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. Any opinions and interpretations expressed should in general be taken as mine, and not officially those of the LPO itself. 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.

News items for 2009

9 June 2009

The LPO arrives in Burgundy

As of January this year, a new group has been added to the LPO 'family', this time based in the Burgundy area. Although perhaps more well-known for its wines, the area is also well worth a visit if you are interested in natural history. Those limestone slopes and cliffs that shelter the famous vineyards are home to a rich flora and a hundred or so species of butterfly. Among the birds to be seen in summer are Bonelli's Warbler and Nightjar, even a few of the southern specialities like Orphean and Subalpine Warblers, here at the very edge of their range. Among birds of prey, there are Peregrines on the cliffs, Montagu's Harrier on the plateaux and Short-toed Eagles hovering over the slopes, the latter looking for the snakes and lizards that make up its preferred diet. In winter arrive Hen Harriers and Short-eared Owls, while, if you are very lucky, you may spot a Wallcreeper searching for insects on the cliffs, escaping the rigours of its alpine summer haunts.

The new group, 'LPO Côte-d'Or' has been formed, with the agreement of its members, from the previous association 'Centre d'Etudes Ornithologiques de Bourgogne (CEOB)-Aile-Brisée'. The group already has 178 members, and they are looking to increase this considerably over the coming years, with all ages very welcome. Anyone needing further information, especially those wishing to join, should look at their website in the first instance.

9 June 2009

And in Rhône-Alpes as well

Also as of January this year, and in another area famous for its red wines, the Centre Ornithologique Rhône-Alpes (CORA) Drôme became LPO-Drôme, currently with more than 200 members. The association has been closely involved in the reintroduction of vultures to the Vercors national park, as well as publishing an atlas of the breeding birds of the département. With the Rhône valley lying on an important migration route, members take part in annual migration watches at Pierre-Aiguille, close to Crozes-Hermitage. The most numerous spring migrant here is the Black-headed Gull, with more than 20,000 counted, followed by around 10,000 Cormorants. Perhaps more expected as migrants are Black Kite (3000) Common Buzzard (1500) and White Stork (700). For more information about the activities of the group see http://www.corafaunesauvage.fr.

9 June 2009

LPO Vienne

This time not a new LPO group, in fact one of the more long-established ones, LPO Vienne is also one of the most active, and news of their activities has quite often featured here. I notice that they have recently revamped their website (http://vienne.lpo.fr), which anyone visiting or resident in the area might well want to look at. As well as presenting news about the activities of the group, it also allows observers to add their own records to a database of sightings. But perhaps of most interest to the casual visitor is the section on 'balades ornithologiques en Vienne', where there are details of a series (nearly 30 currently) of ornithological walks in the département. These very well presented itineraries have been appearing in the group's newsletter for several years now – I have managed to follow at least a few of them, so far without getting lost – and they have now been produced in PDF format, downloadable from the website. Well worth checking out. The group also publishes an impressive journal – L'Outarde – available at 4 euros. The most recent edition has several interesting articles on the avifauna of the area, including one on the first breeding record of Cattle Egret, which took place in 2008, and another on the behaviour of a Wallcreeper which spent the winter of 2007/2008 in Poitiers, particularly favouring the fine 12th century cathedral of Saint-Pierre.

6 April 2009

Pipits

The first issue of Ornithos for 2009 has recently appeared and contains an account of the first Buff-bellied Pipit for France. This was found at the migration hotspot of the Île d'Ouessant, off the Brittany coast, by Aurélien Audevard. The article is embellished by some of his stunning photos – you may have seen his work previously in Ornithos and Birding World among other publications. He found the bird on 26th September 2007, having noted that one had been seen the previous day on the Isles of Scilly – another example of how modern communications can help the today's rarity hunter. The bird, taxonomically split only fairly recently from Rock and Water Pipits, was thought to be of the North American race, the more likely option as compared to the Central Asian race, although the latter has also wandered to Europe in the past. The sighting fitted very neatly with what was an unprecedented influx of this vagrant to Britain and Ireland, where 12 different individuals were located, with two more seen in Iceland, the majority between mid September and late October.

The main item in this issue of Ornithos, however, is the annual report on rare migrants in France, covering the year 2006. Among these are two more pipits, both rare in the UK, slightly less so in France, for different reasons. In autumn, Red-throated Pipits are primarily seen in September and October along the north-west of France, with just four sightings in 2006, comparable to the situation in the UK. However, whereas in spring they are extremely unusual in Britain, they are regular passage migrants through south-east France, particularly along the Mediterranean litoral and northern Corsica. About 80 birds were seen in 2006, with up to 12 together. The passage is extremely concentrated – almost all between mid April and early May – and the Étang de Canet-en-Roussillon in the Pyrénées-Orientales seems to have been a particularly favoured spot to see them.

Again as in the UK, Richard's Pipit is a rare but regular autumn migrant through France, with the majority scatted along the north and west coasts from the Somme to the Gironde, 13 out of 28 being seen on Ouessant. In contrast to the UK, the species has now become a regular wintering bird, from late October to late March, when up to 24 individuals could be found at the Mas Chauvet on La Crau, the stony plain not far from the Camargue. Having seen them there myself, it's a bit of a mystery as to why exactly these grassy fields are so different from those elsewhere, but clearly in the eyes of a Richard's Pipit they must have something special about them, as the same site has been used for several years now.

