June 20, 2007
Birders' birds
This weekend I visited the Causses Aumelas west of Montpellier, home to some of mediterranean Europe's most spectacular birds - Hoopoes, Bee-eaters, Rollers... and yet I found myself searching for little brown birds. A prime example is the Rock Sparrow (Moineau soulcie), differing little to the casual observer from a regular female House Sparrow (Moineau domestique).
And yet it is a sought-after bird by many birders, since its patchy and local distribution in the mediterranean makes it difficult to find (this is only the third time I've come across the species). Some bird books even call it Rock Petronia to add to its appeal (genus tick!). I guess part of the fun of birding for me is picking out these fine differences, finding variety and beauty in something that appears mundane to the untrained eye. These birds have a fine set of humbug-stripes along their flanks...
... and a head-pattern not unlike some American sparrows or female grosbeaks.
The song itself is more nasal and synthetic than the House Sparrow, and what they lack in colour, they make up for in attitude - this male sang incessantly, fanning his tail and occasionally revealing a glimpse of his butter-yellow throat patch.
Another drab denizen of the causses is this Tawdry Pipit (Pipit rousseline).
Woodchat Shrike (Pie-grieche a tete rousse) - now that's more like it!
Several Short-toed Eagles (Circaete Jean-le-blanc) flew close overhead.
The day before I went canoeing (without optics, obviously) along the Gorges de Herault, and saw a fun selection of riparian birds - Common Sandpiper (Chevalier guignette), Little Ringed Plover (Petit Gravelot), Kingfisher (Martin-pecheur), Dipper (Cincle plongeur) and Grey Wagtail (Bergeronnette des ruisseaux). Musical accompaniment was provided by the omnipresent Nightingales (Rossignol philomele) and my first cicadas of the year.
Posted by rjhall at June 20, 2007 8:42 AM