May 29, 2007
Gruissan on foot
Last weekend I birded an area of the Aude coast centred on Gruissan, mostly by foot. At the end of May I expected hot sunshine and a host of Mediterranean bird specialities, but in reality was greeted by threatening rainclouds, strong gusts of winds, and a few bird species that should have been much further north by now! An undoubted highlight of the weekend was eye-popping views of migrating Honey Buzzards (Bondree apivore), all flying relatively low in poor weather.
I counted 150 or so throughout the day, including this thermalling group of 41 birds.
The garrigue of the Ile Saint Martin held a singing Subalpine Warbler (Fauvette passerinette) and a pair of Black-eared Wheatears (Traquet oreillard) - my first in France.
In spite of the wind, several butterflies were out and about including Western Marbled White and Clouded Yellow.
The lower elevation meadows hosted a single Tawny Pipit (Pipit rousseline) and this confiding Corn Bunting (Bruant proyer).
After lunch I decided to seawatch from a sheltered spot on Gruissan plage, noting a few Gannets (Fou de bassin) and large numbers of Yelkouan Shearwaters (Puffin yelkouan) passing relatively close inshore.
Walking north to the Etang de Grazel produced a real surprise, when an adult drake Eider (Eider a duvet) swam past me at point blank range!
Just across the road, a couple of pairs of Little Terns (Sterne naine) were nesting on a protected part of the beach.
Later in the afternoon, birding around the Etang de Campignol produced a jammy Great Spotted Cuckoo (Coucou-geai), and I thought my luck was in when I spotted this feeding pelican, only to be told that it was one of several free flying Pink-backed Pelicans (Pelican gris) which had escaped from the nearby African reserve... Here it is trying to swallow a big fish.
Without too much hope of success, I birded an area of the marais Narbonnais which had recently held Black-winged Pratincole, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and an eastern Olivaceous Warbler. The best I could come up with in worsening weather was a lone White Stork (Cigogne blanche) and 3(!) Sacred Ibis (Ibis sacre) on the entrance road to Grand Castelou.
I finished the day close to the Etang de Pissevaches, which was a write-off in the now unbirdable wind, though I did see a few Pallid Swifts (Martinet pale) in Saint Pierre la Mer, and good decent views of some nesting Bee-eaters (Guepier d'Europe) along the road.
The next day dawned much brighter, so I decided do a walk from the hotel in the massif de la Clape.
This Dartford Warbler (Fauvette pitchou) was skulking in a roadside bush, but never ventured out into the open.
If you stare long and hard at this photo I may be able to convince you you're looking at a hovering Short-toed Eagle (Circaete Jean-le-Blanc)!
I spent a good part of the afternoon exploring the salt pans adjacent to Gruissan.
Shorebird pickings were slim, but did include a lone Red Knot (Becasseau maubeche), another French tick for me.
Two Greenshank (Chevalier aboyeur) and a bunch of probable (i.e. tiny blobs in the heat haze) Little Stints (Becasseau minute) were the only other signs of migration, though breeders included many Black-winged Stilts (Echasse blanche), Avocets (Avocette elegante) and Kentish Plovers (the ridiculously long named Pluvier a collier interrompu).
Shelduck (Tadorne de belon) babies are very cute!
The locally abundant race of Yellow Wagtail (Bergeronnette printaniere) seemed much darker-headed than many Blue-headed Wagtails I've seen in Britain - perhaps they are intergrades with Iberian Yellow Wagtail here?
Meanwhile, back in Montpellier, I found myself an orchid lifer - this stunning Woodcock Orchid.
Quiz time: can anyone tell me what this orchid is? Answer: it's a Pyramidal Orchid which just doesn't happen to be pyramid-shaped - thanks Gwenael!
How about this colourful critter?
(answers to rjhall_AT_surfbirder.com)
Posted by rjhall at May 29, 2007 10:51 PM