LPO (UK) News
LPO (UK) News
This page comprises news items about the LPO and bird conservation in France, compiled by Ken Hall. I update it as and when I have news to report and time to compile it. For more details about the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, its activities and publications, please see http://www.kjhall.org.uk/lpo.htm where there are also links to other sites, and my contact details for more information.
As winter slips into spring, it's easy to forget that annual subscriptions are due at the start of the year. So if you have not yet renewed your subscription to the LPO, please dust off the credit card and get in touch. Existing members should have received a reminder from Rochefort, and can pay direct to them. In case of any queries, or if you thinking of becoming a NEW MEMBER (and this is a good time to become one), please contact me asap. Contact details and subscription rates can be found on http://www.kjhall.org.uk/lpo.htm. Subscriptions to the LPO are on a calendar-year basis, but subscriptions to the publications can start at any time and run for a year from the first issue subscribed to. Either or both of the LPO's main publications, L'Oiseau magazine and Ornithos are well worth subscribing to. Details (in French) about the contents of recent issues can be found via the LPO's main website on http://www.lpo.fr. For 2008, most rates have remained unchanged from 2007, apart from Ornithos, where the LPO member rate is now 37 euros (previously 34) and the non-member rate is 42 euros (previously 39). The subscription rate has not changed for the past fours years, although the number of pages per annum has nearly doubled over that period, and is programmed to increase again in 2008, with nearly 80 pages per issue promised (the frequency remains at six times per year).
30 November 2007
This group, based at Gruissan on the Mediterranean coast in Languedoc-Roussillon is always the source of interesting information. Their latest newsletter draws attention to the migration camp they have at the Roc de Conilhac, not far from Gruissan itself. This is one of many sites spread across France where migration counts are carried out (see http://www.lpo.fr/migration for a listing), to monitor fluctuations in numbers passing through, and in many cases to ensure that the migrants are not molested. This autumn's count is drawing to a close, with the remarkable total of 430,000 migrants logged, of which 24,000 were birds of prey. The 18th September was a particularly notable date, with 17,500 raptors counted, not to mention 2014 White Storks, 90 Black Storks, 92 Rollers, 2400 Bee-eaters and near on 300,000 Swifts! I wish I'd been there. The group is also very active in protecting some of France's rarest breeding species, among which is the Egyptian Vulture, of which three pairs bred this year in the Aude département, raising two young to flying stage. But, encouragingly, six other, non-breeding, individuals were also noted, which at least is a good augury for the future. One of the main problems has been the lack of sufficient food resources in the area, but feeding stations are being set up to in part alleviate this. Among other bids of prey, the single pair of Bonelli's Eagles in the area raised one young successfully, whilst 14 pairs of Golden Eagles, one of the specialities of the Corbières, raised at least 11 young to flying stage. Another speciality of the area among smaller birds is the Lesser Grey Shrike, and although the sites occupied by this attractive bird seem to shift from year to year, at least numbers have remained stable since 2002. In 2007, 17 pairs were located in the Aude, of which 14 fledged a total of 42 young. Let's hope they continue to survive at this most westerly corner of their range. Other activities undertaken by members of the group included guarding the tern colonies from (mainly unintentional) disturbance at their nesting sites on the crowded Mediterranean beaches, and habitat restoration in the Corbières (see below).
An equally active group, based around Poitiers, also has some interesting results to declare. Little Bustards have one of their remaining centres of population in this area, with the arable fields north-west of Poitiers being particularly carefully studied, many of the local farmers participating in agri-environmental schemes with the bustards the key species. This year's census located 80–84 territorial males, and 19 family parties were seen at the end of the season. As usual, eggs and young were rescued from nests that would otherwise be destroyed, and taken to a special centre where they were raised to maturity and then released close to one or other of the post-breeding assemblies. Counts at these located up to 88 individuals ahead of their departure to their southern wintering grounds. During the same period, up to 1511 Stone Curlews were counted, this being another species that breeds in the area and forms pre-migratory assemblies. The same arable fields, but rather more extensively, are also important for another significant species group, the harriers. This year they did particularly well, the wet weather actually helping in that it delayed the harvest, and hence gave the young that little bit of extra time to escape the blades of the combines. Nevertheless, LPO volunteers were still kept busy locating as many nests as possible, moving them temporarily or marking their positions, a task they carry out year after year and which helps save a very significant proportion of the young. In all, 47 pairs of Montagu's Harriers and 52 pairs of Hen Harriers were located in the main study area, the former raising 115 young, the latter 140, productivity helped by the high numbers of small mammals, the main food source, present this year. At the end of the summer, the harriers tend to roost communally, and by counting the birds as they arrive and checking the wing tags with which many have been marked, valuable information can be gathered as to their survival and movements. A total of 331 individual harriers was the maximum count, both combining both species. Both harriers also breed in good numbers at the Moulière-Pinail reserve east of Poitiers, with 23 pairs of Montagu's and 10 pairs of Hen Harriers located in 2007, as opposed to 13 and 9 respectively in 2006. Once again productivity was good, with 65 young Monty's and 32 Hen's fledging from the site. The region is also important for one of the more northerly populations of Bee-eaters that nest along some of the rivers, the Gartempe being particularly significant. Numbers have continued to increase, with 67 pairs located in 2007 (56 in 2006), spread across 17 sites conatining between one and twelve pairs each. Other surveys in hand this year were of wintering waders and wildfowl, with 30,000 Lapwings and 3000 Golden Plovers particularly notable, and of herons, 12 heronries containing 427 Grey Herons in all being located, whilst 44 pairs of Purple Herons were at just two sites, the latter particularly vulnerable to the destruction of their reedbed habitat. And all this is not to mention the fact that the group is now into the third year of a comprehensive atlas of breeding birds for the whole département. Grey-headed Woodpecker and Tawny Pipit have been just two of the more unusual species located so far, and the final results are awaited with great interest.
21 October 2007
During the past year lurid press reports in France have featured stories about Griffon Vultures attacking sheep and cattle, particularly in the Pyrenees. Hard reliable evidence of this behaviour is extremely difficult to come by, but this has not stopped journalists whipping up a storm of alarm among the public and the shepherds. One has to remember that for millions of years vultures have been carrion-eaters, and there is no reason why they should have suddenly changed evolutionary direction. Moreover, although they are undoubtedly large and impressive birds, they are not really equipped physically for killing a still-living animal. The theory that they have become active predators rather than scavengers is often linked to the idea that their food supplies are running short. Recent concerns, real or imaginary, about animal hygiene have led to the closure of some sites in Spain where dead livestock was previously dumped for the vultures to dispose of, and from a conservation point of view these closures are regrettable. Numbers of Griffon Vultures have certainly increased spectacularly in southern France and in Spain, following protection after years of persecution, but it is still probable that there could be twice as many before they started to run out of food, at least in the French Pyrenees. A study in one area here has estimated that the vultures consume 28,000 dead sheep per year, out of a total 'flock' of 700,000 present on the mountains. This they do at no charge to the tax-payer, and without the CO2 emissions that would be involved in sending lorries to collect the carcasses and incinerating the results. Not to mention the fact that the vultures have become a major tourist attraction in many areas, bringing significant income to the rural areas where they breed. Perceived food shortages are also cited as a factor in the recent appearance of Griffon Vultures, sometimes over 50 at a time, further north in Europe. But a study published in Ornithos (13-5, 2006) on the history of these movements indicates that they are probably just the re-establishment of a habit that was normal in the past, and which had only become unusual because of the decline in numbers during the 19th and 20th centuries. Now that the population, at least in Spain and France, has recovered, the traditional northerly movements in summer have restarted. It is likely that shortages of food in Spain may have accentuated the totals to a certain extent, but they are not the main reason for the appearance in Holland, Belgium, Germany and elsewhere of these wandering birds, at least some of which can be proved to have come from Italy, Croatia and central France. In all likelihood they will cross the Channel one of these summers, and no doubt the British press will be happy to invent horror stories about starving vultures coming to carry off small children. We have already seen migratory birds being blamed for the spread of bird flu, although scientific studies have shown that this is by far the least likely means of transmission. But if the average journalist thinks it makes a more exciting story, why worry about the facts?
The 11th report on rare breeding species in France has recently appeared in Ornithos 14-3 (2007) and, in a catching-up exercise, covers the two years 2005 and 2006. The report is in French, of course, but, as for all the items in the journal, there is a short English-language summary at the end of the article. So even if your French is not of the most fluent, you can get an overview of each article before taking the time to check through the full thing with a dictionary at your leisure. To give you a taster, the following is the summary for this particular article, containing much of interest and a good adjunct to its counterpart for the UK which appear in British Birds:
"This follow-up census of rare and endangered breeding birds in France is thanks to the consistency and competence of volunteers and it has resulted in the achievement of this 11th census concerning the breeding of 48 species in 2005 and 2006. It appears that the breeding of Pintail, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruff, Arctic Tern, Little and Baillon's Crake in France is now irregular and that the two small crakes seem threatened with extinction. Though numbers of nesting Lesser Spotted Eagle and Common Eider are small, the situation is positive for these species; the former has been nesting in France only since 2004 and Eider bred again for the first time after having disappeared in 2000 due to the Erika oil spill. Numbers of nesting Glossy Ibis in 2006 (14 pairs rearing 45 young in the Camargue) constitute a remarkable event but it is too early to have a definite idea of the population trend yet. On the other hand, data show a positive growth over the last ten years for the following 17 species: Greylag Goose, Ruddy Duck, Gannet, White Stork, Osprey, Black-shouldered Kite, Lammergeier, Black, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Lesser Kestrel, Collared Pratincole, Mediterranean Gull, Black-tailed Godwit, Gull-billed and Whiskered Terns, and Common Guillemot. Eight species have shown either a steady trend or no noticeable growth over the last decade: Manx Shearwater, Razorbill, Common Gull, Puffin, Sandwich Tern, Black Stork, Greater Flamingo and Bonelli's Eagle. Declining numbers in the breeding population of Roseate and Black Terns, Slender-billed Gull, Lesser Grey Shrike and Common Rosefinch are confirmed. The presence of Black-headed Bunting is confirmed, but breeding remains uncertain. Unfortunately, the situation of Corncrake is alarming, as the number of breeding pairs has constantly declined for the last ten years."