The pipits are just two of a whole range of species covered by this report, which, as ever, makes fascinating reading, both in its own right, and by way of comparison with sightings in Britain.

22 March 2009

Marais de Rochefort

The Marais de Rochefort is one of a series of wetland habitats spread along the Atlantic coast of France, and lies just to the north-west of Rochefort, where the LPO has its headquarters. Together with sites such as the Marais Poitevin, Marais Breton and Loire Estuary to the north, and the Brouage and Gironde marshes to the south, it is a vital staging point for migrants on their way between northern Europe and Africa, as well as providing important breeding and wintering habitats for many wetland birds. Over the centuries, and more especially in the past fifty years, these wetland sites have been drained extensively to increase agricultural productivity, but at the expense of the wildlife that depends on an adequate supply of water throughout the year. In recognition of the environmental importance of these fragile habitats, and in particular those near Rochefort, the area has benefited from an EU-funded LIFE-Nature scheme, aimed at the preservation and restoration of the marshes, the programme being coordinated by the LPO and receiving funding, matched by another 50% from the French state and other local bodies, running from 2006 to 2010. The first report on progress so far has recently appeared.

At the Rochefort marshes, micro-habitats range from tidal mudflats at the coast itself, through former saltpans now converted to wet grazing, rather drier but still damp meadows also used for grazing, to drained marshes given over to arable crops. There are also reedbeds and strips of damp woodland alongside the larger drainage channels. All in all, a rich mosaic of habitats. Among key mammal species are Otters and European Mink, the latter at the northern edge of its remnant range in France, and work is currently concentrating on ways to reduce traffic mortality when these animals have to cross roads to get from one area to another. Among the birds, a wide range of herons breed here, including Little and Cattle Egrets, Purple, Grey and Night Herons. In addition, about 16 pairs of White Storks are easy to see, often nesting on specially erected platforms out in the fields. Nineteen pairs of Garganey and 34 pairs of Shoveler are significant populations within the national context. A couple of bird species are being particularly targeted, both emblematic of the west coast marshes. The first is the Black Tern, for which in 2006 only 158 pairs were found breeding in France as a whole. Within the Rochefort area, the Marais de Voutron and the Marais de Fouras hold about 15 pairs (2007 figures), and the LPO aims to increase this by controlling the water levels and providing nesting rafts at both sites, the rafts being a good way of dealing with at least some inevitable fluctuations in the water table. The other target species is Montagu's Harrier, which here still nests in the damp grassland, a rather more secure habitat than the usual cereal fields they choose elsewhere, with the risk of nests and young being destroyed during the harvest. The main management activity currently is aimed at stopping scrub and bushes encroaching too much on the open areas that this raptor prefers, with an annual cut-back taking place in the autumn once the birds have left on migration to Africa.

Finally, the significance of the area is being actively promoted to as wide a public as possible, but concentrating in the first instance on the local agricultural community, to encourage them to see what agri-environmental possibilities they might be able to incorporate into their own holdings on surrounding land. A website at http://maraisderochefort.lpo.fr contains more details of the project and the wider importance of the site.

22 March 2009

La Brenne

Just a brief note to remind you that an impressive range of educational courses on a variety of natural history related topics is once again being held in this popular area, and which might attract those with a reasonable command of French. See the relevant page on their website for more details. The website of the Natural Regional Park for La Brenne has plenty more information on what to do and see in this very wonderful area in Central France.

12 February 2009

LPO-Aude welcomes the English living in the region

Like most if not all of the LPO regional groups, the one in the Aude département produces its own regular newsletter for local members. But a recent innovation, aimed in the first instance at the many English-speaking incomers who have taken up residence in the area, is a supplement to the newsletter in English, summarising the main points in the French version. The most recent issue has items about creating a bird reserve in your own garden via the LPO Refuge scheme; answers to queries about why Robins are more in evidence in the winter in the region; and some background on one of the most emblematic species of the area – the Flamingo. There is a listing of some mouth-watering field-trips, an ideal way for newcomers to meet fellow enthusiasts and get to know the area. To find out more about the group and its activities, a good place to start is its website at http://aude.lpo.fr.

20 January 2009

Apologies

A Happy New Year to everyone! I've just noticed that there has been a glitch with the website, and an older version of this page has been displayed for some time. I'm not quite as far behind at all that! I''ll try to add a few more items shortly.

News items for 2008

7 December 2008

A great time to join the LPO and subscribe to its publications!

The turn of the year is an ideal time to join the LPO and to subscribe to either Ornithos or L'Oiseau Magazine or both. Details (in French) about the contents of recent issues of both publications can be found via the LPO's main website on http://www.lpo.fr. 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. If like me you are not the best organised person in the world, an ideal solution is to start everything in January, and get it all out of the way at one go. Contact details and subscription rates can be found on http://www.kjhall.org.uk/lpo.htm, where there are also links through to the LPO's main website. Existing members/subscribers will receive a reminder from Rochefort, and can pay direct to them. Note also that the rates for 2009 are unchanged from those of 2008.

