6th October -  a minimum of 14 Great White Egrets on the river at Rang, seen from the train.

Marais de Saône – 10th October

A Sparrowhawk was chasing a mixed flock of finches including about 80 each of Goldfinch and Greenfinch with a few Chaffinches too. Passing migrants included 15 Stock Dove, about 10 Woodpigeon and the last Swallows (roughly 20). Chiffchaffs were seen as were Willow and Marsh Tits, one each of Great Spotted and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, about 40 Siskin and a Buzzard.

Afterwards, the aerodrome held a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and a White Wagtail.

Marais de Saône – 14th October

A pale Chiffchaff with a "peee" and "see-oo" call was actively feeding in bushes by the aerodrome. A search of the bulrushes for a Penduline Tit yileded only a Kingfisher and a Wren. 3 Stock Doves were seen amongst the passing Woodpigeons, and good  numbers of Siskins were about.

A nice long walk along the river produced a total of 22 Goosanders (all females/young) 15 Moorhens, 33 Coot, about 30 Cormorants, 1 Black-headed Gull, plenty of Kingfishers and Grey Herons, 4 Buzzards, 4 Grey Wagtails, 1 White Wagtail and a few Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. There were also 2 domestic Greylags.

Being busy with exhibitions and back at work, there hasn’t been much time for birding, I managed a visit to Osselle and Pagney on the 6th, and a visit to Pagney on the 10th.

6th September – Osselle

Teal – 2 female type

Mallard – c100

Shoveler – 4

Coot – 65

White Wagtail – 1 male

Whinchat – 1 juvenile

Stonechat -  family party

Chiffchaff – some giving a bit of song

Linnet – 4

Pagney 6th September

Teal – 1 female type

Pheasant – 1 male

Little Grebe – 1

Buzzard – 2

Kestrel – pair

Pagney – 10th September

Teal – 11

Tufted Duck – 1 male

Little Grebe – 1

Night Heron – 1 juvenile

Grey Heron – 10

Sparrowhawk – 1

Buzzard – 1

Moorhen – 1 imm.

Lapwing – c50

Snipe – 1

Curlew – 1

Common Sandpiper – 1

Red-rumped Parrot – 1 escapee

Tree Pipit – a few flying over

Meadow Pipit – 1 flew over

Yellow Wagtail – one or two flying over

Black Redstart – 3

Stonechat – 1

Reed Warbler – 1

9 Mute Swans – 2 ads plus the family.

1 Garganey

1 Great Crested Grebe

3 Cormorants

1 Purple Heron – juvenile

Coot – 43

Common Sandpiper – 1

Stonechat – Family with 3 juveniles

Blackcap – c10

Willow Warbler – 1

Serin – c5

A morning visit to see what was moving, quite quiet considering it’s August.

 Mute Swan – cygne tuberculé – 4 adults, 5 young

Teal – sarcelle d’hiver – 2 female type

Mallard – colvert – 65+

Pochard – fuligule milouin – 3

Great Crested Grebe – grèbe huppé – 1

Grey Heron – héron cendré – 6+

Honey Buzzard – bondrée apivore – at least 4 and up to 7 seen. Including at least one juvenile, and one foraging on the ground.

Buzzard – buse variable – 1

Kestrel – faucon crécerelle – 2+

Coot – foulque macroule – 22 (16 on workings plus 6 on pool behind)

Snipe – bécassine des marais – 1 flew over calling

Common Sandpiper – chevlier guignette – 2 on fishing pool

Woodpigeon - pigeon ramier – 7 including one without a tail

Kingfisher – martin-pêcheur – 1

Wryneck – torcol – 1 (new species for me at Osselle)