For more detail, you'll need to subscribe to the journal!
Film buffs will know that this heading denotes, above all, the International Ornithological Film Festival which takes place each year in this town in west-central France, not too far from Poitiers. The dates for the 23th event are 30 October to 4 November. About 40 films will be on show, and there are supporting events such as art exhibitions and excursions. The LPO will, as usual, be well represented, with a stand and staff on hand. For more details see www.menigoute-festival.org.
I've just received some new publicity about this bird reserve situated on the west coast of France, in the south-east corner of the Bassin d'Arcachon. I've spent many happy hours there – it really is one of the great bird reserves of France, in fact of Europe generally. The range of species to be found here is outstanding, Bluethroats, Spoonbills, White Storks, Cattle and Great White Egrets being just a few of the 263 species already recorded here. Some are resident, others are summer visitors, and almost anything can turn up on migration. If you are in that region, do set aside a day for a visit – the trails have been extended in recent years to enable a full circuit to be made. To get a taste of the area, they have an equally impressive website; not as good as the real thing, of course, but well worth a browse: http://parc-ornithologique-du-teich.com – it has both French and English viewing options.
10 May 2007
The latest newsletter from the LPO's Mission Rapaces concerning the restoration plan for the Egyptian Vulture reports on the 2005 and 2006 breeding seasons (see below for earlier reports). Although the trend for numbers of fledged young is upward, the pace is painfully slow. In 2005 a total of 80 pairs were located (64 in the Pyrenees, 16 in south-east France), fledging 54 young in all (41 and 13 respectively). The equivalent figures for 2006 were 81 pairs (63 and 18) raising 58 young (48 and 10). A wide range of individuals and groups are involved in these surveys (an estimate in the Pyrenees alone being 792 visits by 125 observers totalling 1978 hours in all, not including travelling time there and back!). In addition to the survey work, the organisers are involved in negotiating with the EU bureaucracy (successfully) to keep the necessary funding flowing and extending the areas under special protection (ZPS) to reduce disturbance to the breeding birds in areas often popular with other users of the countryside (ramblers, climbers, etc.). One of the key areas, the Gorges du Gardon in Languedoc-Roussillon, is used for training the helicopter rescue crews who provide essential services in these mountain districts, and long negotiations have been carried out to ensure that they avoid sensitive sites where the vultures (and Bonelli's Eagles) are nesting. Another problem the vultures face is lack of food, especially when they have young in the nest, and to help with this, artificial feeding sites (much appreciated by the crows, apparently!) have been established near the Alpilles. For more information concerning all this ongoing work on this attractive small vulture, check out the website http://percnoptere.lpo.fr.
Having recently revisited the Camargue, I was naturally interested to read about the work of Cyril Girard, an artist who is based in that area, and whose illustrations often feature the wildlife of the region. An article about him appears in the spring issue (No. 86) of L'Oiseau magazine, another in the regular 'Portrait' series of articles on artists specialising in natural history subjects. The article is well illustrated, including images of Flamingos, Glossy Ibis and Caspian Terns, and as ever is well worth reading – yet another reason to subscribe! He has contributed to several books and booklets on the wildlife of the area, some for the local LPO group (LPO-PACA), including on the Marais du Viguerat as well as the Camargue itself. Examples of his work can been seen on the website http://cyril.girard.dessin.naturaliste.chez-alice.fr, and we can expect to see more when the forthcoming book on The Greater Flamingo by Alan Johnson appears later this year, published by A&C Black/Christopher Helm, as he is the main illustrator for that.
8 May 2007
I felt a bit guilty for having neglected this site for a time, but I do have a few excuses. I spent some time compiling an article about spring bird migration in France, recently published in a magazine I didn't know much about before, called Birds Illustrated. It's edited by David Cromack, who was until recently editor of the magazine Birdwatching. If you want some ideas about migration hotspots to visit, back issues of the magazine are available via their website, www.birdsillustrated.com – the magazine is subscription only, and features plenty of material of particular interest to photographers and those interested in bird art. Also, tempted by the idea of seeing Wallcreepers and Alpine Accentors without having to scale a mountain, I organised a trip for my local Bristol Ornithological Club to the Camargue in February/March this year – I can highly recommend the experience. We duly saw the target birds, and much else besides. A couple of the participants wrote up the trip, downloadable as a PDF file here – perhaps it might whet your appetites. We were based at a small hotel just outside Arles, called the Auberge du Mas de la Fenière. It was ideal as far as we were concerned, and they were keen to receive more birding visitors, especially out of season. Another area new to me was the Marquenterre reserve at the mouth of the Somme, south of Calais. I'd had it recommended by several people, so managed a long weekend trip there last summer, again with the BOC. Despite being one of the less 'glamorous' parts of France, there was plenty to see, not just at Marquenterre but at other sites nearby as well. It was a bit late in the year (and very hot) so we didn't see as much as if we'd gone a bit earlier (you can't be everywhere in May!), but nevertheless it was a very worthwhile trip. For a few more details of where we stayed and the places we managed to fit in, have a look here. We were, apparently, the first birding broup to visit the hotel, but the owner was interested in this new market opportunity – and it can't be a bad thing for them to see that there's a financial return from bird protection.
7 May 2007
Although the presentation took place last year, I have up to now omitted to note here that the prestigious RSPB Medal, awarded annually for outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation, was awarded in 2006 to Michel Métais, the LPO's Director. The presentation took place at the RSPB's AGM in London, where Michel was accompanied by his wife and daughter (the latter currently resident in the UK). Michel's campaigns for environmentally-friendly farming, and the introduction agri-environmental measures to help the Corncrake and Little Bustard populations of France, came in for special mention, as well as the way he has fostered strong links with the RSPB and other non-French conservation organisations. Congratulations to him!
The name will be familiar to many wine-drinkers and holiday-makers alike, but this beautiful part of Languedoc-Roussillon is also an outstanding area for wildlife. In recognition of this, an EU-funded LIFE programme – Conservation de l'Avifaune patrimoniale des Corbières Orientales (LIFE Consavicor) – has been set up to manage conservation activities in the area, with the LPO-Aude group very closely involved. The key landscape features are the limestone mountains and gorges of the Corbières, enclosing typical Mediterranean cultivated valleys with vineyards and olives, hot and dry in summer, wet in autumn and winter, and often buffeted by strong winds. Sheep-rearing was a traditional activity, but as this has declined, the open ground has gradually been encroached on by trees and bushes to the detriment of some of the specialities for which the area is so important. Management plans are designed to reverse this trend, to maintain the area's suitability for open-country species such as Bonelli's Eagle, Ortolan and Red-billed Chough. Other special birds of the area include Eagle Owl, Montagu's Harrier, Short-toed and Golden Eagles, Peregrine, Dartford Warbler, Nightjar, Woodlark, Tawny Pipit and Thekla Lark. Note that the bulk of the French population of this last species, more associated with Spain, is found in this area. The LIFE programme aims to survey the populations and study the exact requirements of these and other key species, reduce the problems of disturbance and collisions with electricity cables that affect the birds of prey, and work with other land users to improve the habitat for wildlife generally. Involving the local population is of course vital, and an ambitious series of publications and exhibitions to this end is under way, including the website http://aude.lpo.fr/life-consavicor/accueil.htm which carries more details of progress so far.
Following the population crash in the 1960s, Peregrines have gradually returned to their coastal breeding sites over the past few decades, both in Britain and more lately in France. However, a new development has been the recent appearance of this fine raptor as a breeding bird in central London, where three young were raised at Battersea Power Station in 2001, with other pairs now established at the Millennium Dome, Tate Modern, Regents Park and the Old Bailey, using tall buildings as surrogate cliffs. Similar developments have started to occur in France, with successful breeding taking place at Strasbourg and Mulhouse in north-east France. This habit seems likely to spread, aided in several cities by the provision of artificial nestboxes by the LPO, with the active financial and logistic support of the authorities who are keen to see the falcons return, partially as a way to control excessive numbers of corvids and pigeons. The places concerned include Troyes, Vichy, La Rochelle, Lyon, Rouen, Belfort and Biarritz, with water towers, church towers, grain silos, a chateau and natural cliffs all being used as installation sites. Rock-climbers, firemen and even a helicopter have been pressed into service to help with placement and construction. For more information on Peregrine conservation more generally, and for access to webcam pictures of some of the nests, see http://pelerin.lpo.fr.
The results for the 2006 breeding season concerning Ospreys in France have now been collated. In the long-established population of Corsica, numbers have remained stable since the 1990s, with 31 territorial pairs in 2006, of which 22 successfully raised 54 young. Of these, 48 fledged to the wild, and six were captured as part of a reintroduction project on the coast of Tuscany, Italy, not far away to the east of the island. It may well be that in Corsica further increases are now limited by the lack of suitable nesting sites, so artificial nests have been placed at various spots away from the main centre of population, but so far none have been visited by Ospreys. On the French mainland, there were 20 pairs in the woodlands in the general Orléans area, of which 18 pairs raised 44 young. This is much the same as in 2005, after a long period of steady growth since this population started in the 1980s. However, good numbers of young birds have been raised over the past few years, and certainly several non-breeding pairs have been noted not far away. A slow increase in numbers is what has been experienced in other countries (e.g. Britain, Germany), with only a very slow expansion in range, most new nests being well within 200 km at most from where the young were born. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that there have been several sightings recently in south-west France, where birds on spring migration have lingered for long periods, and even indulged in a certain amount of display, so perhaps this will lead to something more concrete in the years to come. Of course, to breed successfully, Ospreys need to survive their migrations, and to find out more about this, a young bird from the Orléans area was fitted with a satellite tracker in 2006. The bird (named Tom) left the area on 20 August, taking seven days to reach the central Pyrenees, then turning west to the estuary of the Tagus in Portugal where it spent the winter, a total distance of 1830 km (see www.balbuzard-migration.fr for more details of this project).