7 December 2008

Rare birds in France

The latest issue of Ornithos (Vol. 15–5) contains the annual report of rarities seen in France, this time covering both 2006 and 2007. The two years saw four new species added to the national list, with Sooty Falcon, American Woodcock and Black-faced Bunting in 2006, plus Buff-bellied Pipit in 2007. The Brittany region, as ever, features quite strongly, as it is always a hot-spot for rarities, with the islands of Ouessant, Sein and Hoëdic attracting rare migrants both from Siberia and from across the Atlantic in both years.

The same issue also contains a recent report of another potential addition to the French list for 2008, also from Brittany, seen by an English visitor to his house in the Morbihan. Will Jackson, incidentally also a member of the LPO, spotted an unfamiliar bird feeding in the garden, along with the usual House Sparrows, during a visit in April, and amazingly enough it was still there when he returned in June, this time with his camera to hand. The bird is evidently a White-throated Sparrow, native to North America, with only a handful of records on this side of the Atlantic, and never before in France. One of Will's pictures can be seen here, and once the Comité d'Homologation National (CHN), the French equivalent of the British Birds Rarities Committee, have completed their deliberations as to the bird's likely route to north-west France, with luck the record will appear in next year's report.

7 December 2008

8th Nuit de la Chouette

Those in France on 14th March 2009, and with a particular interest in owls, might well want to check whether an excursion, lecture, film-show or exhibition associated with this event is taking place in their area. The basic idea is to make as many people as possible aware of, and to make contact with, the owls of France. The date has been chosen to be close to a night with a full moon, to maximise the chance of seeing, or at least hearing the calls of, whichever species can be located during an evening's guided walk. The event, which takes place every second year, is organised by the LPO in conjunction with the Féderation des Parcs naturels régionaux de France, the website of which will soon have full details of what and when things are happening.

2 November 2008

How much is a Turtle Dove worth?

The answer: 90 € each! This is the value that has been worked out by the Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (ONCFS), being the estimated cost of replacing one individual of this protected species. Accordingly, at a recent Bordeaux court of appeal, four shooters were fined 5,040 € when they were caught red-handed with 56 recently killed Turtle Doves (out of a bag of 130 birds in all) in the north Medoc area of the Gironde estuary in May 2004. Turtle Doves are, of course, fully protected during their spring migration, but the 'traditional' targeting of the species has taken a long time to suppress. Judgements like this can only help, and the LPO, to whom the amount was paid, has welcomed this method of calculating the fine, as opposed to the previous fixed penalty, often set rather arbitrarily.

1 November 2008

Red Kite migration

One of the reasons why the Red Kite population seems to be increasing in Britain, following the successful reintroduction projects throughout the country, is allied to the fact that our birds are in general fairly sedentary. In France and Germany, much of the population is migratory, moving south-west in winter, as far as northern and central Spain. Here they are in great danger of being poisoned, from baits primarily laid to kill foxes and rodents. There are many other reasons for the increase in the UK and the declines in France and Germany, of course, but the migratory habit is one behavioural trait which needs to be understood, to find out exactly where and when the birds are moving. To this end, several marking schemes are in hand, ranging from normal ringing activities, through wing-tagging, to satellite tracking.

The preliminary results of one of the latter schemes have recently been published, based on birds breeding in Switzerland. The scheme was initiated in 2001 by the Natural History Museum of Fribourg, with 11 individual Red Kites furnished with Argos transmitters. Of these, six wintered in Spain, three in France and one in Switzerland. Those that crossed the Pyrenees several times always seemed to take a different route for each journey. The first autumn migration started between 27 September and 9 October, and the birds took between seven and 27 days to complete their journeys. The second autumn migration started between 13 September and 25 October, and took between three and ten days, though not necessarily to the same place as the previous winter. The birds would spend between 12 and 29 weeks in their winter quarters and commenced their first return migration in spring between 9 March and 26 April. All the birds that survived their first winter returned to Switzerland for at least part of the following summer, although some also wandered to France and Germany. The start of the second spring migration was significantly earlier, between 8 February and 25 March, although none of the marked birds birds bred in that summer, i.e. at two years old. Of the 11 birds, one died shortly after release, three died in Spain or France for unknown reasons, one was found poisoned in France, and another was shot (illegally, of course) in France. However, one that survived to four years old then nested successfully 17 km from where it was born, and again the next year 2 km from the first nest site.

Although expensive to implement, these satellite tracking schemes are very successful in providing enormous amounts of information, and it is hoped that they can be continued and expanded across Europe. See http://www.fr.ch/mhn for more details of this project.

