A Brit abroad

Les Miz

On Saturday I set out to visit La Molette and La Courneuve Regional Park, to look for wintering Penduline Tits (Rémiz penduline), and to join a birding group from the Ile-de-France Ornithological Society (Corif). In the former, I was successful, but despite many hours searching I was unable to locate any other birders!

The two lakes that form La Molette were both completely frozen on my arrival (as was I). Fortunately I quickly located 3 (or were there 4?) Penduline Tits feeding in the reed mace. The birds were unobtrusive and easy to lose sight of, but tended to stick close to a small flock of Blue Tits (Mésange bleue), which was often the easiest way to relocate them.

A surprise find was this Water Pipit (Pipit spioncelle) walking around on the frozen lake surface.

Also present were 3 Snipe (Bécassine des marais), 15 Teal (Sarcelle d'hiver) and several Fieldfares (Grive litorne).

I spent the rest of the day walking around the large Parc de La Courneuve. The Grand Lac here was mostly frozen, and c. 200 gulls were sitting on the ice. Most were Black-headed Gulls (Mouette rieuse), but there was also a small group of Yellow-legged Gulls (Goéland leucophée).

Three Great Crested Grebes (Grèbe Huppé) remained in one of the few ice-free portions of the lake.

A dash of the exotic was added by two Wood Ducks and this Silver Teal.

There was also much of interest in the wooded parts of the park, including many Siskins (Tarin des aulnes), Short-toed Treecreepers (Grimpereau des jardins) and Crested Tits (Mesange huppée). A confiding Weasel was a nice surprise.

Green Woodpeckers (Pic vert) were abundant, and I was able to get very close to this feeding male.

As I left, a Woodcock (Bécasse des bois) flew over. Not a bad haul for a place that's only 2 train stops and a short bus ride from the Gare du Nord!

Posted by rjhall at February 12, 2006 1:20 PM