A Brit abroad

Orsay update: early May

Last week saw warm, sunny days, and the mass arrival of migrants including Common Swifts (Martinet noir), Garden Warblers (Fauvettes des jardins - including one in my garden this morning) and Nightingales (Rossignol philomele). The male Redstart continues to sing on my street - he was in full song when I left the house at 515am to catch a train last Friday! Best bird of the week was a male Pied Flycatcher (Gobemouche noir) in the Bois des Rames - my first in years! I've also seen a/the Black Woodpecker (Pic noir) in flight a couple of times - but no sign of a nest unfortunately. Serins (Serin cini) are a frequent highlight of my walk to work - though they never seem so obliging when I have my camera to hand!

Now the trees have leafed out it's becoming tricky to digiscope in the shade of the canopy. A walk in the woods last week produced a Jay (Geai des chenes) gathering nest material...

and a typically retiring Stock Dove (Pigeon colombin).

I often see Kestrels (Faucon crecerelle) hunting in and over the woods - I always thought of them as more of a species of open fields (Motorway verges!) in Britain.

The woods are ablaze with colour from the Bluebells and other flowers I haven't got round to identifying yet (blush).

Any ideas what this UFO with long antennas is?

Thanks to Dean Stables for the ID of this moth, Adela reaumurella. You can see better pictures of this species, and many other fantastic bug pictures, on his website.

Posted by rjhall at May 9, 2006 2:14 PM