A happy Easter surprise...

Happy Easter everyone...
We had a rather nice surprise yesterday... after seven years of feeding the birds here.... a male Great Spotted Woodpecker [Dendrocopos major) Pic Épieche discovered, after around twenty minutes of hesitation and failed attempts.... how to use the bird feeders... well, the fatball feeder.
And he was back this morning... rather a lovely sight... and very interesting to see how delicately it feeds. But I suppose that is down to not having to chisel its way to the grub!

So, here's a picture post.... with captions to tell the story as events unfolded....

I suddenly saw him arrive... they never usually come this close...

He then moved even closer to the feeding station....

Then he moved up onto the feeder....
you can clearly see the red patch at the rear of his cap...
that clearly shows he's a he!
Females have no red on the head.

He hopped closer to the fatball feeder...
watching what the female sparrow was doing.

He hopped all around the feeder, studying it....
and watching what the sparrows were doing....

He made an attempt to reach the feeder, but he branch...
well, twig actually....
was too thin and he lost his balance!!

He let go and flew to the other end...
he was a little shocked I think and raised his crest!

He then hopped back and forth along the main feeder branches...
he spent quite a while doing this....
when, suddenly everything seemed to click....

And he was there....
and stayed for quite a while...
and came back twice today!!

This is a cropped area from the previous shot...
you can very clearly see the long, thin tongue that woodpeckers have...

So a rather nice Easter weekend treat... even if I was taking photos through the double-glazed kitchen window.... a today, a female has also been seen closer to the house than normally... spotted by Pauline that one....
other bird news, we think we must have robins this year... there are two still around and seem happy in each other's company... so probably a pair.
This year's dominant male Black Redstart is one of last years brood and still looks like a juvenile/female but with a noticeably darker face.
The male Stonechat is not impressed and keeps chasing him!!

A Loud Report [part the second]... into the Brenne...

Sunday the 24th of March was not unusual...
it dawned grey...
and stayed that way all day!!

But, despite the cold, we had a good day out in the Brenne...
Our first call was Étang Purais...
we were hoping to see waders on the mud...
there was no mud!

Look twice... the only way is up!

Notices last year said that it was going to be emptied at the end of 2012 [which it was] and left to "air" for 2013...
a change of mind... all this winter's rain... who knows... anyway, it was full.
but there were Black-necked Grebe [Podiceps nigricolis] Grèbe à cou noir galore...

Coot [Fulica atra] Foulque macroule aplenty...

Fight or flight?

plus ducks, lots of Great Crested Grebes [Podiceps cristatus] Grèbe huppé and a solitary swan.

The Black-necked Grebe display below, I've only ever seen once before...
it is similar to the Great Crested's display...
head wagging, that synchronised swim and the perfectly timed dive...
but not as vigorous on the waggling... more like mirrored preening...
and while we were there... it would appear, no weed presentation.

The displaying couple did have a problem, however...
a problem many parents have... there was a juvenile present...
and it didn't seem to know when it wasn't wanted!

Are you still here?

Now... where did he go?

Will you PLEASE just... leave us alone!!

We mean it... go away... now!!!

Move, go on... move... or you'll feel my beak!!

He's gone, eventually... oh no... now who's this?!

At last... we can start...
headwag, headwag...
get ready to paddle...
one, two, three and we're away...
"Do you come here often?"

No! Étang Purais was very good...
notably warmer outside the hide than in...
just not as expected...
but still a lot of fun!!

We went on, via the Maison du Parc to warm up and get up to date leaflets, if possible...
it was still March...
followed by a brief stop over at Mer Rouge...
where, apart from the Chocolate-headed Land Gulls [Larus cocoaheadus] Mouette voixtrésfort...
there was nothing... not even a Great Crested Grebe... but I did find a key to the identification of Blackthorn species...

That elusive Blackthorn identification key....

We aimed for Ronnae [Rosnay... they drop the S] and the Étangs Foucault...
there were two cars in "le parking"... one British... t'other from 92...
The UK couple were leaving as we walked down...
and the French couple wanted help with a bird identification as we entered...
"Il y a un rapace... vous connais les rapaces?"
"Oui!" We could help there...
"Milan Noir" I said looking through his "long-vue"...
Black Kite [Milvus migrans] Milan noir...
I thought I'd briefly seen a harrier turn in flight over the hide as we approached...
but it was more than likely the kite that I could see down his 'scope...
there were in fact, four...
all in and over the woods directly opposite the hide...
occasionally one would glide across to us...
and then back...
Thanks to timely observation and warning from Pauline, I managed this shot...