16 December 2006
The sight and sound of migrating Common Cranes is one of the most outstanding wildlife spectacles that Europe has to offer, and France has a multiplicity of places where this can be experienced. As I write this, Cranes are on the move across France in their thousands, from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia to their traditional wintering sites in Extremadura in south-central Spain. But in recent years more and more birds have been staying north of the Pyrenees for the winter, with the maize fields near Arjuzanx and Captieux in Les Landes attracting up to 35,000 birds during the winter. They also winter in smaller, though still often impressive numbers – even a few Cranes make a wonderful sight – in several other places across France. Perhaps the most well-known is the Lac du Der in the Champagne region, holding tens of thousands during the spring (February/March) and autumn (October/November) migration periods, but still there can be well over 10,000 there in the winter. The area is easily accessible for a (long) weekend trip from the UK and, having been there several times, I can highly recommend the experience. For more information about the area, take the time to look at the LPO Champagne-Ardenne site (http://champagne-ardenne.lpo.fr/English/e_sommaire.htm), where (in English) there are details of the area, the best sites to watch from, other species you may see while in the area (including, of course, wintering White-tailed Eagles, plus many raptors and wildfowl), and places to stay while you are there. It also has links to other websites with details of where Cranes can be seen elsewhere in France, with up-to-date counts from several areas. There is even a game, again in English, aimed at children of all ages – Clara the Crane – where by answering a series of questions you can follow the migration of a newly hatched bird from nest to wintering grounds, and learn something about the species's behaviour at the same time. Great fun, and all in the characteristic cartoon style for which the French have such a penchant.
A recent newsletter from the LPO's Mission Rapaces has both good and bad news about the status of one of the rarest breeding raptors in France, the Bonelli's Eagle; in fact it is probably the most threatened bird-of-prey at the moment. The good news is that the number of pairs in 2005 went up from 27 to 29 (15 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 11 in Languedoc-Roussillon, 2 in Rhône-Alpes), and this total included a pair returning to a site in the Pyrénées-Orientales where they last bred in the early 1990s. The bad news is that productivity fell from 80% to 55%, with only 16 young fledging as opposed to 22 in the previous year. All the nest sites are watched on a regular basis, to ensure that disturbance, often unintentional, by other users of the rocky gorges and cliffs where the birds eyries are situated, is kept to a minimum. Another major problem is caused by power cables, where birds fly into them and are either injured or electrocuted. The LPO has built up its contacts with EDF to try to get the most dangerous stretches of cables neutralised to reduce this latter problem.
6 December 2006
The réserve naturelle des Sept-Îles is the LPO's oldest reserve, and the campaign to save its breeding seabirds, most notably the Puffins, led to that species being used as the LPO's emblem. In addition to the auks that still remain there – possibly more threatened these days by global warming – there is also a flourishing Gannet colony on the Île Rouzic, one part of the archipelago. The results of this year's census are encouraging, with 18,698 pairs counted, an increase of 1200 over the previous year. The birds are all crammed in at one end of the island, but there is still room for expansion as this picture of the colony shows.
Another LPO reserve, also popular with the public, is the Lilleau des Niges/Fiers d'Ars area at the western end of the Île de Ré on the Atlantic coast west of La Rochelle. This is an excellent area in which to see a wide range of breeding birds and passage migrants, the latter including many waders and seabirds. A comprehensive survey of the reserve this summer found the following birds breeding:
A roost count of 793 Little Egrets one September evening must have been a remarkable sight. One other notable event this summer concerns a Griffon Vulture, present from 11–14 June 2006 on the island, one of several sightings of this wanderer from the south seen in various parts of France. An analysis of the movements of Griffon Vultures appears in Ornithos 13-5 (2006), indicating that the period April to September is when this species has a marked tendency to wander northwards from its breeding colonies in southern France and Spain, with increasing numbers reported from the Low Countries and even as far as Finland and Latvia. It must be only a matter of time before one crosses the English Channel.
The 28th 'season' (mid July to mid November) of counts at the passes of Organbidexka, Lindux and Lizarrieta in the western Pyrenees has recently finished, and the OCL association which organises the scheme, and protects the migrants passing through, has recently published the results. Records have been broken for several species, and with nearly 43,000 raptors, 1,560,000 pigeons and 63,000 Cranes counted, the observers must have had some wonderful days in the field. It was the best year to date for Short-toed Eagle (173 birds at Organbidexka), Marsh Harrier (400 at the same site) and Sparrowhawk (502 also at Organbidexka). A slight increase in the numbers of Red Kites (2414 at Organbidexka, 5028 at all sites combined) was a hopeful sign, though these numbers are far from the 10,468 reported back in 1989. Among rarities, a Black-shouldered Kite, a Lanner, a Bonelli's Eagle and a Black Vulture must have brightened the day for some lucky watchers. Woodpigeon numbers were also much higher than in recent years (remember that these are the prime target of the shooters who infest the passes in October and November) with a remarkable 1,564,297 birds counted passing south to the plains of Extremadura for the winter, these birds coming from as far away as Russia to escape the cold. But back in the 1950s numbers were as much as four times higher than this! Other notable counts include over 1000 storks, split roughly equally between Blacks and Whites, and a record-breaking 63,331 Cranes, always the last to pass through. As ever, the shooters did not restrict themselves to legal quarry, and protected species seen to be targeted included Merlin, Kestrel, Cormorant, Griffon Vulture, Black Redstart and Chaffinch, all of which one would thought were easily distinguishable from a pigeon or a thrush. The OCL workers will be reporting any evidence to the authorities to see if legal action can be taken against the perpetrators.
A more complete listing of the counts (in French) can be found on the OCL site: http://www.organbidexka.org/result06.htm.
The most recent of the LPO's fund-raising campaigns comes under this heading, allowing a wide range of projects to be targeted. The appeal is on-going (so more donations are always welcome!), but an interim report on the results so far has recently appeared. The eight current targets are as follows:
Much has already been achieved, but more funds will help with future work, so please get in contact if any of the above particularly interests you.
Whether it is a sign of climate change or just of increased protection for birds of prey, it is good to be able to report on a further northerly expansion of the range of this spectacular reptile-eating bird of prey. Until recently the furthest north breeding birds were known to occur was in the Orléans area, but in June 2005 a pair was found nesting in the Forêt de Fontainbleau, in the Parisian Île-de-France region. They successfully fledged a single young bird, seemingly having no trouble in finding enough food locally, including several asp vipers. Short-toed Eagles are, of course, summer visitors, and the birds were last seen at the end of September, before heading south to their African wintering quarters. During the summer a third adult was seen in the area, so the possibility of a second pair cannot be discounted. The pair returned in 2006 and eggs were laid and hatched once again, but unfortunately the young were taken by an unknown predator when three weeks old, and the adults abandoned the attempt. Hopefully they will try again in future, although disturbance here is a potential problem, so close to major centres of population. The LPO is working with the local land managers to ensure that the sector they favour remains as tranquil as possible.
One of the things that makes L'Oiseau Magazine different from most of the others that drop through my letter box is that it often carries an article about artists who take natural history as their theme. A recent issue gave some space to the work of the sculptor Jean-Yves Schneider whose painted models of birds, some quite realistic but others very stylised, have been on display at the Île Grande reserve in Brittany, and also in the Lorraine area where he is based. In addition to this work he is also an active fieldworker on behalf of the LPO, being particularly interested in birds of prey such as Montagu's Harrier and Eagle Owl. More details of his work can be found on http://perso.orange.fr/coucoulespiafs/. Rather different, but also appearing in many LPO outlets, and featuring in the autumn issue of L'Oiseau Magazine, are the paintings of Alexis Nouailhat. Many of these are available in the form of postcards, and as well as being colourful and attractive, the images are also often very humorous. He has travelled widely, both in France and overseas, but has a particular affinity with mountain scenery, and is currently working on a project concerning the Alpine arc from the Mediterranean to Slovenia. Some examples of his work can be found on http://blemish.unimedia.fr/~natyscom/alexis_nouailhat/index.html.
It may be good news for those whose European lists are flagging, but it is disturbing to note that yet another bird has been added to the official French list, in Category C, the section reserved for naturalised species. The bird concerned this time is Fischer's Lovebird, a native of East Africa, which is now breeding freely in the Cap-Ferrat area near Nice, with perhaps 100 pairs present. The equally exotic Indian Silverbill is also present in the same region, so birders exploring the the area might be forgiven for thinking themselves in a zoo rather than on the Mediterranean coast of Europe. The same issue of Ornithos that carries this news also contains the annual report on rare breeding birds in France, among which the Ruddy Duck features. Despite control measures, the numbers of this North American introduction remain stable, with nearly 40 pairs breeding in 2004, and wintering numbers at the Lac de Grand-Lieu, the main site, were also level at around 190 individuals. Although difficult to prove, there are worries that it may interbreed with and overwhelm its native European equivalent, the White-headed Duck. The main west European population of this 'stiff-tail' duck currently breeds in Spain, but there is an ongoing programme in Corsica to reintroduce it to that island where it was last seen in the 1960s. More concrete evidence of adverse affects on native species comes with the Sacred Ibis yet another African species now established in France, which is starting to prey on some nesting birds and displace others from their colonies (see below for more on this topic).
