March 13, 2007
Mostly mammals (and Mandarins)
After a couple of manic birding trips, I decided to stay local this weekend and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. Several Chiffchaffs (Pouillot veloce) and my first migrant Blackcap (Fauvette a tete noire) were in full song on the campus. Several butterflies are out including the Brimstone (Citron) and Comma (the wonderfully named Robert-le-diable).
A pair of Nuthatches (Sitelle torchepot) were busy inspecting a nest box opposite my department - could provide a fun photo project in the summer months...
This Red Squirrel (Ecureuil roux) caught my eye as it fed on fresh buds.
I spotted good numbers of Water Vole (Campagnol aquatique) along the Yvette...
... as well as an introduced Muskrat (Rat musque).
I headed on to the Bures basin to scan the wooded hills for raptors - no Goshawk, but plenty of displaying Buzzards (Buse variable). Here I spotted my first French Mandarins (Canard mandarin). They can't help but look out of place among our more modestly-attired European ducks - but a smart bird nonetheless.
The wintering Water Pipit (Pipit spioncelle) again gave me the runaround, and I only managed one 'record shot'.
In the Coupieres basin, I found a pair of Stonechat (Tarier patre) and 3 Fan-tailed Warblers (Cisticole des joncs), making this surely the best place to look for this species in the Ile-de-France.
On Sunday I rather crazily decided to look for Long-eared Owls on the Saclay plateau, and predictably drew a blank. On the walk home in the dark I was somewhat surprised to be able to see the Eiffel Tower, a good 30km from here.