Black Kite

just before it went above our heads again.
There were also Shoveller, Tufted Duck and Teal present...
along with Coot and Great Crested Grebes... the usual suspects.

There have been changes at Foucault...
at long last, they've done some scrub bashing along the ridge between the main lake and the ones on the left....
a great improvement in the view from the hide...
and the slots that were cut in the "brand"...
woven tree heather fencing...
as you approached the hide...
have been replaced...
by a very nice, wooden bay...
with an assortment of slots at different heights.
Wonderful for a quick scan across the right-hand side of the main lake.

From there to the Maison de la Nature at the Cherine reserve...

Jays must have had a very good year, last year...
we've had loads here all winter...
and on this part of the journey there were loads...
Jays everywhere!

The Maison does coffee!! One Euro...
we wouldn't have minded paying TEN!
Just to get some inner warmth!!
Never has a coffee been as welcome as that one...
reminded me of the "Cocoa" at the café at Cley next the Sea...
one of the few places twitchers and real birdwatchers mingled...
twitchers for access to the coin 'phone on the wall...
real birdwatchers for the list of what's where...
[like the one inside the door at both the Maisons in the Brenne]...
but together for the "Cocoa"...
Hot chocolate and cocoa mixed...
I've made it ever since... somehow richer than either...
or huge pint mugs of tea...
or if you needed sustenance...
sardines on toast...
Welsh Rarebit...
egg and bacon bap...
and...
for pudding...
her fabulous Spotted Dick and custard...
or the Jam Rolypoly..or the Black treacle & Ginger Sponge...
you had to mine through the thick custard to get at the pud!
Wonderful...
but I digress...
as per usual.

The "Nuit de la Chouette" stuff was pretty dire, to say the least....
some pellets, part "dissected", on a couple of benches...
seat benches that is...
we got there just after three... 
no posters...
no display...
no information...
no "animateur"...

it was meant to start at two-fifteen and continue 'til six!
Worse than the one day event at Benais...
much worse!

We looked at the books on the shelves...
and I noticed some CPN Cahiers Techniques...
and had a shufftie through them....
aha!... "Pelotes! Décortiquer et déterminer"...
found it...
and at only 6€...
that leaves 2€ towards the LPO badge...
can't be bad!!
I've always had a soft spot for Puffins...
the little clowns...
Avocets are nice....
but a bit like debutantes...
long legs...
posh clothes...
strange facial features...

We decided to go down to the hide at the Étang Cistude...
the long damp winter has certainly favoured the tree lichens...

Looking up at Lichens... mainly Staghorn and some Map...

Staghorn Lichen and Golden Shield Lichen [Xanthoria sp]...?

They were extremely lush... and covering everything...
I've only ever seen this sort of lichen growth in "carr" woodland at Swanage...
or in similar damp woodlands up in the West Highlands.

On our way to the Cistude hide we noticed a new bridge to the right...
which leads to a new viewpoint...
not a proper hide, this...
more of a bus shelter with a long bench, a bookshelf and a viewing slot.

Straight on for the main hide, turn right for the observation post...

You'll need binoculars to enter... and must hold your finger in front of your mouth.

This new viewpoint looks diagonally right, across towards the Heronry...
where there was a lot of pre-season activity...
but apart from that and a pair of Stonechats [Saxicola torquatus] Tarier pâtre...
there was nothing! Just mud and tussock sedge...
The Étang Cistude is currently drained... but not a wader in sight!!!

With no door, this new view point at the Étang Cistude has NO protection from the wind at all...
the "brand" seems to be set to funnel wind through...
it'll keep people moving through tho'...

We walked the few yards further to the main hide... still SFA!!

"Sous and then home?" "Yeah, why not?"

We went back to the car and drove to the Étang de la Sous...
Stopping, though, for our usual quick once-over of the Étang Monmélier en-route...
not a lot... probably all hiding in the reed!