It is good to report that this species still hangs on as breeding bird in Languedoc-Roussillon. A survey of the Basse Plaine de l'Aude, one of the main sites for this declining summer visitor, was carried out in 2006 by the LPO-Aude group, and 13 pairs were located, of which 10 pairs bred successfully, raising 19 young to fledging. For the moment it appears that this population has stabilised, albeit at a very low level, but continuing conservation effort and monitoring is essential if this attractive shrike is to remain as a breeding bird in France.
Although declining across most of France, and in fact the target of special conservation measures (as mentioned above), there is at least some encouraging news to report about Red Kites from Corsica, where the most recent population estimate, made in 2002, gives 208–277 pairs. In 1977 there were apparently fewer than 100 pairs, and although better survey methods will have accounted for some of the increase, there seems little doubt that the figures do reflect the reality of the situation. A significant reduction in persecution has played a significant role, as has the introduction of rabbits in several places, these being an important part of the birds' diet. In addition, the maintenance of tradition extensive stock-raising in the mountains is essential if the bird is to continue to flourish on the island.
It was good to meet so many existing members of the LPO at this year's British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water, and to welcome a good number of prospective members, some of whom signed on the dotted line and who should in due course be receiving their copies of L'Oiseau Magazine and/or Ornithos. If any of you are still wavering, we would be delighted to hear from you over the coming months. It was interesting to hear from several people that either had houses in France or were visiting friends and relatives who had property on the other side of the Channel. For them, particularly those with a real interest in natural history, a subscription to the LPO and its publications would make a very acceptable present. As I mentioned to several people, reading the magazines is an excellent way of improving one's grasp of the language, and becoming familiar with the names of at least the common bird species.
Those thinking of organising a visit to the Aveyron area of central France may well be interested in a series of guided visits being arranged by that area's branch of the LPO in conjunction with a local tour operator. The area is easily accessible by air at reasonable prices, as Ryanair are now flying from London Stansted to Rodez airport. Tours being offered include 4-day tours of the Grands Causses, including the Jonte gorges where Griffon and Black Vultures have so successfully been reintroduced, and a 4-day tour of the Aubrac plateau and Truyère gorges, home to Montagu's Harriers, Short-toed Eagles and other birds of prey. An 8-day tour is also offered combining both areas. Departures are scheduled for mid-May 2007, and all the tours will be accompanied by an English-speaking local ornithologist. At this time of year the flowers of the limestones plateaux are also a big attraction, and of course in the evenings there will be plenty of chance to sample the local food and wine. The tours would suit small groups of 4 to 8 people, perhaps from your local bird club. For more details I have leaflets available, or you can contact the tour operator direct: Fitour Receptif, 4 & 6 rue d'Aujou, Galerie St.-Thomas, BP 40063, 46102 Figeac Cedex, France. Tel: (0033) (0)5 65 34 88 75. E-mail: receptif@fitour-voyages.com. Website: www.fitour-receptif.com.
The initial results for the 2005 breeding season for the Ospreys breeding in France, primarily in the Centre region and Corsica once again show a small but steady increase. In addition, for the first time, a pair has nested successfully in the Ile-de-France area, raising three young. For those wishing to follow the migration of a bird carrying an Argos satellite transmitter, the first time that a French Osprey has been fitted with one of these, the website www.balbuzard-migration.fr is being updated regularly as to the bird's movements. Not surprisingly, at the moment it is still near the nest site, but should be starting on its travels soon. Of course, it is not necessary to be so high-tech to be able to track large birds such as Ospreys. From observation of colour rings, one bird, now 18 years old and originating from Scotland, has been seen at least 10 times over the years at Millac, in the Vienne area of central France, the latest sighting being this spring on 21 March, when presumably it was on its way back to Scotland.
A fully revised edition of this book has recently been published by A&C Black/Christopher Helm. Based on the French edition compiled by Philippe Dubois and published by Nathan for the LPO, this new edition covers 337 sites spread right across the whole country. Much improved and enlarged from the first edition, it now includes clear maps showing the location of every site, as well as details of how to navigate your way round each one and the species you might expect to see. For the 124 most important sites there are maps showing suggested routes for exploration, with accompanying text on what to look out for at each point along the way. The book, 400 pages in length, is priced at £16.99 – more details are available from the publisher (www.acblack.com).
One of the more outstanding sites mentioned in the above book is the Étang de Lindre, in the Lorraine region of north-east France. Well-known for its breeding birds (White Stork, Black-necked Grebe, reedbed warblers, etc.) as well as its wintering wildfowl and raptors, the lake is regularly drained in winter as part of its function as a source of fish, as well as for maintenance. The local LPO group has worked closely with the management authorities to monitor what effects this drainage has on the birds and other wildlife, with a special study being carried out during the 2004/2005 season. It appears that, if anything, the birds mostly benefited, with the bare mudflats proving very attractive to migrant waders, and the fresh growth of vegetation the following spring providing good cover for the nests of Yellow Wagtail, Quail and Spotted Crakes; breeding by Black-winged Stilt was also suspected. The numbers of Reed and Sedge Warblers and of Reed Buntings was thought to be especially high, and a colony of 21 pairs of Purple Herons was also located. Heavy work on the lakebed was restricted to the period when the breeding season had finished. A good example of conservation management in action.
There is no doubt that Peregrines catch and eat pigeons, and that brings them, and conservationists, into conflict with the pigeon-racing fraternity, in France as in the UK. A meeting held under the auspices of the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development in February 2006 brought together the two camps, 'colombophiles' and 'pèlerinologues', for an exchange of views, even if a meeting of minds was too much to be expected. There were the usual calls for a cull of raptors, together with ideas of how predation of the most valuable pigeons could be reduced. The same newsletter with these details also has a report from Gérard Grolleau, who has managed a rescue centre for injured birds for forty years. During this time many injured pigeons have been brought to him, some of which were ringed racing pigeons. In the early years he used to try to contact the pigeon-fanciers' national organisation, to say that he was holding a marked bird, but there was never any response, so after a time he didn't bother, and just let the birds go again, if and when they recovered from their injuries. On some occasions the ring carried the phone number of the owner, and so he was able to contact them direct. Invariably they would tell him to let it go as soon as it was OK – if it returns home, fine, if not, too bad. No-one, even if they lived locally, ever came to collect the bird – they just were not interested in birds which did not make it back. Gérard several times saw birds that he had released team up with the feral pigeons in the local town, and so clearly did not return to their owners, even when released. Although the number of missing birds taken by Peregrines is likely to be only a fraction of those that go missing in other ways, it seems that the raptors are the ones that will continue to get the blame for the whole lot, and any evidence to the contrary will be ignored, at least officially.
As of 1 June 2006, the use of lead shot in shotgun cartridges in France has become illegal, at least for use at wetland sites. This, at long last, brings France closer into line with other European countries such as the UK, The Netherlands, Denmark, etc., where such use has been banned for several years already, lead being replaced by less toxic alternatives such as stainless steel. The next stage will be to ban the use of lead shot entirely, as has already been done in many other places. Remember that lead is extremely poisonous, and a bird ingesting even just one pellet while feeding may well be fatally poisoned. And there are millions of pellets scattered across the marshes and wetlands of France from years of shooting. It will take a long time for these to disappear but at least it is good news that the source, in theory at least, should be drying up.
3 April 2006
A recent issue of Ornithos (2005, Vol. 12, No. 6) contains a summary of the results of the first census of White Storks wintering in France. This took place in mid-December 2004, when a total of 1029 individuals were located. This compares with a nesting population of 950 pairs, i.e. 1900 breeding adults. The distribution of the species in winter is largely similar to that of the breeding population, with just over 50% found in just two areas: Alsace in the north-east and the coastal department of Gironde, south-west of Bordeaux. Two exceptions concern, firstly, the department of Charente-Maritime, also on the west coast where only two individuals were found in winter although there is a significant breeding population (ca. 136 pairs), and secondly, the Mediterranean department of Hérault where 147 birds were found in a region where there are only five breeding pairs at present. As this is a species relatively easy to ring and whose rings are relatively easy to read, some quite useful information could be gathered concerning the movements of the wintering birds. It appears that about 30% of the population was sedentary and about 30% were migratory, with the movements of the remaining 40% uncertain. Only about 15% of the population would appear to have originated from captivity, the majority of these being in Alsace, and there was no obvious link between captive origin and the tendency to migrate or stay put. Among the migrants, two main 'routes' could be discerned, with birds from Alsace, Germany and Switzerland moving to the Dombes (east central France) and the Mediterranean, whilst birds from Belgium and The Netherlands were to be found along the Atlantic coast. The rise in numbers of White Storks wintering in France is clearly linked to the increased breeding population, and no doubt climate change must also be having some effect, but a significant factor is signalled by the fact that over 50% of the birds were found close to an active refuse site. As is the case in Spain, these sites provide an extremely important source of food in winter, and it will be interesting to see what happens when they start to close, as they are scheduled to do under current EU legislation. Further censuses, winter and summer, are planned on a regular basis to monitor the population.
A study of the Bee-eater population of their area carried out by the LPO-Vienne group has recently been published in their report, L'Outarde (No. 43). Although the bulk of the breeding range of this most attractive of summer visitors lies around the Mediterranean, there has been a steady increase in the number of colonies appearing further north. The first colony in the Vienne department was discovered in 1993, when 12 pairs were located by the River Gartempe (which lies between La Brenne and Poitiers). The banks of this river still hold the majority of the colonies of the area, although sand-pits and quarries provide alternative suitable habitat. Although over the years the numbers of birds has fluctuated quite widely, the overall trend has been upward, with a peak of 57 pairs located in 2005. Inevitably the nesting habitat in active quarries and sand-pits is affected by their commercial exploitation, although the LPO works closely with the various owners wherever possible to minimise the effects on the birds. The colonies along the various rivers are strongly associated with the proximity of cattle-grazed pastures close by, where the cattle come to the river to drink and help create bare banks into which the Bee-eaters can excavate their nesting burrows. As long as the meadows remain closely grazed then they will even dig their burrows in the ground out in the open, but colonies are often abandoned where the cattle are moved away and the sites become overgrown. To find out more about the birds and habitats of this area, see the website of the LPO-Vienne group (http://vienne.lpo.fr), which has recently gone on-line.
The Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne, in association with the LPO, produces a considerable amount of literature in English for visitors, including an annual newsletter. The latest one includes details of the 2005 season, where several species were affected by the fact that relatively little rain fell during the previous winter. Numbers of Bitterns were down, and some of the heron and egret colonies were abandoned. However, the colony within the Rosnay military base flourished, with good numbers of Little and Cattle Egrets and Night Herons breeding, along with a pair or two of Squacco Herons. Cattle Egrets, like the Bee-eaters mentioned above, only appeared in the area in the early 1990s, but are now widespread in La Brenne. The annual breeding census of Whiskered Terns and Black-necked Grebes, two of the key species of the area, resulted in the discovery of 918 pairs of the former, 152 of the latter, both species being easy to see from March through to early August. Among other summer visitors, Red-backed Shrikes are widespread and numerous, with a few Woodchat Shrikes also present, here at the northern edge of their range – a pair bred successfully near the Rosnay football pitch in 2005. Although most visitors come in the spring, an autumn exploration, particularly in September, can be rewarding, when passage birds include Osprey, Black Stork and many waders, particularly Greenshank, Green and Wood Sandpipers. For more information, it is possible to leave a message on (0033) (0)2 54 28 11 04, and Tony Williams, the resident English naturalist, will call back. Alternatively, have a look at the Parc's website (http://www.parc-naturel-brenne.fr) where there is plenty more detail for visitors, including the various training courses they run covering, not just birds, but flora, dragonflies, butterflies, bats, reptiles and amphibians as well.
21 January 2006
Among conservation issues that have featured high on the LPO's list of priorities over the past year, the following are worthy of particular note:
These are just a few of the activities in which the LPO has been active, and which can only happen thanks to the support and funding from its members – currently around 37,000 – both in France and elsewhere. Please do help to swell their numbers if you can.
Apparently the world's favourite pastime these days. But if you are in France, you could both benefit from a spot of retail therapy and also help conservation at the same time, by visiting one of the many Nature and Découvertes outlets spread throughout the country. These attractive shops – 61 in all – specialise in eco-friendly products for health and relaxation, outdoor clothing, natural history books, garden accessories, music, jewelry, educational materials for children etc., and the stores are a pleasure to browse in. But, more importantly, 10% of their annual net profits are placed into a charitable Foundation of the same name, which finances a wide range of projects related to nature conservation and/or environmental education. Over the past eleven years the Foundation has funded more than 600 such projects, large and small, to the tune of 4 million euros. The LPO has been a major beneficiary, with nearly 70 projects supported to date, including such things as the conservation of the African wintering quarters of Lesser Kestrels, studies in the wetland sites of the Champagne region, provision of nestboxes for Little Owls in southern France, protection of the shearwaters nesting on islands in the French Mediterranean, funding the 'birds and gardens' project, supporting migration studies in the Pyrenees and the Baie de Bourgneuf, and many others. Not only are the funds it donates useful in themselves, they often trigger the release of matching funds from the European Union or the French Government, and so become even more valuable that way. The October/December issue of L'Oiseau magazine carries an interview with the Director of the Foundation and on the web see www.natureetdecouvertes.com for more details of how to give the old credit card a bashing in a good cause.
When the LPO released 22 captive-reared Little Bustards into the arable fields of the Niort area in north-west France in September 2005, three of them were fitted with light-weight transmitters. These allow them to be tracked by satellite (if all goes well), a system that has been used successfully for many other larger birds such as raptors and storks. The birds were released into an area with an existing population of Little Bustards, and it appears that at least one of these released birds has successfully joined up with the wild ones on their normal migration south to the Iberian peninsula. This bird was located in the north of Spain (Castile/Leon) on 11 November, and then on 9 December was found further south in Portugal, in the Setubal area near Lisbon. Perhaps less satisfactory has been the discovery in December 2005 of a young or female Great Bustard at Saint-Viô, Baie d'Audierne, on the west coast of Brittany, followed in January 2006 by a female found dead (under electricity cables) in Champ-sur-Layon, Maine-et-Loire (south of Angers). Both of these birds came from the population released in 2004 on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, as part of the UK's Great Bustard reintroduction project. A third bird, probably also originating from the UK, was found in mid January 2006 at the Ampouillac gravel pits, Cintegabelle, Haute-Garonne, in the south-west of France (south of Toulouse). These birds have been raised from eggs of Russian provenance, and may have inherited the migratory patterns of birds from that region. It remains to be seen if they will be able to migrate back to the UK again when adult, assuming they can find suitable wintering habitat in Europe in the meantime. Note that the French captive-reared Little Bustards mostly originate from eggs collected in France, rescued from nests that would otherwise have been destroyed by normal agricultural activities; they are therefore more likely to inherit the migratory strategies of the population they are reinforcing.
As elsewhere in Europe, Peregrines suffered a severe decline in France in the years immediately following World War II, primarily due to the effects of pesticide poisoning. With the restrictions imposed from the 1960s onward, and with increased legal protection (and the enforcement of the law under the vigilant eye of the LPO and other conservation bodies), numbers have started to increase once again. They certainly do not yet occupy the whole of their historic range, being currently restricted to the south-eastern half of the country, south-east of a line from Metz to Biarritz, with scattered pairs along the Channel coast from the Belgian border to Brittany. The latest estimate of numbers is between 1100 and 1400 pairs, again well below the potential of a country the size of France. It is encouraging therefore to report a recent significant range expansion with a pair being discovered nesting in 2005 in the Île-de-France region, the one with Paris at its centre. With luck it is therefore only a matter of time before this fine bird returns to the capital itself, as has happened in major cities elsewhere in Europe. Nest-boxes have been put in place in strategic spots in readiness – Kestrels have been only too happy to use them in the meantime, so none of the effort expended has been wasted!
For those who have a particular interest in Red Kites and wish to follow the progress of the on-going plan for the species's conservation (see item below in February 2003 for the background), a new French-language website (http://milan-royal.lpo.fr) has been created. Up-to-date reports on the species status will be placed here on a regular basis.
It is good to be able to report, further to the item below, that the final results for 2004 continue to show a steady increase in the population of Lesser Kestrels breeding in southern France. Thanks are once again due to all those who have generously donated to the special appeal launched by the LPO – the funds are applied to protect the breeding sites and to ensure that the nesting cavities the birds use are as secure as they possibly can be. For the 2004 season, 114 pairs were located (98 on La Crau, 14 in Hérault, 2 in the Aude) raising a total of at least 227 young between them (192, 33+ and 2+ respectively). The increase on La Crau has several explanations. First, the high number of young (197) produced the previous year will have had an effect; secondly, the survival rate of the young was much higher than it had been in previous years; and thirdly there was an influx of young birds starting to breed at an earlier age than has been noted in the past. Ringing recoveries have indicated also a certain element of 'new blood' arriving from colonies in north-east Spain, both on La Crau and in the other two main sites. More recently, late summer 2005 has once again seen some impressive post-breeding assemblies of Lesser Kestrels in southern France, with nearly 1000 individuals noted in all. As before, colour-ringing indicates that the majority of these had moved north from Spanish Catalonia. The post-breeding dispersal of the birds nesting in France remains a mystery.
The establishment of the Sacred Ibis as a breeding species in France dates back to the 1970s, when free-flying birds from the zoo at Branféré, Morbihan (Brittany) moved outside the confines of the park, and from 1991 started breeding (at the Lac de Grand-Lieu). In a stable-door-bolting exercise, the Branféré park took care that no more birds could escape from 1997 onwards, but by then it was too late, as breeding colonies had become established up and down the coast in suitable wetlands, often but not exclusively mixed with other members of the heron family. There may now be as many as 450 breeding pairs, and winter roost counts indicate a total population of over 2500 individuals, scattered from the north of the Golfe du Morbihan south to the Île de Noirmoutier and beyond. But it does not stop with north-west France, as another breeding population is now growing along the Mediterranean coast, where birds from the 'African reserve' at Sigean (Aude) started breeding outside the park in the early 1990s, with at least 75 pairs noted at the nearby Étang de Bages in 2004, in a mixed colony of Cattle and Little Egrets. Birds have already been seen in the Camargue, and may even have started to breed here too. The species has duly been added to 'Category C' of the French list, and perhaps could be considered as an interesting and exotic addition to the biodiversity of the country. However, certainly in the Bages colonies, Sacred Ibises have been seen pillaging the nests of other herons, and it is a fact that since the arrival of the ibises, the numbers of Cattle and Little Egrets nesting here have steadily decreased, although in general elsewhere both species are doing well. Competition for nest-sites may be one reason for this, in addition to direct predation. Two papers in Ornithos 12-2 (2005) report these findings in more detail. Rather more chilling is the short note in the same issue, with photos of Sacred Ibises methodically working their way through a Sandwich Tern colony on the island of Noirmoutier, prodding the adults from their nests and devouring the eggs. By the end of one June day, not a single egg remained, although there had been nearly a hundred there in the morning, and the colony was deserted. A similar occurrence was reported in a Black Tern colony in the Brière marshes. No doubt when a 'wild' Sacred Ibis turns up in the UK, there will be people pleased to add it to their lists, but perhaps we should be starting to think long and hard about our attitudes to such introduced species, many of which seem to cause such havoc among native wildlife populations.
