May 23, 2007
A sunny day
In contrast to April's unseasonably warm weather, May has been somewhat damp and miserable. This morning, however, the sun was shining, so I took a stroll around the plateau. The male Redstart (Rougequeue a front blanc) was still singing constantly in the woods, but remained out of sight in the treetops. A couple of male Linnets (Linotte melodieuse) were singing from the same tree; this bright individual...
... and a duller (young?) bird.
A Melodious Warbler (Hypolais polyglotte) was also making itself heard.
The local Stonechats (Tarier patre) seem to be thriving, with 3 different adult males on a relatively small territory. This bird showed extremely well.
Grasshopper and Fan-tailed Warblers (Locustelle tachetee, Cisticole des joncs), and an active Spotted Flycatcher (Gobemouche gris) eluded the camera, but this Garden Warbler (Fauvette des jardins) was too busy singing its heart out to pay me any attention.
By the time I arrived at work, the sky had turned grey again, but I was pleased to find a small colony of Greater Butterfly Orchids growing just across the road from my office.
