chris pp

Green woodpeckers eat from the ground getting grubs, ants, ants eggs etc from the soil. Greater spotted, Middle spotted and Lesser spotted woodpeckers usually eat by getting grubs, eggs and larvae from under dead bark on trees but all three love suet, therefore fat balls. The old trick was to get some suet and squeeze it into a fissure in a tree trunk - try it and see. Chris

I've copied this directly from "another place" from yesterday. I think, in fact I'm sure, that I have written about this phenomenon before. It is not a "migration" where all the birds just get up and go from their summer breeding grounds and fly of to a single destination elsewhere. The "migration" is staggered and spreads itself over a large distance, some will stop in the north east of France, others will settle at certain places between there and Portugal. In addition there will be continual movements at any time from September until January. Here is a copy of the situation recorded over the last four days, for more detail go to. http://champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr/ 26/12 La migration continue : de nombreux vols sont observés dans les Landes, l'Allier, la Gironde, la Haute-Vienne, la Dordogne, la Nièvre, la Drôme, les Ardennes, en Belgique, au Luxembourg et en Hesse (2 357 grues en 29 vols) 25/12 Pas de trêve de Noël pour la migration. Le froid qui arrive pousse les grues à partir vers le sud. De nombreux mouvements sont signalés : dans l'Aube, la Charente, la Haute-Vienne (4 888 grues de 14h à 17h15 à Flavignac !), l'Indre, l'Yonne, la Gironde, la Dordogne, les Landes, les Hautes Pyrénées Des vols observés également en Belgique, au Luxembourg et en Hesse (2 012 grues en 22 vols) 24/12 Peu de mouvements : quelques grues signalées dans l'Yonne. 23/12 Plus de 5 000 grues sont présentes sur les lacs Aubois. Des passages signalés dans l'Yonne en fin de matinée et début d'après midi, le Loiret vers 14 h, le Cher de 15 h à 15 h 30, les Pyrénées-Atlantiques et la Gironde en débute de nuit. 22/12 13 897 grues sont comptées à Arjuzanx. 150 grues sont observées en migration en Haute-Vienne, plus de 200 en Charente, quelques dizaines dans l'Allier. Chris

It France it's almost totally Serotine bats that carry rabies and they are very dark in colour, almost black. The subject is always part of the annual bat conference in France and really is to be considered of low risk and little concern. Although the recommendation is always to wear gloves, no one that I know does, but that's always the same isn't it? If you find that they are dead in the spring - let me know and I will see what I can do to have them analysed, but again it should be no cause for concern, bats as with all creatures die all the time from a variety of causes. As far as I know only two humans have died from bat rabies in Europe in about forty years and one of them was a "handler". Can you say roughly what size the bats are John? Chris

Nope, not that. What do you know about Michael? Chris

All good stuff Craig.[:D] A note of caution to John - bats will frequently remain hooked in place when dead but please don't touch them to find out, just leave them be. Although this is not guaranteed to happen, pipistrelles will often come out to hunt a few moths both before and after dusk on milder winter days. Chris

Look at the avatars and figure it out.[;-)] Chris

Cheeky.[:D] Chris

It's not at all unusual for common pipistrelle to remain in the same place for all the year, in fact they are well known for it. Grey and Brown Long eared bats are much the same so there should be no cause for concern. Only about 15 of the 29 bat species in France will use underground cavities to over winter in France the others use houses and hollow trees. Chris

[quote user="LyndaandRichard"] I understand they are very shy birds (the jay) and tend not to venture out of wooded areas much. R. [/quote] Not in France where they are generally more common. Common to the point where in this region we are almost falling over them.   Wooded areas - Yes. Shy -No Chris  

I'm right with you there Craig.[:D] I initially thought Brambling but more likely mixed finches. Brambling tend towards forming their own groups, frequently in poplars near rivers for winter. They also seem to follow rivers quite often and can be seen flying along them in groups. Have you noticed that? Chris  

See this link for more on "netting skylarks". http://bouchiret.free.fr/pages/Alouette.html Chris  

