Reserve Du Teich - France

A long weekend visiting friends in Arcachon near Bordeaux makes a visit to Reserve Du Teich (Twitter = @RO_Teich) essential, this place is amazing, the variety of birds is incredible, hardly anybody there and my favourite part...... dogs are not allowed!!

My last visit was back in October so I was looking forward to some sun walking around this time.  The visit started with some weird sounding Frogs, took me ages to realise what was making the noise.

 

First birds of the day where White Stork which nest at the reserve and are quite numerous.  It was great to see them with chicks in the nest.

 

White Stork

 

Even better was amazing close up views of Water Rail to the point they seem almost tame, the reserve has a very healthy population, when I walked around last October I counted no less the 20 birds calling. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see them with young.... and so close.

 

Water Rail

 

There were numerous waders out on the scrapes, plenty of Grey Plover, Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt (also all with young/on nests), Spoonbill and 3 Spotted Redshank.

 

Black-winged Stilt - on nest

 

Black-winged Stilt - with chicks

 

Spoonbill

 

Black-tailed Godwit

 

Avocet

 

My target species for today was Bluethroat for which the reserve is famed, however it wasn't meant to be, another species which is abundant and almost impossible to not see is the Nightingale, I saw 5 today, the first 4 I had what would be consider great views in the UK, i.e. they were about 1 metre away showing quite well but still obscured. I then found another which gave great views but at a distance.  I wasn't quite prepared for the one sat out in the open by the entrance to the reserve, I observed for over 20 minutes but had to leave to catch my train, my usual photographic prowess doesn't do the experience justice though.

 





Nightingale

 

I was fortunate enough to get a lifer today in the form of Blue-headed Wagtail.

 

Blue-headed Wagtail

 

Plenty of other species seen around the site including Black Kite, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, loads of Kingfisher, a couple of photos of other animals seen.

 

Coypu

Great Crested Grebe

Red Squirrel

Terrapin

 



 













Italian Lifers...

Just back from a long weekend in Italy visiting Venice and Rome, this wasn't a birding trip, I only had a small pair of 8x25's and never stopped for birding specifically.

That said I managed 3 lifers even though I only saw 22 species!

I started with a few days in Venice, very nice city and very easy to spend the day walking in circles.

I think the first bird I saw was Yellow-legged Gull and by the end of the weekend I understood why - they are everywhere..!

Yellow-legged Gull

Whilst on the train across to Venice I was gobsmacked by the number of summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe in the bay, must have been in excess of 20 within the Mallard.  I only had a 55mm lens so this is the best image I managed from a moving train.  Saw a flock of 9 Little Egret and a single Black-winged Stilt.

Black-necked Grebe

There were plenty of Italian Sparrow and Feral Pigeon around the market stalls.

Italian Sparrow

Got some amazing views (although crap photos) of summer plumaged Mediterranean Gull and Black-headed Gull down by the Arsenale di Venezia.

Mediterranean Gull

Next was a couple of days in Rome which seems pretty devoid of bird life at first glance.  Again there are Yellow-legged Gull just about everywhere, even on top of St Peter's Basilica and the Coliseum.

My 2nd lifer of the trip was Monk Parakeet in the trees around the Vatican along with Ring-necked Parakeet.

When visiting the Castel Sant' Angelo I again saw plenty of Yellow-legged Gull, Italian Sparrow and Feral Pigeon.  I also got my first close up view of a Hooded Crow which I expected to see everywhere.

Hooded Crow

 

There were loads of Eurasian Swift, Barn Swallow and House Martin flying up and down the river, all year firsts.  Also saw my only Collared Dove of the trip.

 

Collared Dove

 

It was a nice surprise to see Black Redstart and Blackcap at Largo di Torre Argentina although I wouldn't like to speculate how long they'll last as the ruin was home to about 8 cats.

 

Only other birds were a handful of Blackbird and Magpie.

 

I had read on the internet that Serin were abundant and I was sure I could hear them everywhere although I could never find one - until I was looking at Foro Romano when I heard one very close, it was actually under my nose but I didn't see it until it flew up, hence my usual amazing photograph, this was my 3rd lifer of the trip..

 

Serin

 

Only other species I saw was Greenfinch when waiting for the bus to the Airport