1 November 2008

Peregrines nesting on Albi cathedral

Peregrines first took up residence on the historic cathedral at Albi, in the Tarn département, in the winter of 1988–1989, and although urban nesting by Peregrines was (and still is) a rare event in France, local birdwatchers almost immediately persuaded the church and local authorities to install a nestbox on the building with the hope that a pair might stay to breed. The fact that Peregrines preyed on pigeons was a great help – if the birds would do for free what pest-control cost money to achieve then the local council was all in favour. However, it was not until 1994 that the first breeding attempt took place, though this failed due to restoration work being carried out that year, and in the end it was not until 2001 that a pair managed to successfully raise any young, three in fact. But since then they have bred successfully every year, raising 25 young to fledging to date. Although Peregrines nest elsewhere in the Midi-Pyrénées, using natural sites, this is the only known urban site anywhere in the region. Albi cathedral is, of course, a building of immense architectural and historic interest, attracting thousands of visitors each year, but the authorities were keen to add the Peregrines to the list of reasons to come to the area, and in 2007 agreed to the installation of remote-controlled cameras so that the public could observe the birds in close-up. The local LPO-Tarn group is very much involved with this exciting project, the culmination of many years work by their members. For more information about the LPO-Tarn, see their website http://tarn.lpo.fr where there are links to the city's own website (http://www.mairie-albi.fr/evenements/faucon.htm) where more information about the project and videos of the birds themselves can be found.

27 August 2008

Visible migration of Bitterns

Those with access to an extensive reedbed might might well be interested in the results recently published in the French journal Ornithos (Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 181–186 (2008)), concerning visible migration of Bitterns in the spring. As is well known, Bitterns are extremely difficult to observe for extended periods, spending most of their time hidden in the reeds, emerging briefly at dusk to move from one feeding area to another, the most common means of knowing that they are present being the sound of their territorial booming calls during the breeding season. Although those nesting in Britain are thought to be mainly sedentary, with the young dispersing up to 200 km after fledging, the more northerly populations of Europe are long-distance migrants, as their breeding grounds freeze over in the winter. In autumn, particularly if the weather is severe, there is an influx of birds to Britain from the mainland, ringing returns showing that they mostly come from The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Germany. In Italy, wintering birds are known to come from southern and central Europe, while birds breeding in Poland have been found wintering in Belgium, France, The Netherlands and Germany. In France, the only ringing returns from outside the country so far have concerned movements to or from Britain and Germany. So although ringing returns can give a rough idea of movements, getting an idea of the scale of the wintering population has proved difficult.

Following studies in Bielorussia in autumn and in Italy in spring, where birds were seen leaving reedbeds at dusk and apparently setting off on migration, some serious effort was applied in the springs of 2003 and 2004 at two wetlands in France to see if the same effect could be observed there. The two areas concerned were the Seine estuary on the English Channel coast, and the Vigueirat marshes in the Camargue, both important breeding and wintering sites for the species. At both places observers were not only assessing the number of booming birds at dusk, but were also encouraged to look for signs of movement.

The results were quite impressive, with an admittedly incomplete survey counting 95 individuals at the Seine in 2003 and 106 at Vigueirat in 2004. Migrants were seen from mid February to mid April, with the majority (90% at the Seine, 77% at Vigueirat) on the move in March. Although the earliest to leave were 50 minutes before sunset, with the latest 58 minutes after sunset, the peak moment for departure was 31 minutes after sunset, essentially the same at both sites, despite the fact that they are at opposite ends of the country. What the observers noted were Bitterns taking off almost vertically from the reeds, uttering a characteristic gull-like call, then circling in a leisurely way over the the reedbeds, still calling, for up to half an hour, with more and more birds joining the group, before they all headed off together, eastwards in the case of the Seine, between north and east in the case of Vigueirat, both implying a final destination in north or east Europe, although it is not possible to confirm this, of course. Most departures took place on evenings with light or no wind, although the observers themselves tended not to bother turning out on wet and windy evenings, as such evenings were less productive as far as booming was concerned.

The numbers involved are remarkable, although it is hard to tell whether all the birds were wintering at the sites involved or whether they included migrants from elsewhere. Bitterns are normally thought of as rather solitary birds, so this group migration might be considered surprising. However, several other species of heron (Grey, Purple, Night, for example) are known to migrate in small groups, so this aspect is perhaps not so unusual after all. The authors (Pascal Provost and Grégoire Massez) suggest that internationally coordinated watches at dusk might be a good way of giving us a better idea of quite how many Bitterns there are in Europe in the winter.

27 August 2008

Points chauds: Le phare de Gatteville

Appearing in the same issue of Ornithos is another in the regular series of site guides to various ornithological 'hot-spots' in France, this time the lighthouse at Gatteville, 20 km east of Cherbourg at the north-east corner of the Cotentin peninsula. An excellent site for watching seabird and other migrants, particularly in autumn. Such items are yet another reason to subscribe to the journal, and add to the 3000 people already doing so. This landmark figure was reached recently, and the same issue also has a picture of the editorial team understandably raising a glass – of champagne, naturally – to celebrate the event.

27 August 2008

L'Oiseau Magazine

But don't forget L'Oiseau Magazine, which contains material of a more general nature for whatever your level of interest in birds, ranging from improving your garden for wildlife, through news items, portraits of artists and writers and species studies, to 'where to watch' articles covering sites both in France and elsewhere. Something for everyone, in fact.

27 August 2008

More on vultures

The subject of wandering and predation by Griffon Vultures continues to occupy the attention of conservationists, especially in France and Spain (see also item below). The June 2008 issue of the newsletter of the group working on the preservation and restoration of vulture populations in France contains more on both topics. Certainly it seems that the appearance of vultures in early summer in northern Europe is not directly connected with the lack of food resources in their breeding areas, but is still thought to be the re-establishment of a pattern that used to exist when numbers everywhere were much higher.