Vis a vis the Skylark in France, perhaps this will shed some light on how they are hunted, this is called 'Chasse traditionale" to get round EU regulations. Les préparatifs de la chasse Ma pantière ou chasse à l'alouette est composée de deux pantes de 20 m sur 2,50 m et d'une cabane à laquelle j'ai ajouté une « salle à manger » extérieure pour recevoir des invités. J'ai scellé les ressorts dans des blocs de ciment et je dois entretenir la cabane et travailler le sol. Une journée de chasse. Je chasse du début du mois d'octobre à la mi-novembre. Dans la saison de la chasse, j'ai droit à un quota de 220 alouettes. Un peu avant le lever du jour, je tends les filets que je vérifie minutieusement. Je ratisse le sol. Je prends les appeaux dans leur cage, je leur mets le corset que j'attache au bout du balancier avec un émerillon. Je rejoins le poste de guet et je vérifie mes sifflets. La brume se lève le soleil apparaît, une bonne journée de chasse s'annonce. L'oreille tendue, j'entends les premières alouettes. Je commence à siffler mais je ne vois rien. Avec le vent de nord, elles passent très haut dans le ciel, dans la brume restante. Au bout d'un moment, j'en entends à nouveau. J'aperçois le vol très haut dans le ciel. Je siffle, elles descendent. Je « sémère », c'est-à-dire je tire sur les ficelles pour actionner les appeaux. Le vol s'approche, tourne au-dessus du sol, quelques alouettes se posent. Je ferme les deux pantes, cinq oiseaux restent prisonniers sous le filet. Je les délivre de leur piège. Deux vont devenir appeaux à la place des anciens à qui je rends la liberté. Les trois autres sont enfermés dans une cage, ils iront dans ma volière. Je retends les filets, je ramasse les plumes et je rejoins mon poste de guet. Durant toute la matinée, les vols se suivent. Je réussis à attraper dix-huit autres oiseaux jusqu'à midi. Je suis content de ma chasse : demain, nous ferons une belle brochette. Pour aujourd'hui, la chasse est terminée, le temps va changer, des nuages arrivent à l'horizon. Il n'y aura pas de passage cet après-midi. En effet, durant tout le repas pris à la chasse, je n'entends plus aucun oiseau. Seuls passent des vols de palombes qui fuient la perturbation météorologique annoncée. Je récupère les appeaux que je remets dans leur cage. Je ratisse le sol et je referme les filets en espérant que demain soit une bonne journée de chasse.   Chris

The decline continues.. http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2008/12/monitoring.html Chris

I've edited my post as I realised that it was a bit unclear. The list of birds was for our land and not for the Vienne, that would have been a much larger list. Association Planete Passion. Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux. Chris      

There is no shortage of birds in the Vienne and although there have been declines, sometimes severe declines, with certain species there are other species which have increased in numbers. It must be said that there are more losers than winners and it is mainly the result of modern agricultural practises and habitat loss and this continues. So, whether you actually see the birds or not will depend on when you are here Tegwini and how skilled you are at knowing where to look. Here at APP we have masses of birds on the land and some 32 species that nest, please feel free to visit on Sundays. (Sundays are open days for visitors) or just get in touch. In addition to APP I'm a local rep. for the LPO in south Vienne. Here is a list of birds that are present here at APP or flying over at one time of the year or another, some are permanent. Greater spotted woodpecker, Lesser spotted woodpecker, Green woodpecker, Magpie, Jay, Crow, Raven, Collared dove, Woodpigeon; Turtle dove, Golden oriole, Hoopoe, Hen harrier, Montague’s harrier, Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Goshawk, Sparrow hawk, Short toed tree creeper, Great tit, Blue tit, Coal tit, Long tailed tit, Robin, Chiff chaff, Melodious warbler, Black cap, Wren, Mistle thrush, Song thrush, Blackbird, Starling, Chaffinch, Green finch, Gold finch, Meadow pipit, Tree pipit, Quail, Black redstart, Little owl, Barn owl, Tawny owl, Spotted flycatcher, Fire crest, Nightingale, House sparrow, Dunnock, Haw finch, Cuckoo, Nightjar, Cranes, White stork, Grey heron, Coot, Grasshopper warbler; Swallow, House martin, Black kite, Cirl bunting, Stonechat, Fieldfare, Siskin, Brambling, Nuthatch, Short toed eagle.   Chris

Can I draw your attention to this please? http://planetepassion.com/dangerous_bird_feeder.htm Thanks, Chris

Is that Mervent forest near to Fontenay le compte? and is that a definate identification? Chris

It may have been this. http://planetepassion.com/genet.genetta.genetta.htm Chris

European Shag. http://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/cormoran.huppe.html ("Population Ecology: A Unified Study of Animals and Plants.", Michael Begon & Martin Mortimer - do you remember that?!) Not a work that I've ever had the pleasure of and I'm not likely to now that I've seen the price.[:(] anyway, any books that I do splash out on these days are French. Good to have you on board Craig, please keep posting.[:D] Chris

Wonderful.[:D] Chris

""Starlings are what is known as 'partial migrants', meaning that the resident population is increased at a certain times of the year by birds migrating from elsewhere."" That could be one way of describing the situation but I don't think that it really tells the whole story.[;-)] Partial migration is normally, (as far as I understand it), defined as.... "A bird, (or other species), where some individuals remain as resident where they are, but others migrate over varying distances" Cranes and Hen Harriers are other good examples, although in the case of Cranes it would only involve small numbers that remain in situ, the others have what I would describe as a "staggered partial migration" What do you reckon? Back later, have a trip organised for this afternoon. Chris  

http://www.aquitaine.ecologie.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_article=142 or this may be more interesting. http://lpoaquitaine.org/IMG/pdf/Grues_2009.pdf Chris

[IMG]http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q73/unautremonde/Cranes-identification.jpg[/IMG] Chris

""shotguns are used for small game."" Shotguns can be and are used for all game, it's a question of what you put in it. Chris

They can and often do fly all night, but you probably aren't aware of the fact that there is a large area just to the south of Bordeaux where they congregate, many will spend the winter there, so it is more than likely that many, if not all of the cranes that you saw will have touched down either there or a bit further south in Aquitaine. (Oh, and I'm sure that it was Cranes that you saw.[:D]) Chris