 1 female in the allotments at Beure.

Reed Bunting - 1 male in the allotments at Beure.

also the usual Moorhens, Coots and Little Grebes. Both domestic Greylags have been present these past few days and a Black-headed Gull was at its usual spot by the Minotaur 2 days ago.

Après avoir attaqué mon ancien vélo avec un marteau , j'ai pris le nouveau vélo vers Port Douvot.

Fuligule morillon - 18 dont 12 mâles entre Beure et Port Douvot.

Harle huppé - 1

Canard mandarin - 1 mâle à Velotte.

Faucon pèlerin- 1

Pic vert - 1 femelle dans les jardins ouvriers à Beure.

Bruant des roseaux - 1 mâle dans les jardins ouvriers à Beure.

aussi les poules d'eau, foulques et grèbes castagneux. Les deux oies cendrées domestiques sont toujours présentes, il y avait une mouette rieuse vers la Minotaure il y a deux jours. 

We started the morning walking between the airfield at Thise and Roche lez Beaupré, hoping for some early storks, but the thick fog meant that the only bird seen on the airfield was a Skylark.


On a commencé le matin entre l'aérodrome de Thise et Roche lez Beaupré, avec le brouillard, le seul oiseau noté à l'aérodrome était une alouette des champs. Dans les haies derrières il y avait un couple de bruant zizi et un moineau friquet. On a entendu un pic vert. Quelques pipits farlouses n'étaient que des formes qui criaent dans le brouillard. Quelques litornes étaient avec un groupe d'étorneaux et il ya avait 4 grives draines. Dans les arbres on a trouvé une femelle de pic épeichette, quelques pics épeiches et un pic mar, il ya avait également une buse variable, quelques grosbecs, mésanges nonnettes, torchepots et des grimpéreaux des jardins en bon nombre. Quelques tourterelles turques chantaient. Des ecureuils étaient notés plusieurs fois.

In the hedges at the back of the field were a pair of Cirl Buntings and a Tree Sparrow. Green Woodpecker was heard. A couple of Meadow Pipits were just shapes calling in the mist. A good few Fieldfares were sharing some trees with a flock of Starlings, and 4 Mistle Thrushes were seen. The woods contained a female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, a few Great Spotted Woodpeckers and a Middle Spotted Woodpecker aswell as a Buzzard, a few Hawfinches, Marsh Tits, Nuthatches and a good few Short-toed Treecreepers. A few Collared Doves were singing. Red Squirrels were seen a few times.




A Red Kite was seen going through Séchin.

At Brognard, near Montbéliard there was very little about, despite there now being a hide. 9 Black-headed Gulls, 14 Tufted Ducks, 3 male Pochard, 6 Great Crested Grebes and 2 Mute Swans.

A Great White Egret was in a field just before the toll at Fontain, plus one more further on after Mulhouse.

Un milan royal a été observé à Séchin.

A Brognard il y avait très peu, 9 mouettes rieuses, 14 morillons, 3 males de milouin, 6 grèbes huppés et 2 cygnes tuberculés.
Avant le péage à Fontain, il y avait une grande aigrette dans un champ, avec encore une après Mulhouse.

With friends coming this weekend to twitch the Wallcreeper, I decided to go and make sure it was still there, seeing as I hadn't seen it since before Christmas. I didn't really get that much birding done, seeing as someone standing next to the road with a scope is seen as 'interesting' by all passers-by, and I spent most of the afternoon with a queue to see the Peregrine sitting in a tree.

Little Grebe - one bathing was hilarious, they're so buoyant, they have to half dive to have a wash, also one managed to get in the locks!

White Stork - 5 circled over the Citadelle before flying towards Thise.

Peregrine - 1 perched.

Kestrel - 1

Woodpigeon - 3 flew over.

Wallcreeper - finally got one on my year list (not that I keep one) picking on the walls of the Citadelle.

En raison de la visite de es amis pour voir le tichodrome ce weekend, je suis allé vérifier qu'il est toujours là, vu que je ne l'avait pas vu depuis avant noël. Je n'ai pas pu faire énormément d'observations car quelqu'un avec une longue vue au bord de la route est considéré 'intéressant' par tous les passants, j'ai passé alors la plupart de l'après-midi avec une queue pour voir le pèlerin posé dans un arbre.

grèbe castagneux - hilarant de les voir se laver, il y en avait même dans l'écluse!

cigogne blanche - 5 ont survolé la Citadelle avant de descendre vers Thise.

faucon pèlerin - 1 posé dans un arbre

faucon crécerelle - 1

pigeon ramier - 3

tichodrome échelette - 1

Took the bike up to Roche during the morning, then off up onto the plateau in the afternoon.

Among the more notable observations: 1 male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker by the locks before la Malate, 4 Skylarks in a field at Chalèze, a few Mistle Thrushes, a pair of Marsh Tits and then a White Wagtail and a Grey Wagtail at Roche. A few woodpeckers have started drumming.

The afternoon was spent unsuccessfully searching for a Rough-legged Buzzard that has been present since November, but constantly eludes me (just out of reach of public transport.) The first bird that greeted us was a fine female Hen Harrier, in the area there were a Kestrel, at least 5 Hawfinches, 5 Bramblings, 3 Greenfinches, 7 Yellowhammers, another pair of Marsh Tits and at least 8 Grey Herons in the fields.

2 Roe Deer were seen in the open crossing a field.

J'ai pris le vélo vers Roche ce matin, et après vers Osse sur le plâteau.

Parmi les meilleures observations: un mâle de pic épeichette vers l'écluse avant la Malate, 4 alouettes des champs à Chalèze, quelques grives draines, un couple de mésange nonnette et puis une bergeronette grise, et une bergeronnette des ruisseaux à Roche. Quelques pics ont commencé à tambouriner.

J'ai passé l'après-midi à chercher une buse pattue présente depuis novembre, sans réussite. Le premier oiseau à nous accueillir était une femelle de busard saint-martin, dans les parages il y avait une crecerelle, au moins 5 grosbecs, 5 pinsons du nord, 3 verdiers, 7 bruants jaunes, encore un couple de mésange nonnette et au moins 8 hérons cendrés dans les champs.

2 chevreuils étaient à découvert pour traverser un champ.

A lot of effort for very little return today. Though as the weather was nice I wasn't going to complain. The sunshine had a few Great Tits singing, and the first Brimstone was on the wing at Avanne. On the river there were more Coots than usual and I had my highest count of Little Grebes with at least 11 seen (There must be dozens going unnoticed though.) The thaw seems to have sent a lot of the birds back to the gravel pits, there were no Great Crested Grebes, no Mute Swans and less Mallards than usual. 10 Tufted Ducks (6 males, 4 females) were all together at Beure along with 2 female Pochards. The domestic Greylag remains at Ile Malpas.

Beaucoup d'effort pour très peu de recompense aujourd'hui. Mais vu qu'il faisait beau, je ne me plains pas. Le soleil a incité quelques mésanges charbonnières à chanter, et le premier citron (papillon, pas fruit!) volait à Avanne. Sur la rivière, il y avait plus de foulques que d'habitude, et j'ai dénombré au moins 11 grèbes castagneux (il doit y avoir des douzaines inaperçus). Le dégel semble avoir renvoyé beaucoup d'oiseaux vers les gravières, il n'y avait aucun grèbe huppé, ni cygne tuberculé et moins de colverts. 10 morillons (6 males et 4 femelles) étaient ensembles à Beure avec pour compagnie deux femelles de milouin. L'oie cendrée domestiqué reste toujours à l'Ile Malpas.