Just a reminder that the series of articles concerning 'points chauds' for the travelling birder continues to be published regularly in the journal Ornithos. Issue 12-4 (2005) contains a detailed article about the birds to be seen around this popular tourist 'hot spot' on the Normandy/Brittany coast, with its wealth of wintering waders, wildfowl, raptors and passerines. As ever the articles give lots of detail about the birds to be seen and the best spots for viewing. Yet another reason to subscribe to this fascinating publication.
The news items in the more 'popular' LPO magazine, L'Oiseau, also continue to entertain and inform. I liked the tale of the White Storks which chose to nest on the telegraph wires next to the Nantes-La Rochelle railway line. Up until 2004 there was no problem, but from then on communications started to to become intermittent, and as the lines were part of the safety system for the railway, obviously something had to be done. So, in the absence of the storks during the winter, the railway company consulted with the local LPO group as to what action to take. Rather than destroy the nest altogether it was agreed that it should be detached from its position on the wires, hoisted across the railway lines using a crane (!), and replaced on a circular platform (!!), at the top of a 6-metre pole, not far away but on the opposite side of the tracks from the telegraph wires. The whole operation cost 3000€, all paid for by the SNCF railway authorities. If you want to improve your French with a few translation exercises, these short items are an excellent way to do so in bite-sized pieces, before moving on to the equally enjoyable longer items in the rest of the magazine.
As I write this, the last of this year's Black Kites will be passing over the Col d'Organbidexka, in the western Pyrenees, with just the odd straggler still to come. A recent OCL newsletter summarises the autumn passage of this species, studied here for many years. It is usually the most numerous single species, with 18,847 counted in 2004. It is also one of the earliest migrants, with in addition one of the shortest spread of dates between the first and the last. By 26 July, about 10% of the total will have already passed through, 50% by 6 August and 90% by 19 August. Any kite seen after the end of August is much more likely to be a Red than a Black. One interesting fact that has arisen from these studies is that the average departure date has steadily moved forward over the past 20 years, by about 6 days overall. It may well be that this is another effect of global warming, and is one of the things that the OCL will be hoping to study further over the coming years.
According to the results of a survey carried out during the 2004/2005 hunting season by the LPO and the UFCS network of wildlife rehabilitation centres, protected species continue to be targeted by hunters across France. A total of 222 birds of 30 protected species were reported either wounded (87) or killed (135). And of course, these are only the ones reported, no doubt just the tip of an iceberg. Birds-of-prey, notably Buzzard, Kestrel and Sparrowhawk, bear the brunt of this pressure, but other species include Booted Eagle, Goshawk, Osprey, Red Kite and Honey Buzzard. The list also contains birds such as Great White Egret, Mute Swan and White Stork, which one would imagine even the most short-sighted of hunters would be able to identify correctly. The LPO and the UFCS have called on the hunting organisations to remind their members that no-one is above the law, that wildlife is a natural heritage of everyone, and everyone needs to work together to ensure its survival.
Of course, come the autumn and another hunting season has started. In fact in the Camargue the hunters decided to start it early, from 15 August, a fortnight ahead of elsewhere. As pointed out by the LPO, in protests to the government, where were the authorities on the day to ensure that the law was enforced? Nowhere to be seen. And of course the hunters are still using lead-shot cartridges, banned elsewhere in most of Europe for use in wetland areas where the risk of pollution is highest. The law banning the use of lead cartridges in France should have come into effect from this summer, but its implementation has been delayed by yet another year, as a sop to the powerful hunting lobby who do not seem to consider lead poisoning a particularly anti-social practice. The LPO continues to pressurise the authorities to take the wider view.
Menigoute 2005
The annual ornithological film festival takes place this year from 27 October to 1 November. For more details see www.menigoute-festival.org.
The results for the 2004 breeding season have recently been summarised, and show that in most parts of France where they occur, the vultures are doing quite well, both the reintroduced populations and the ones occurring 'naturally', although there is nowadays a large interchange between the two. The release programme for Black Vultures in the Grands Causses (Tarn and Jonte gorges) came to an end in 2004, with the arrival of the last four birds of a series of 53 individuals dating back to 1992. The current number of pairs is 13 or 14, with four young fledged (six in 2003), and the population is now judged to be self-sustaining. Elsewhere the first birds of a new release programme for this species were introduced to the Massif des Baronnies in 2004 and the Gorges du Verdon in 2005, two areas in the Provençal pre-Alps where Griffon Vultures have already been released. Concerning this latter species, counts in 2004 came up with a total of 428 breeding pairs (260 in the Pyrenees, 120 in the Grands Causses, 45 in the Baronnies, and 13 in the Gorges du Verdon). In all a total of 255 young were successfully fledged. Although not featuring as part of a reintroduction scheme, Egyptian Vultures can often be seen in the same areas as the previous two species, and in 2004 numbers showed a modest increase, encouraging after so many years of steady decline. In the Pyrenees, 65 pairs fledged 41 young while in south-east France 17 pairs produced 14 young. This is a species for which there has been a special fund-raising appeal recently, with 40,000 € donated to date, for which the LPO and everyone associated with this remarkable species is extremely grateful. One of the key tools for helping this species is the provision of food under controlled conditions, which has meant working with local livestock farmers and butchers to recycle carcasses in an environmentally-friendly manner so that the vultures can benefit as well. Finally, 40 pairs of Lammergeiers were located in 2004 – 24 in the Pyrenees, 10 in Corsica, and 6 in the Alps, the latter resulting from reintroduction programmes in several Alpine states. Twelve young were fledged, 10 of them in the Pyrenees, but once again no young were produced in Corsica and there are serious concerns about the long-term viability of this isolated population. Incidentally, the population on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees was estimated at 106 pairs, plus one in Andorra.
One topic that has received some discussion recently, and typical lurid headlines in the popular press, is whether the increasing numbers of Griffon Vultures in the Pyrenees are leading the species to change its habits and attack sheep instead of merely feeding off their remains. Local conservationists have set up working groups with the shepherds to establish what exactly is leading to these reports. A calculation based on the number of sheep and cattle in the mountains, and their estimated 'natural' mortality, indicates that the numbers of vultures could double again before there was any chance of them running out of nourishment. So there is no need for the birds to change their behaviour from that point of view. At least some 'attacks' have been seen to involve newly born lambs, where it seems that the vultures are particularly keen to feed on the placenta, and sometimes get very close to the mother and lamb to do so. But stories of vultures driving sheep over the cliffs seem to be the result of over-fevered journalistic imaginations.
Although globally not a massive cause of mortality for birds, collisions with overhead cables and electrocution can be significant hazards for some species, especially those with large wingspans such as raptors and storks. It is therefore good to report that the LPO has signed a formal agreement with the main French electricity companies to coordinate action to ameliorate problems that arise in this area. Some of the key items to be acted upon include mapping zones where adverse interactions with birds are likely to be highest; using electricity pylons/posts as sites for nestboxes (e.g. for Lesser Kestrels in particular); avoiding disturbance by maintenance work during the breeding season; and generally acting as an interface between the companies and conservationists in order to promote 'good practice' in future developments.
France, like Britain, is enjoying an exceptional influx of Waxwings this winter, the biggest for at least 40 years. In most winters, perhaps a dozen or so birds will wander from Scandinavia and Russia as far south and west as north-east France. However, this year well over 10,000 birds have been seen, and numbers may well be as high as 25,000, a truly exceptional influx. The main numbers are along the eastern borders of the country – Alsace, Vosges, Jura, Alpes du Nord, plateau du Vercors – but some have moved as far south as Nice, on the Mediterranean, searching for the berries that have presumably been in short supply in their normal winter quarters to the east. No doubt they will soon be making their way back north again, but in the meantime French birdwatchers, like their British counterparts, are making the most of this all too rare chance to catch up with this most attractive of winter visitors, the jaseur boréal.
According to an exhaustive survey carried out in 2004, the population of White Storks nesting in Alsace now stands at 370 pairs, producing more than 800 young. Considering that in 1975 the population had been reduced to a mere 12 pairs, this is a remarkable achievement by teams of conservationists who started by keeping a few birds in aviaries in order to stabilise the decline, and then worked with local people to improve the habitat and safeguard the birds' natural nest sites so that more and more wild birds gathered around the original nucleus. Contrary to a widespread belief, the majority of White Storks nesting in the rest of France do not result from reintroduction schemes such as this; although the work of the LPO and other conservation bodies has been vital – not least in active protection, habitat improvement and the erection of nesting platforms – they have mostly arrived 'under their own steam' as it were, from the expanding population in Iberia.
The hunting season draws to an end
The detail of the opening and closing dates for the hunting season in France is decided by the appropriate Minister, usually close to the legal deadline in spring and autumn. The LPO has expressed some satisfaction with the recently announced closure dates for spring 2005, where the hunting season for all waterfowl and waders officially closed as of 31 January. The season for thrushes and Blackbirds, plus Woodpigeon and Stock Dove, ran until 10 February, whilst the season for Woodcock (plus Quail and Turtle Dove!) ended on 20 February. Although the LPO would prefer a single closure date of 31 January for all species, there is no doubt that this is a big advance over the complicated system of staggered closure dates for a myriad of species that was the norm not so long ago. For once the annual time-consuming ritual of legal challenges can be avoided, and conservationists' time and resources spent more profitably.
La Brenne is a popular area with British visitors, especially those interested in natural history. Those who wish to 'push the envelope' a little further could well be interested in the various courses run by the Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne, based in the converted and renovated stables of the Château d'Azay-le-Ferron. The topics covered range from insects, reptiles & amphibians, flowers and butterflies, through to birds, but landscapes, painting and sculpture courses are also on offer. The LPO's 'Englishman-in-France', Tony Williams is running the ones on birds and butterflies, so those whose French language skills are less than perfect might well incline towards those. For more details see http://www.cpiebrenne.org or http://www.parc-naturel-brenne.fr.