Marked birds from the Causses and the south-western Alps are known to have appeared in the Low Counties and Germany, and observers are encouraged to make a note of any rings or wingtags should they be lucky to come across such birds in the future, so that the pattern of movement can be further clarified. The vultures suffering from lack of resources are primarily those of Spain, though this is affecting the birds in the French Pyrenees to a certain extent, where the population seems to have peaked in 2006, with a 10% decline noted in 2007. The reasons for this are to be sought in Spain itself where, with protection, numbers increased from 2,238 pairs in 1979 to 7,529 pairs in 1989. This increase was considered to be sustainable, being supported by enough 'natural' food supplied by traditional stock-rearing methods. By 1999, the population had shot up to 20,000 pairs, this further increase fuelled by the provision of waste meat from the intensive, semi-industrial, rearing of pigs in Spain, a practice which has become increasingly widespread in the country. Then in 2000 came the 'mad-cow-disease' crisis, the reaction to which varied across Europe and also within Spain itself.

Navarre, Aragon and Castile-Léon, which host a large part of the Spanish Griffon Vulture population, interpreted the EU regulations in a very restrictive manner, closing almost all the 'muladares' where carcasses had been deposited (under strict regulation) in the past, not only those supplied with semi-industrial waste, but those that just took carcasses from traditional cattle and sheep farmers. The population in Aragon, where the restrictions have been most severe, has seen a drop in numbers of 30–40% in the past few years, and the decline in the French Pyrenees, just over the border is linked to this, as the French birds were presumably, in part, feeding on the southern side of the border. The answer, it is suggested, is to stop the provision of industrial food waste, which has lead to an unsustainably high vulture population in Spain, and to revert to the practice, already established in France, of putting out carcasses (not offal) in controlled sites well away from human habitation, the carcasses coming from normal stock-rearing activities.

The increase in the number of reported 'attacks' on cattle and sheep in the Pyrenees does seem to be linked to the problems that this over-population of vultures has been having in finding food. Concrete facts are very hard to come by, as in many cases the veterinary authorities, because of the terrain concerned, inevitably arrive on the scene too late to be certain of what has actually caused the death of the animal concerned. In most cases where the vultures have played a part, it is likely that the animal was so badly affected (broken limbs, attack by dogs, problems giving birth) that the vultures merely hastened an inevitable end, although it is conceded that if the shepherd had arrived in time, the animal might have been saved. Obviously if vultures are to continue to grace the skies of southern Europe, the goodwill of the hill-farmers must be retained. The majority have seen the benefits of having the vultures present, but are naturally concerned about avoidable losses to their stock. Urgent action is needed, and actions are in fact taking place to resolve the situation, but these need to be cross-border and taken on a rational basis, using the best evidence that can be gathered. The LPO's Mission Rapaces continues to play active role in this process.

24 August 2008

Great White Egret range expansion

In winter, Great White Egrets have become increasingly widespread across France, being relatively easy to find even well to the north. The first sighting in the Somme estuary area, in Picardy, dates back to January 1978, but it was not until 1988 that one was seen during the summer, with several subsequent sightings in suitable breeding habitat since then, although with no proof of breeding. However, at last in 2007, a search of a mixed heron colony in Picardy resulted in nine or ten active nests being found, several containing young, a very encouraging range expansion, just a short distance across the Channel from the UK.

The most numerous species in the heronry was Grey Heron, but there were also Little and Cattle Egrets nesting here as well. With both the latter now breeding in the UK, one would hope that it would only be a matter of time before Great White, already more and more often seen in the UK in the winter, will also set up in a heronry somewhere in southern Britain. Nevertheless, this impressive egret remains a rare breeding bird in France, with small groups currently nesting only in the Camargue, the Lac de Grand-Lieu (Loire-Atlantique) and La Dombes (Rhône-Alpes). Another species also now nesting in Picardy, the Spoonbill,continues to increase in numbers nationally, with 243 pairs estimated in 2007, at nine sites. In 1999 the equivalent figure was 77–87 pairs, so quite a significant increase. Loire-Atlantique still contains the majority of the population (77%), with the Lac de Grand-Lieu and La Brière being the main sites.

24 August 2008

Rollers

Most birdwatchers would find it hard to forget the sight of their first Roller, that blue and chestnut bird more redolent of Africa than Europe, but personally I find every subsequent sighting nearly as exciting. It is therefore encouraging to note that a recent survey published in Ornithos 15–2: 84–89 (2008) indicates that the numbers breeding in southern France appear to be stable or increasing. The main range in France is along the fringes of the Mediterranean, from the Spanish border round to the Var département, with an extension north along the Rhône valley. In 2007, the 'Roller Working Group' set up to study the species, made a special effort to locate as many breeding pairs as possible, the result being a reasonably confident total of 800–1000 pairs, well above the previous estimates of 500–600 pairs of just a few years earlier.

Although the intensity of the survey must play a part in this change, the group felt that the increase was in fact real, and suggested a few reasons as to why this might be so. These include changing practices in the French vineyards, a favoured habitat, with more vegetation left among the vines and a reduced use of pesticides, climate change, with milder winters and drier springs helping increase potential insect prey, better winter survival in Africa, and the increasing placement and use of nestboxes. Only this last factor can be clearly identified as positive, but is not likely to be the only cause. Because of the species' semi-colonial breeding strategy, special census techniques are needed to assess the population accurately, and the group aims to refine these so as to continue to monitor the numbers of what is generally a vulnerable species across its wider breeding range.

