Birding-Normandie

Over many years now Jackie and I, as many of our friends will know, love birding in Normandie and try and go as often as time will allow.  Over the last week we visited with family so the birding wasn't as intensive as we have done in the past but we managed to visit a number of our favourite sites.  The weather wasn't as kind to us as usual and the wind was in the wrong direction and in fact it was better for the UK, but you can't get it right all the time.  However, in saying this we still had a few nice birds, our first was a little bit of a surprise in that we hadn't recorded them at this particular site before and that was a small flock of Cirl Bunting, though they are not an uncommon species for us in Normandy.  Along with Chaffinch they were feeding at a cattle feeding station and I just happened to pull the car up in the right place for once and we had excellent views.  As you can see in the shot of the male below, which I took with my bridge camera, that came and sat on the field gate by the car.

Male Cirl Bunting - Normandie © Nick Hull

So that was our first highlight of the trip our second came a day or two later when we were scanning a small flock of Sanderling and Turnstone on Utah beach, my sister-in-law asked "what is the pale wader with the Ringed Plover  to the right of the main group of feeding birds".  Locating the bird I realised straight away it was a juvenile Kentish Plover roosting on the shingle.  Though Kentish Plover breed along this coast we didn't expect to see one as usually most have migrated by this time, but they are always a joy to see.

Juv. Kentish Plover - Utah Beach - Normandie

On one of our days we visited the Mont St Michel coast but the weather was a little damp with heavy showers at times and we found little in the way of birds migrating.  Though amongst a few beach hut overlooking the bay we had about twenty Wheatear feeding amongst the rocks that edged the beach so I took the opportunity to get a few shot of these south bound birds.

Looking at Mont St. Michel in a rain shower from Genet 

Juv. Northern Wheatear - nr. Genet, Normandie

It wasn't until our last day and doing a little birding on our way back to Cherbourg, to catch the ferry home, that we had what was for us the best birds of the trip, in fact it was only the second time we have seen them in Normandie. We have seen their French cousin a number of times before and now a sighting of not just one but a covey of 25 Grey Partridge was excellent. A species that is scarce in Dorset and equally scarce here in Normandie was a great way to finish a week of good food, wine with the added bonus of a few good birds.

Covey of Grey Partridge on the polder near Grand Vey  Normandie.