The Sous, though, didn't disappoint...
wonderful views of Pochard [Aythya ferina] Fuligule milouin...

One Pochard...

Three pochard... more?

some more Chocolate-headed Land Gulls...

Leaning with the wind! Come closer...

That's better... but you're still no windbreak!!

and a pair of Black-necked Grebes...

Murfle..murflr.. murfle..murflr!
What d' you say? I can't hear you...
you've got your beak buried in your feathers!

I was saying... shall we get out of this wind!!?

along with the usual suspects....


One important thing we noticed on this trip, was that all the interpretation panels now have a braille surfaced map beneath them.

If you look at this  larger [click on it] you will see shadowy lines and dots... that's the braille.

I've been out with a blind "birdlistener"...
his term... 
it was an amazing experience...
name of bird, direction to look...  
and roughly how far ahead!!
The hide at the Étang Cistude actually has a braille surfaced species panel as well...

More Black-necked Grebes than we've ever seen at one time...
or on one day...
And the four Black Kites at Foucault...
But all the étangs that had water...
were full...
very full!
But...
for a "nitheringly" cold day, some nice views.

Moving times for the boidz....

The migration is in full swing.... first we had the Cranes [see the post for Feb 23rd].... but ever since we have noticed little and large bunches or lines of birds flying over.
And this is without actively looking out for them.

Some will be birds flying North'ish to get to their breeding grounds... I write "'ish" there because a lot of them.... some LBJs, some thrush-like, at least two groups of large waders and Tuesday morning a very large skein of geese.... have not been heading diagonally across and over us South to North.... rather WWSW to EENE, along the valley towards Petit Pressigny. They might, therefore, be following the river as a navigational aid.... even with all the management work taking place, the actual course of the Aigronne will not have changed appreciably in our lifetimes and those of our ancestors.... so, to a relatively short-lived bird, it is a fixed aid.

Part of the skein of Brents... click to enlarge... the inset then shows the white 'flash' at the back.

The geese, small, stocky and black with a white patch on the side, were Brent Geese [Branta bernicla] Bernache cravant... leaving the Bay of Biscay and the Marais Poitevin and heading inland before eventually swinging north towards Norway, Finland and Northern territories of Russia. The waders, probably Black-tailed Godwits [going on size], were possibly using a similar route....

And there have been more noticeable changes, too, around the house....

Vanishing... Robins... our winter ones probably sing with Breton or even Kentish accents. We don't seem to have Robins around here in the summer.

Arriving... Black Redstart and Stonechat... the males making themselves very obvious on the tops of walls and potager posts, White Wagtail wagging around, Warblers flycatching from bief side bushes...

Black Redstart [male]

White Wagtail male gathering nesting material...

We will probably notice later that Greenfinch and Goldfinch numbers have decreased as they move to their breeding territory and use the feeders less.

My feeder...FILL IT!!

OK...MY millet, then!

"Such ill-manners", said Mr Creosote...

And changes in attitude... birds that are normally feeding quietly are now getting more aggressive with each other... male Chaffinches, Sparrows and Tits spend a lot of time just chasing around... not just trying to get someone else off the feeder, but really trying to get them out of the tree.

Even the Moorhens have been becoming more territorial... chasing the juveniles away... especially the male, he's the worst. There is a difference between the sexes that is not in the books... the male Moorhen has a larger red plate above the bill... noticeable when they are together under the feeder... broader and slightly higher up the forehead than the female. There is, however, a difference... possibly only in the breeding season.... between the two sexes in the tail... the male cannot seem to be able to tuck the white outer feathers away... so, when viewed from the front, even if you can't distinguish the difference in the plate, the male is the one who goes around with the tail more erect with the white showing. Even one of the juveniles.... the one the resident male is most agressive toward... seems to be having difficulty with the white sides... probably another male on the way.

And Pauline mentioned to me that the Bluetits are busy at one of the holes in the barn wall....

And that afternoon [at 4:10PM]... we had a flight of Cranes over... they used a thermal from the big steel-clad sheds at Grandmont to gain more height.

Circling in the thermal

 They must have been quite tired... this lot were hardly 'grue'ing at all. The wind had been from the North East all day... the were coming from the South West.... headwind all the way.