Following the successful reintroduction of Griffon and Black Vultures into the southern Massif Central and Baronnies, the LPO is now involved in a similar project in the Parc naturel régional du Verdon, in Haute-Provence. Griffon Vultures used to live in this area, but the population died out around 100 years ago, mainly because of persecution. The habitat is still favourable to their breeding and feeding requirements, and their presence here would be another vital link in the chain of populations bewteen Iberia and the Balkans. It would also aid the spontaneous return of related species such as Egyptian and Black Vultures, as has happened elsewhere. The first releases took place in 1999, with 90 birds in total released between then and 2004 and the first chicks born in the Gorges du Verdon left the nest in 2002, a very encouraging success rate in such a short time. It is essential that local people are involved in the project, and see the economic benefits of the presence of these magnificent birds, particularly in promoting ecotourism in the area. So if you are in that part of France (north-east of Marseille, west of Nice) this year, the area is well worth a visit. Lectures, nature walks, group activities for schools, are all on offer. For more details see http://www.verdon.vautours.org.
Each year we wait to see what decision the French government has come up with as to the exact dates of the opening (and in due course, closing) of the hunting season for migratory birds. This year's decision has recently been announced: 28 August for the ducks, but 7 August for geese and waders. The LPO is reasonably satisfied with the former, especially as 'ducks' includes all species – in the past there have been staggered dates for different species and different sites, coastal and inland. But early August is still considered too soon for waders, especially considering the disturbance caused to other species still with dependent young. The LPO continues to press for the 1st September to be a single date for all huntable species. Personally I am always amazed to see men with guns wandering around the shoreline when nearby beaches are crowded with holidaymakers, and certainly I have heard unfavourable comments from members of the French general public taking their children for a stroll on the sands with shots ringing out close by.
Currently there are two areas of France with breeding populations of Egyptian Vultures: the Pyrenees and the south-east. Numbers in the former are reasonably stable with a small increase over the past few years. Monitoring in 2003 indicated 58 pairs, the majority in the western end of the range (Pays Basque, Béarn), of which 44 successfully raised a total of 48 fledged young, the highest number for many years. The population in the south-east of France (Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon, etc.) is much more fragile and has seen a 50% decrease over the past half-century. The LPO is the main coordinator for a Life-Nature scheme, funded by the EU, aimed at stabilising this latter population and helping re-establish former sites currently abandoned. In 2003 in this area, 40 Egyptian Vultures were located, of which 14 pairs attempted to breed, 11 of them raising just 15 young to fledging. Protection of breeding sites and the provision of extra sources of food are two major planks in the work being carried out by a wide range of conservation organisations and individuals. More details of the project can be found on http://percnoptere.lpo.fr.
The LPO is one of the prime movers in a scheme currently running (scheduled to last from 2002 to 2006) aimed at consolidating and boosting the remnant population of Lesser Kestrels breeding in the south of France. Initial results are very encouraging with more than 100 pairs reported this year. It is too early to say what the balance will be by the end of the season, but details for 2003 have recently been reported. The main site is La Crau, and here 63 pairs produced 196 fledglings, averaging just over three chicks per nesting pair. Control of the grazing regime close to the breeding colonies seems to have lead to an increase in the kestrels' favoured prey, the bush cricket Decticus albifrons, this being a major factor in the improved fledging success compared to previous years. Elsewhere, a newly discovered colony of 11 pairs in the Hérault produced at least 26 chicks, whilst a single pair was found in the Aude, installed in a nestbox erected for Rollers. A remarkable post-breeding concentration of up to 93 Lesser Kestrels was located on the Sault plateau, between 1500 and 2000 metres up in the eastern Pyrenees. The birds roosted at night in woodland and scattered bushes, feeding during the day on grasshoppers and crickets in the surrounding meadows. A few of the birds were seen to be ringed, one coming from La Crau while four others were thought to come from Spanish Catalonia, where there is another active ringing programme. For several years now, all the young on La Crau have been ringed, so the fact that the majority of these migrant birds were unringed probably points to their having come north over the Pyrenees, possibly as a result of the exceptional late summer heat of 2003. The birds moved on during the first two weeks of September, the last being seen on 19th. For up-to-date information on the conservation programme, see the website (http://crecerellette.lpo.fr) run by the LPO's Mission FIR.
Two species of shearwater breed in the French Mediterranean, and populations of both are in a fragile state. Consequently, EU funding has been made available, under the LIFE programme, for the LPO's Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur group (LPO-PACA), along with other conservation organisations, to see what can be done to improve the situation. Important colonies of both Cory's and Yelkouan Shearwaters are on a group of islands offshore from Hyères, with around 250 pairs of each species breeding here, this comprising perhaps 20% of the French population of the former and 90% of the latter. Like our own Manx Shearwaters (only recently 'split' from Yelkouan, of course), these seabirds are superb fliers but very awkward movers once on the ground. For this reason they only come ashore at night, and nest in the shelter of crevices and burrows to avoid avian predators such as the large gulls, Yellow-legged Gulls in this case. But the burrows provide no escape from rats and cats, and a major part of the work of the LPO will involve humane removal of these introduced predators – cats have been known to kill up to 300 shearwaters here in a single year! The islands are popular with tourists, and access to the areas where the birds nest needs to be carefully controlled. In addition, there are plans to install artificial nesting burrows, and also to carry out a study programme to find out more about the birds' movements and their feeding requirements. Storm Petrels and Shags also nest on the islands, and monitoring these species is another priority.
As in the UK, the breeding population of Ospreys in mainland France continues to increase. The total for 2003 was 22 pairs, raising 32 young to fledging stage. The equivalent figures for 2002 were 17 pairs raising 27 young. At present all the pairs are located in two départements: Loiret and Loir-et-Cher, in the Centre region, where numbers have more than doubled in five years. It is perhaps worth reminding ourselves that these birds all arrived here 'naturally' rather than as part of a reintroduction scheme, although a considerable amount of work is carried out each year to construct artificial platforms and dummy nests in suitable woodland where birds have been seen prospecting on spring migration. Of course, France is right on the migration route for thousands of Ospreys migrating between their main breeding grounds in northern Europe and their wintering quarters in Africa, and so are frequently seen in many parts of the country, although every occurrence is exciting for the observers concerned. In spring 2004 around 250 volunteers from a dozen conservation organisations spent the 4th April looking for migrant Ospreys along eight rivers – la Loire, l'Allier, la Gartempe, le Cher, la Clain, la Vienne, la Creuse and la Sioule – covering 960 km in all. They located 167 Ospreys, not a bad day's work. The most productive areas seemed to be the Allier near Nevers and Moulins (one every 3 km in places) and the Loire between Angers and Blois (one every 8 km). The other principal French breeding area for Ospreys is the island of Corsica, and in 2003 there were 30 pairs on territory, with 23 of them raising 56 young, a record number. The population in Corsica now seem to have stabilised, and it may be that all the suitable breeding sites (all on coastal cliffs) have now been re-occupied, a most satisfactory position to be able to report. For further information on Ospreys in France, see http://balbuzard.lpo.fr.
Just a note to remind those interested in natural history films that the 20th International Festival of Ornithological Films takes place from 27 October to 1 November, as ever at Menigoute (Deux-Sèvres). More details are available on their website (http://www.menigoute-festival.org).
There can be few species so sought-after as the Wallcreeper. Its mountain breeding sites are mostly difficult of access, and pairs are usually very thinly distributed – locating a small bird in such vast spaces is a time-consuming and often fruitless task. In fact, looking for them in winter is often a much better plan, when birds move out of the high mountains to cliffs and buildings at relatively low levels. For instance, Les Baux in the Alpilles region of southern France and the Aveyron gorges between Montauban and Albi can host several birds each winter and they are usually much easier to see in such places. According to the Inventaire des Oiseaux de France (Nathan, 2000) it appears that the Pyrenean population does not move very far into France – it is likely that these birds head for the Spanish foothills instead. The majority of the birds wintering in the French lowlands are thus likely to originate in the Alps. Every year a few birds move well north and west of their normal range, and 2003/2004 was notable for the appearance of one such bird in central Paris, often to be seen on the walls of the Panthéon, much to the delight of birders from far and near – up to 70 of an evening when the bird came in to roost (see Ornithos 11-2 for some photos of this bird). Other birds were seen on Angoulême town hall, Limoges cathedral, and the chateau at Chauvigny, which many people will have passed on their way to the popular region of La Brenne. Perhaps the strangest record was of one seen on migration at Cap-Ferrat on 4 November, skimming low over the dunes and out southwards (!) across the mouth of the Bassin d'Arcachon. This was icing on the cake for those taking part in this year's autumn migration watch (see below for counts from the previous autumn). We can but hope that maybe one of these days one will once again make it across the Channel to our shores.
Regular counts of waders and wildfowl take place across the whole of Europe every winter. Those in France are coordinated by the LPO on behalf of Wetlands International, and the results from one site, the Ile de Ré, have just been summarised. This west-coast island is extremely important as a refuge for both wintering species and migrants, and the LPO's reserve of Lilleau des Niges protects one of the more important parts – it is well worth a visit at any time of year. This year's January count produced impressive numbers of Brent Geese, with around 10,000 birds counted, a typical mid-winter count, although over 20,000 can be present during migration periods. Around 18,000 waders of various species were located, dominated by 8000 or so Dunlin, although numbers of this species are lower these days than they were a decade ago. On the other hand, numbers of wintering Black-tailed Godwits from Iceland have steadily increased of late, with 1800 individuals counted this year. Ducks numbers were relatively low (600 Teal, 130 Pintail, 70 Shoveler), probably because the winter was a mild one, and so these species mostly remained further north in Europe. On the other hand, the mild conditions would have been good news for the Spoonbills which spend the winter here – 20 birds were present the whole time.
Further to the item on Bittern conservation below, those who can read French may be interested to have a look at a new web site (http://www.lpo.fr/etudes/life_nature/life_butor/index.htm) dedicated to the ongoing study of this threatened species.
