7 years ago
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Avon calling
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Evening at Middlebere
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Durlston Butterflies
Pigeons beware...
Durlston warblers
Monday, 15 August 2011
A good catch
Sunday, 7 August 2011
More Citril Finches
No Nutcracker thi
A few more of the ubiquotous Black Redstart and Crested Tit rounded off an enjoyable final morning in the French Alps.
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Dusk in Verthier
Friday, 5 August 2011
Sooty Copper
Back to butterflying in the garden of our ho
liday accommodation near Annecy this afternoon. I had been struggling to identify a small species of blue which looked like a brown female of some sort, but with dark marks on the upper-wing (above). Then a similar, more
coppery one turned up, and I realised on consulting a field guide that the brown one was probably a male Sooty Copper, and the more orangey one a female. Small Copper is one of my favourite British butterflies, so this was even more exotic.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Mont Blanc
Alpine Chough
Monday, 1 August 2011
A Crazy Hour on Cret de Chatillon
On a family holiday visiting non-birding friends I did not expect to have many opportunities to see good birds. Getting above the treeline to Cret de Chatillon in the French Alp
s offered some hope but, as coffee an ice cream were the main objectives of the rest of my party, not much. Or so I thought. Stepping out of the car I immediately heard an unfamiliar 'te-te-te' call as a small flock of Citril Finch flew over. They landed nearby so family and friends were abandoned in search of some photos - against the light unfortunately, but the first I have manag
ed of this species. Rejoining the coffee drinkers I heard another unfamiliar call - somewhere between a Jay and a Nightjar - and saw the back end of a Nutcracker vanish into a conifer looming over the cafe. It exchanged calls with another further down the slope, and after some careful searching I could just about see it, partially obscured by branches. After this excite
ment, a short walk to the nearby summit brought us face to face with a small flock of Alpine Chough (see later post). The best hour's birding of the entire trip!
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