9 August 2008

Marsh Harrier migration

The June issue of the Organbidexka Col Libre (OCL) newsletter has an article about the autumn passage of Marsh Harriers as observed at the western end of the Pyrenees. Although not a major migration hotspot for this species – and remember that the harriers are much more 'broad-front' migrants than many other birds of prey – some interesting conclusions can be drawn from the counts made over the past 26 years of observation. The bulk of the migrants pass during September, with the middle of the month seeing the highest numbers and 90% of the passage over by the beginning of October. The juveniles tend to come later than the adults, and the males ahead of the females. As is the case for many trans-Saharan migrant raptors, the timing of the passage has become earlier over the years, by nearly 10 days in fact, which is quite a lot for a species where the bulk of the bird pass in just one month. One piece of encouraging news is that numbers have increased by about 50% over the past 26 years, with increases also noted at other migration watchpoints such as Falsterbo in Sweden. Volunteers are always welcome at Organbidexka, the season being a long one, from the Black Kites passing in July/August, to the Cranes and Red Kites not until October. The totals can be spectacular, with 33,163 Black Kites, 10,083 Honey Buzzards, 3830 Red Kites and 440 Black Storks counted in 2007, not to mention 761,538 pigeons at just the pass of Organbidexka alone.

9 August 2008

La Mission Migration

Talking of OCL reminds me that they are one of six associations – the LPO is another – that make up this recently created network dedicated to the study and conservation of migratory birds in France. One of its major aims is to increase public awareness of the phenomenon of bird migration, and part of this has been the creation of a website (http://www.migraction.net) on which can be found background information about the project and regularly updated accounts of migration counts from about 20 key sites around France. The Col d'Organbidexka is of course one of them. The website is still developing, but already contains plenty of reference material and links for anyone fascinated by the movements of birds to and from their breeding and wintering grounds.

9 August 2008

Migrating and wintering Cranes

The most recent report from the 'Réseau Grues France' that I have to hand has a summary of the observations from across France for the season 2005–2006. The report contains lots of detail about how the migration seasons evolved over time, but in summary the autumn counts totalled 218,000 Cranes crossing the country, beating the previous record number of 210,000 achieved in 2004. As ever, the Lac du Der in the Champagne-Ardenne region was the most important staging point, with up to 51,000 birds seen there at a time, often leaving en masse in the morning for the south-west, one of the most spectacular sights in the bird world.

Although the majority of the population continues to go to Spain for the winter, increasing numbers are staying in France, with over 40,000 counted most years since 2001. In 2005/06, about 57,800 remained north of the Pyrenees, with nearly 32,000 at Arjuzanx and Captieux (in les Landes in the south-west) and 16,435 in Champagne-Ardenne (primarily at the Lac du Der) being the largest concentrations. Most of the wintering sites lie on the north-east/south-west axis of migration but about 200 Cranes were counted in the Camargue, by the Mediterranean. In spring 2006 about 130,000 were estimated crossing France, the numbers always being a bit lower in the spring as compared to the autumn. Taking into account the 10,000 or so Cranes which winter in Germany, the group estimates that the total west-European population of this magnificent bird is currently of the order of 228,000.

9 August 2008

Little Bitterns in Paris

When I was working on the English translation of the second edition of 'Where to Watch Birds in France' (A & C Black, 2006), adapting it for the UK market as best I could, I came across several sites where the list of birds to be seen seemed 'optimistic' to say the least. I was aware that this is always a problem for authors when compiling such books, and for the sites I knew I could sometimes make a suitable textual adjustment as to the likelihood of the average visitor's chances of seeing the bird concerned. But in some, where there was no other information available, or which I had not personally visited, I just had to take things on trust.

One such site was the Parc de La Courneuve, in the northern suburbs of Paris, where breeding Little Bitterns were mentioned. As this is generally known to be a species in sharp decline all across Europe, it seemed strange that they should be found at such a spot, and I was a bit sceptical. But in a recent issue of the LPO-Île-de-France newsletter I see that a survey in 2007 at the park confirmed the presence of three males and two females, with the two breeding pairs fledging two and three young respectively. Not only that, there were apparently other pairs in the Paris region at the Parc des Chanteraines (Hauts-de-Seine) and in the forêt régionale de Bondy. In fact, according to BirdLife International, the main problem that this migratory species is facing is drought in Africa rather than in Europe, leading to loss of suitable wetlands during its wintering and migration periods. Nevertheless, conservation of wetland sites in Europe is vital if we are to continue to retain this and other heron species as breeding birds in future.

