Every autumn, flocks of
lapwings (vanellus vanellus)
vanneau huppé appear on the newly-ploughed fields up and down the Aigronne, taking flight at the least alarm and keeping in contact with each other by means of their "peewit" calls. At the moment, there are usually a few starlings (
sturnus vulgaris) étourneau sansonnet with them, and later in the year, golden plover.
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| Just a small part of a larger flock. |
There are bigger flocks in France than in the UK because farming methods over here are more favourable to their breeding cycle. Just north of Amiens we stopped and took pictures of a flock of over a thousand... it was an amazing sight!
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| Just part of the huge flock seen in October 2005... too big to capture in one shot!! |
They are always worth a few pictures on a sunny day, with their white underparts flashing as they swirl aroud over their chosen feeding spot. This year Tim's photos caught one bird in the middle of a barrel roll, flying upside down....
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| Hey guys! Can you do this? |
3 comments:
Great photos !! Seeing birds in flight always makes me feel humble and inadequate.
I thought Harley'istes flew pretty well, actually!!
You're right, Tim, but leaving the ground is not a good idea !! The feeling of flying comes pretty close, I guess.
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