auxadrets Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Hi,We live in the east of the Var, almost in the Alpes Maritimes. Every September we see flocks of birds migrating in a south-westerly direction. They fly throughout the day, several dozen at a time, calling to each other non-stop. They are so high that it's difficult to identify them. They are probably the size of a jay, have wedge-shaped tails, longish bodies and curved wings a bit more angular than those of a swift. I know that's a bit vague, but I was hoping that a knowledgeable twitcher out there may have some suggestions. Thank you. Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 Most likely Kites - black variety is more likely than red. Milan Noir and Milan Royal in French http://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/milan.noir.htmlhttp://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/milan.royal.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneySuckleDreams Posted September 6, 2011 Share Posted September 6, 2011 bee eater perhaps? they fly high and constantly talk to each other. about the size of a Jay (ish) as well. Kite would be rather a lot bigger. My mate has just been in the Pyrenees at the col de soulor. in one day 10,000 Honey buzzards, 4000 kites, 16 ospreys, egyptian vultures. Twitchers paradise!Guepier d'europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 I agee about the size a kite is way bigger, but flying high in the sky usually means there is no real reference point to judge the size of a bird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxadrets Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 Thank you both. I haven't seen a single one today. I've had another look in my Barthel and Dougalis European Bird Guide and I too had wondered about Bee-eaters. The in-flight illustration is a good match for what I've been seeing. The Kite doesn't have enough matching points. Now all I have to do is wait for them to fly the other way in the Spring! Thanks again.Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoneySuckleDreams Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 it would be interesting to know what you were hearing. Bee Eaters are very distinctive when they are flying in a flock. If you go to the following link and listen to the 2nd song down it would give you a pretty good idea if it was a flock of Bee Eaters you saw.http://www.wildechoes.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=107:bee-eater&catid=57:meropidae-bee-eaters&Itemid=87and this site has a load of informationhttp://www.xeno-canto.org/europe/XCspeciesprofiles.php?species_nr2=5990.00&pagenumber=&order=taxonomy&view=3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxadrets Posted September 8, 2011 Author Share Posted September 8, 2011 Thank you. Brilliant! On the first website the photo of the bee-eater in flight is exactly the profile I am seeing and the second song is spot on. A small flock flew over this morning, much lower, making it easier to see their silhouette. On the second Website the first sound track (Spain) is what I'm hearing. Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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