Green Woodpecker – pic vert – 1

Sand Martin – hirondelle de rivage – still about, some still feeding young

White Wagtail – bergeronnette grise – 1 adult

Stonechat – tarier pâtre – at least 6 including 2 juveniles

Blackcap – fauvette à tête noire – several

Whitethroat – fauvette grisette – 1

Red-backed Shrike – pie-grièche écorcheur – 1 juvenile

Serin – serin cini – several

Goldfinch – chardonneret – 3

Osselle

Mallard – 92

Pochard – 2

Little Egret – 2

Grey Heron – 6

Black Kite – 1

Coot – 1

Little Ringed Plover – 2

Black-headed Gull – 8

Blue-headed Wagtail – several

Pagney

Night Heron – 4 juveniles

Honey Buzzard – 1

Black Kite – 3+

Lapwing – c30

Greenshank – 1

Red-backed Shrike – 1 male

Osselle

Mute Swan – 4 adults plus 5 cygnets

Mallard – 99

Gadwall – 1

Great-crested Grebe – 1

Little Egret – 1

Little Ringed Plover – 1

Snipe – 1

Common Sandpiper – 1

Bee Eater – 1

Melodious Warbler – several

Golden Oriole – 2 singing birds heard

Tree Sparrow – several family parties

Pagney

Black Kite – 22

Kestrel – 2+

Hobby – 1

Little Ringed Plover – 4

Common Sandpiper – 2

Lapwing – about 50

Bee Eater – 1

3+Grey Herons
1 Little Egret
10 Wood Sandpipers landed briefly before flying out.
1 LRP
1 imm Y L Gull
60 Mallard
Mute Swans with 5 cygnets.
5 Black Kites
Sparrowhawk
2+ Kestrels
2+ Buzzards
2 Woodpigeons, including 1 singing.
Kingfisher
2 Bee Eaters
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
juv Great Spotted Woodpecker
2 Green Woodpeckers – one a juvenile
2+ Blue-headed Wagtails
Pair of Stonechats
3 singing Melodious Warblers, plus one family, plus one bird carrying a fecal sac from a nest
Reed Warbler heard
Family party of Willow Tits (at least 1 adult and 2 young)
Male Red-backed Shrike
6+ Goldfinch
4 Linnets
Many Tree Sparrows feeding young
Female House Sparrow

butterflies included – Painted Lady, Peacock, Clouded Yellow and Gatekeeper

Bee Eater painting from a previous visit

A day out around a few sites produced:

site 1:
2+ Marsh Warblers, Red Kite, Black Kite, Sparrowhawk, 10+ G C Grebes, 1 Black-headed Gull.
Roe Deer

site 2:

1 adult Lesser Spotted Eagle, at least 2 Red Kites, Honey Buzzard, 2 Yellow-legged Gulls, Crested Tit, Willow Tits, Yellowhammers, Pochards,Tufted Ducks, Cormorant, G C Grebe, many Coots and c10 Mute Swans

site 3:

2 adult and 1 imm Yellow- legged Gull, 5 adult and 1 juvenile Black-headed Gull, 1 Red Kite, Pochards, 1 male Shoveler, 1 Little Ringed Plover, c 30 Lapwing, at least 1 adult male Ruff, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Pipit and nesting Coal Tit

The morning was spent at Osselle, where I was disappointed to see that many areas of rough grass had been mown, I only hope that the Blue-headed Wagtails nesting there had already fledged, but seeing adults carrying food to sites that hadn’t been cut showed that there would have been a few nests with young in them shredded.

Mute Swan – cygne tuberculé – 4, the pair on the island are still sitting, but no young.

Shoveler – canard souchet – pair

Great Crested Grebe – grèbe huppé – 4

Honey Buzzard – bondrée apivore – 1

Black Kite – milan noir – 2

Red Kite – milan royal – 1

Buzzard – buse variable – 3+

Kestrel – faucon crécerelle – 1

Moorhen – poule d’eau – Adult with 5 chicks

Common Sandpiper – chevalier guignette – 1

Kingfisher – martin-pêcheur – 1

Bee Eater – guêpier – 2

Cuckoo – coucou – 1 heard

Skylark – alouette des champs – 1

Blue-headed Wagtail – bergeronnette printanière – 3+

Nightingale – rossignol – 3+ singers

Black Redstart – rougequeue noir – recently fledged young seen

Whinchat – tarier des prés – 1 male

Melodious Warbler – hypolaïs polyglotte – 1 singing

Golden Oriole – loriot – 1 heard

Carrion Crow – corneille noire – recently fledged young

Starling – étorneau – adults carrying food

Tree Sparrow – moineau friquet – several

Chaffinch – pinson – singing

Goldfinch – chardonneret -1

Greenfinch – verdier – 2 songflight

Serin – sérin cini – pair.

The afternoon at Chateau des Bois saw Sparrowhawk, Turtle Dove and 2 Yellowhammers. In butterflies there were Swallowtail, Scarce Swallowtail, Painted Ladies, Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites and White Admirals. A Wildcat was disturbed from a mown field.