9 August 2008

Ospreys, 2007

The position for 2007 was similar to that for 2006 (see below), with 30 pairs holding territories in Corsica, of which 27 laid eggs, raising 27 young to successful fledging. On the mainland, 22 pairs were known to lay eggs, with 41 young fledging. So a certain stability seems to have been reached, but with the tendency still upwards, at least on the mainland. Pairs successfully raised young in the Sologne (from a nest on an electricity pylon) and in Touraine, both extensions to the current breeding range, and there were other unsuccessful breeding attempts elsewhere. It is normal, of course, for the first few attempts of pioneer pairs to fail. Part of the restoration plan for this species is not only to protect the existing population but to extend the range if possible. To this end, nesting platforms have been erected in various spots where birds are known to linger on migration, and in 2007 a pair, both birds carrying rings (one was from a German nest) summered at a platform erected near the Étang de Lindre (Moselle), building a nest, but doing no more than that. But it's a hopeful sign for the future.

9 August 2008

Little Bustards

It's sad to report that things are not looking too good as far as the long-term survival of this species is concerned. In France there are two main centres of population. The first is close to the Mediterranean, in the viticultural plains of Languedoc-Roussillon (ca. 500 males) and on the La Crau (550–700 males), not far from the Camargue. This population is essentially sedentary, and currently is reasonably stable, even increasing slightly. The other population (ca. 350 males) is to be found on the cereal-growing plains of central-west France, in and around Poitou-Charente, breeding here but migrating to Spain in the winter. The LPO has been putting in enormous efforts to conserve this population, the sole remnant from what was formerly a much wider distribution in northern France. By working with the farmers, and helping them use their set-aside land in a bustard-friendly manner, numbers of calling males and young raised have remained reasonably stable over the past few years, following a catastrophic decline dating from the intensification of agricultural practices that started in the 1960s. The set-aside system of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) of the EU has thrown the birds a lifeline, in that this uncultivated land is where most of the bustards nest and feed.

But as of 2008 the CAP is stopping the set-aside system, and also has said that it will not fund those farmers who wish to retain their set-aside under agro-environmental schemes. After intense lobbying by the LPO and others, this last item has been relaxed, so that farmers will be eligible to some funding for set-aside, but with the rising price of wheat and the demand for bio-fuels, the pressures on farmers to intensively cultivate all of their land is very strong. It is ironic that the EU is a major funder of the programme to help save the Little Bustard, while at the same time removing one of the main sources of support that has proved very effective in stabilising the decline! As usual the LPO is carrying out its annual survey of the population in 2008, and it will be interesting to see what the results of this are. As ever, the more support and funding that the LPO receives, the more pressure it can bring on the French and European authorities to help us keep this bird as part of our avifauna.

9 August 2008

Bee-eaters in Vienne

Following the previous item, at least it is good to be able to report that the number of Bee-eaters nesting in the Vienne département continues to increase, with 56 pairs located in 2006 and 67 in 2007. Three new sites were discovered in 2007, bringing the total to 17 sites so far. As described below, some are associated with riverside meadows, while others are in quarries of various kinds, bringing a touch of Mediterranean colour to this area of central France.

9 August 2008

Étang Purais

Many British birdwatchers will have visited La Brenne (see below for some more background), and so will be interested to know that the LPO is in the process of acquiring another lagoon in this outstanding wetland area. The Étang Purais lies not very far from the well-known Étang de la Gabrière, and close to the Étang de la Touche which the LPO has also recently purchased. The Étang Purais is one of the richest lagoons for wildlife in La Brenne, and currently holds about 10% of the French breeding population of Whiskered Terns, with more than 300 pairs in some years. To fund the purchase, an appeal for donations is currently in progress. If you would like to contribute, please see http://www.lpo.fr/dons/purais for more details.

30 November 2007

LPO-Aude

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).

30 November 2007

LPO-Vienne

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

'Vultures ate my hamster'

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?

9 July 2007

Rare breeding birds report 2005/2006

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!

9 July 2007

Parc Ornithologique du Teich

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

Egyptian Vultures

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.

10 May 2007

Cyril Girard – bird artist

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

A few ideas for birding trips to France

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, http://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

Michel Métais receives the RSPB Medal for 2006

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!

7 May 2007

Corbières

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.

7 May 2007

Peregrines in the city

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.

7 May 2007

Ospreys, 2006

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 http://balbuzard.over-blog.net/ for more details of this project).

16 December 2006

Everything you need to know about Cranes

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.

16 December 2006

Bonelli's Eagles in France

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

Gannets in Brittany

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.

6 December 2006

Île de Ré

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:

• Herring Gull, 1206 pairs
• Lesser Black-backed Gull, 540 pairs
• Yellow-legged Gull, 26 pairs
• Great Black-backed Gull, 50 pairs
• Black-headed Gull, 135 pairs
• Mediterranean Gull, 2 pairs
• Common Tern, 167 pairs
• Arctic Tern, 1 pair (exceptionally far south for this species)
• Black-winged Stilt, 92 pairs
• Avocet, 123 pairs (losing many chicks to the above-mentioned gulls!)
• Lapwing, 13 pairs
• Redshank, 14 pairs
• Little Ringed Plover, 6 pairs
• Kentish Plover, 11 pairs

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.

6 December 2006

Organbidexka in autumn 2006

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.