The Pointe de Grave at the mouth of the Gironde estuary on the west coast of France is perhaps the most impressive spring migration watchpoint in the country. Each year up to 250,000 birds of over 130 species are recorded during the mid-March to early June period (see also item under 9 January 2003, below, for its autumn equivalent, Cap-Ferret, further south along the same coast). Huge numbers of Swifts, hirundines, finches, larks and pipits make up the bulk of the numbers, but Black Kites, Turtle Doves, White Storks and Bee-eaters are among a whole range of other species to be expected. An annual migration camp is organised each year, and volunteers to take part in the counts for any length of period are most welcome. The coordinators are the LPO Aquitaine regional group (3 rue de Tauzia, 33800 Bordeaux; Tel: 0033 5 56 91 33 81).
Whilst on migration, the latest newsletter from Organbidexka Col Libre (OCL), which organises counts and protection of migrants at the western Pyrenean passes, gives a summary of the results from the 2003 season, mid July to mid November. As ever, Black Kites were the most numerous raptor, with 23,526 counted, followed (in time also) by Honey Buzzard at 12,368. Red Kite (5299), Marsh Harrier (552) and Sparrowhawk (588) headed a list of 19 other birds of prey identified during the counts. It's not just raptors – there are plenty of small birds as well – but the large ones like the 56,302 Cranes and 845,033 of various pigeon species (Woodpigeons mostly), all heading towards their Spanish wintering grounds, are difficult to ignore. The latter, of course, attract the attention of the shotgun fraternity whose identification skills, to put it no more strongly, give much cause for concern, as their autumn 'bag' of protected species in the south-west included a Spoonbill, a Cormorant, two Ring Ouzels, four Buzzards, three Kestrels, a Hen Harrier, a Red Kite and a Sparrowhawk. And these are only the ones noted by conservationists and reported to the police. On a happier note, it appears from an article summarising Osprey passage in the Pyrenees over the past 22 years that the general trend in numbers is upwards, athough the annual total for this broad-front migrant (219 this year) is relatively small.
Those who wish to further boost their West Palearctic lists will no doubt be delighted to know that the Red-billed Leiothrix Leiothrix lutea has recently been added to Category C of the French list (see Ornithos Vol. 10, No. 5). Those who worry about the apparently unstoppable ability of exotic species to escape from captivity and establish thriving feral populations, often to the detriment of native species, will be less enthusiastic. Apparently there are over 1000 birds in the foothills of the Pyrenees near Pau, with other populations in the Seine valley and the Forêt de Montmorency north of Paris, among other places. Also sometimes known in the cage-bird trade as Pekin Robin or Japanese Nightingale, this native of south-east Asia is actually a member of the Timaliidae, and has already established feral populations in such widely scattered places as the Hawaiian Islands and Japan. Studies are currently in hand in France to see what effect this small bird may have on other species with which it comes into competition.
Many of the historic buildings of France are dramatically floodlit at night, and although this provides a spectacular show for humans, it also has an effect on wildlife. A study reported in Ornithos Vol. 10, No. 5 showed that Peregrines in residence at the chateau at Belfort, in eastern France have taken to nocturnal hunting, apparently finding easy pickings among disorientated night migrants. Well after dark the falcons could be seen perched on various illuminated ledges, although usually they seemed to be taking care that their eyes were in the shadow, presumably to avoid being dazzled themselves. From time to time they took flight, often returning almost immediately with prey. An analysis of the remains showed that a wide range of species were being taken. The largest proportion, unsurprisingly, were of feral and other pigeons, these not necessarily being caught at night. But among 268 prey items identified, there were remains of 27 Quail, 14 Water Rails, 12 Woodcock and 10 Little Grebes, not necessarily among the target species one first associates with Peregrines. These species are all night-migrants, and it is possible that they were not only illuminated by the floodlights, but that they were actually drawn to them in the same way that other night-migrants are drawn to lighthouses along the coast and other brightly lit man-made objects such as tall buildings and bridges, often with fatal results due to collision with the structures themselves. It would not be surprising to find that this opportunistic behaviour occurs in other places. Certainly it might explain the finding of remains of Woodcock at the Peregrine eyrie in the Avon Gorge, close to where I live in Bristol, Woodcock being almost unknown as a breeding species in the area, although no doubt a reasonably common night migrant.
The LPO is very much a 'devolved' organisation, with active groups spread right across the country. Two of the larger ones have recently produced summaries that look back on their achievements over the past year. A milestone for the Champagne-Ardenne group has been to see its membership break the 1000 barrier in 2003. In 1991 they were only 275, so they have come a long way, though they rather wistfully look across the Channel, noting that the RSPB has more members than there are hunters in France, an interesting statistic. Among their many activities, the autumn period at the Lac du Der stands out, where in just a month and a half they welcomed around 5000 visitors to the shores of the lake, 500 to the nearby Ferme aux Grues, and took more than 250 people on guided walks in the general area. The migratory Cranes are the big attraction here of course, the peak number recorded this autumn being just over 34,000, though the total numbers moving through over the whole period will be much higher than this. The Vienne group is not far behind in terms of numbers with just over 800 members to date, and is equally active. They carried out surveys in the Moulière-Pinail area just north-east of Poitiers, locating 62 pairs of Dartford Warblers, 13 pairs of Montagu's Harriers and nine pairs of Hen Harriers. The harriers seemed to have produced good numbers of young here, unlike the ones breeding on the agricultural plains north-west of Poitiers where their main prey, small mammals, were at a low ebb this year. Bee-eaters had a good year, with 23 pairs located, and an Ortolan survey found 92 singing males, probably the most significant population in west central France for this declining bunting. The range of other activities undertaken is very impressive, ranging from rescuing injured birds, running constant-effort ringing sites, liaising with local farmers, identifying particularly dangerous (for large birds, that is ) electricity lines, through to publicising conservation issues to the wider public. But they have some fun as well, with a varied programme of field trips both locally and further afield.
Justice moves slowly everywhere, but it is good to report that it has eventually caught up with the three men recently found guilty of killing 23 egrets and 3 Grey Herons in August 2001, on the Brière marshes. One loses his driving licence for a year, they all have their hunting permits withdrawn for two years minimum, and the weapons they were using at the time confiscated. In addition they all had to pay damages to the LPO and the other conservation organisations who pursued the case. They could not be prosecuted for also having shot 82(!) Sacred Ibises, as although this species does not feature on the list of species that is allowed to be hunted, it is not formally protected either. At least the similar loophole that allowed Ortolans to be captured in south-west France was closed not so long ago. Despite all this the Parc naturel régional de Brière, just north of the Loire estuary, is well worth visiting – such occurrences are the exception rather than the rule – and the more visitors that go there, the more the locals will have an economic incentive to discourage similar acts in the future. There are plenty of herons and egrets to be seen, with Spoonbills also present, and other nearby sites such as the Guérande salt-pans hold plenty of wintering wildfowl and waders, with harriers, stilts and Bluethroats among a rich breeding population. For more details contact the Maison du Tourism de Brière, 38 rue de la Brière, 44410 La Chapelle-des-Marais (www.parc-naturel-briere.fr).
Within the LPO 'family' there exists a variety of specialised groups, and one of the more recent of these is dedicated to the study of the Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus). The French name for this bird is Circaète Jean-le-Blanc, and although the first part is clearly related to the scientific name, I have often wondered about who or what Jean-le-Blanc was. I therefore read an item in the group's latest newsletter about the bird's taxonomic history with some interest. The 18th century naturalist, Compte Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon described this species in some detail in his famous Histoire naturelle, but it appears that when he came to assigning the name (at that time just 'Jean-le-Blanc') he referred back to an earlier 16th century work by Belon. In this, 'Jean-le-Blanc' appears as the name given by country people to a bird they knew well as a common and widespread chicken thief, with conspicuous white feathering on its rump, underparts, underwing and tail. The female was described as much duller, and it was noted that the bird nested on the ground, in heathland habitat. Quite clearly (in the light of modern knowledge), the bird they were describing was one of the harriers, and it appears that Buffon, knowing that the Short-toed Eagle was extensively pale, but not being familiar with the live bird in nature, applied the name to the wrong species. And so it has remained to this day. It doesn't really matter – after all, we have learnt to live with Black-headed Gull, Dartford Warbler, Camberwell Beauty, .... and on the whole, trying to change such things usually seems to cause more problems than it solves.
Refuges LPO
With the intensification of agriculture, which has turned so much of the countryside into a wildlife desert, it has become recognised that gardens can and do play an extremely important role in maintaining suitable habitat for what were once widespread and common birds. The British have had a long record of feeding and protecting birds in their gardens, but it is good to report that this practice is becoming more and more widespread in France too. One measure of this is the growth of the network of 'Refuges LPO', where owners formally protect the birds in their gardens, displaying the fact by means of a panel prominently displayed, partially to encourage others in the neighbourhood to do the same. Participants also interchange experiences and advice with other members of the network. As in all conservation matters, there is strength in numbers, so it is good to report that whereas in 1997 there were 750 gardens in the scheme, by the end of 2003 there were 8050, with the numbers still growing. Not only do members agree to protect birds and wildlife within their refuge, they also improve the habitat by providing feeding stations, nestboxes, birdbaths, etc. and also by planting native trees and bushes to encourage the insects on which the birds often feed. Wherever possible, organic methods of cultivation are preferred. If the the garden is in an area where shooting is prevalent, every legal method is used to stop this in and around the refuge, with the LPO providing the necessary legal backup if this is needed. It is estimated that there are over a million hectares of garden in France, and 13 million amateur gardeners. Just imagine if all of those were Refuges LPO! If not, it will not be for want of the LPO's trying.
For more details about the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, its activities and publications, please see the LPO (UK) Home Page: http://www.kjhall.org.uk/lpo.htm.