4 December 2006

Biodiversity appeal

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:

• River Loire – this emblematic river provides a home to, among others, 42 species of fish, 18 of amphibians, 11 of reptiles, 44 of mammals, 240 of birds and over 2000 of aquatic invertebrates. Agricultural intensification and canalisation of the banks have taken their toll, and it is essential that these threats are countered as quickly as possible. Using funds already gathered, the LPO has acquired one area of natural flood-plain, and aims to manage the land to improve its attraction for migratory birds, and also for breeding Corncrakes. There are also plans to survey more sites and to improve visitor facilities at the Saint-Cyr reserve.
• Coastal habitats – concentrating on the Atlantic coastal marshes and working with its partners in Spain and Portugal, the LPO is working to identify the needs of Avocets and other species using the saltmarshes and salt-pans so that their nesting sites can be protected without adversely affecting the salt-extraction and oyster-cultivation that are major economic activities of the region.
• Marais Poitevin – over the past decades 50% of the damp meadows of this wetland area of western France have disappeared, but the LPO is using the funds raised so far to purchase and manage land in the area, particularly in the 'communal marshes' where livestock is managed in a traditional manner, and water levels maintained in a way that benefits breeding waders and migrant wildfowl.
• Egyptian Vulture – long a target species for conservation activity, the LPO is using the funds raised under this campaign to install feeding sites for this species in areas where it already breeds and also in areas where it shows signs of recolonising.
• Agriculture – working with 150 farmers across 15 départements, the LPO is exploring ways in which farmland can be managed in such a way that an economic return can be made without destroying the biodiversity of the land.
• Red Kite – as part of the national plan to help save this species from possible extinction in France, the LPO is using funds from the Biodiversity appeal to ring and wing-tag as many birds as possible (155 already) to find out exactly what their movements are, and what their life expectancy is. In addition, artificial feeding sites are being established in key locations, to replace the lost resouces previously supplied by refuse and landfill sites, many of which are being closed down.
• Lammergeier – working with colleagues in Spain, the LPO is surveying breeding and feeding sites in the Pyrenees, and taking action to minimise accidental disturbance from other users of the mountains, especially near the nest sites.
• Migratory birds – a 'Mission Migration' has recently been created to coordinate migration studies across the whole of France, and to reinforce the laws concerning hunting of migrants, particularly at the mountain passes in the Pyrenees and Massif Central.

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.

4 December 2006

Short-toed Eagle range expansion

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.

4 December 2006

Artists

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.

4 December 2006

Exotica

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).

4 December 2006

Lesser Grey Shrike

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.

4 December 2006

Red Kites in Corsica

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.

28 August 2006

Ospreys

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 http://balbuzard.over-blog.net/ 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.

17 June 2006

Where to Watch Birds in France

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 (http://www.acblack.com).

17 June 2006

Étang de Lindre

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.

17 June 2006

Peregrines and pigeons

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.

17 June 2006

Lead shot

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

White Storks

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.

3 April 2006

Bee-eaters

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.

3 April 2006

La Brenne

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

Key conservation activities from 2005

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:

• the release of 22 young Little Bustards raised in captivity in north-west France to reinforce the declining population in the arable fields of this part of the country;
• a second UMS (mobile rescue centre for oiled seabirds) went into service during the year;
• the country-wide network of surveillance schemes for birds of prey goes from strength to strength, and the provision of extra food for Egyptian Vultures has led to an increase on their population in the south-east of France and the stabilisation of their population in the Pyrenees;
• the Lilleau des Niges reserve on the Île de Ré celebrated its 25th anniversary;
• the 10,000th Refuge LPO was inaugurated in Polignac, in the Auvergne;
• L'Oiseau Magazine celebrated 20 years of publication.

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.

21 January 2006

Shopping

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 http://www.natureetdecouvertes.com for more details of how to give the old credit card a bashing in a good cause.

16 January 2006

Migration of bustards

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.

16 January 2006

Peregrines in France

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!

16 January 2006

Red Kites

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, 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.

13 September 2005

More on Lesser Kestrels

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.

13 September 2005

Sacred Ibises in France

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.

13 September 2005

Mont-Saint-Michel

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.

13 September 2005

The story of the stork and the crane

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.

12 September 2005

Black Kite migration

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.

12 September 2005

Illegal shooting continues

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.

12 September 2005

Vultures in France

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.

12 September 2005

Electricity lines and birds

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.

1 March 2005

Waxwings

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.

1 March 2005

White Storks in Alsace

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.

1 March 2005

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.

1 March 2005

La Brenne

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.

19 February 2005

Griffon Vultures in the Verdon

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://verdon.lpo.fr.

24 August 2004

The hunting season

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.

24 August 2004

Egyptian Vultures

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.

1 August 2004

Lesser Kestrels in France

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.

1 August 2004

Mediterranean Shearwaters

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.

1 August 2004

Ospreys

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.

8 May 2004

Wallcreepers

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. We can but hope that maybe one of these days one will once again make it across the Channel to our shores.

8 May 2004

Winter wildfowl counts

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.

8 May 2004

Bitterns: A new web site

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.shtml) dedicated to the ongoing study of this threatened species.

25 February 2004

Volunteers wanted for spring bird migration site

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. 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).

25 February 2004

Transpyr 2003

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.

10 February 2004

Red-billed Leiothrix

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.

10 February 2004

Peregrines hunting at night

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.

7 February 2004

Local LPO groups

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.

7 February 2004

La Brière

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 (http://www.parc-naturel-briere.fr).

19 January 2004

The naming of birds

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.

19 January 2004

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.

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