Provence (2) - The Mistral Strikes Back

 

Coypu feeding by the roadside, La Camargue

Meanwhile, back in the present.... we're (sadly) three quarters of the way into our month in Provence; after the unseasonably warm and still conditions of my first post from here a week ago steadily ebbed away, the Mistral predictably regained its strength - only the most suicidal elements of the local avifauna would challenge these winds at their most potent, and as a result birding activity has been limited to say the least.

 

Still, the Mistral temporarily abated as the forecast predicted today, and a short session at La Capeliere this afternoon blew the cobwebs away under blue skies and sunshine. A small reserve situated on the eastern shore of the Etang de Vaccares (the vast central waterbody that dominates La Camargue), it nonetheless provides a neat cross-section of local habitats in one bite-size portion, including salt-steppe, reedbeds, lagoons, sandy heathland, saltmarsh, and successional scrub.

 

The birds were enjoyable without being particularly noteworthy, although White Storks bill-clacking and pair-bonding on the nest were a positive sign of spring.

 

more Black Redstarts....

In local news, a fair proportion of the Blackcaps have indeed now vacated the village (although there are more Black Redstarts than ever), and we've found a place to get pretty decent Merlot for two euros a bottle. Happy days.

More from Munnar, Kerala next time......

Munnar, Kerala - Nilgiri Tahr

During our week or so based at Thattekad, we made a successful excursion to Munnar, a couple of hours east and up in the peaks of the Ghats, for various specialist / high-altitude species. Full accounts to follow; but first, a few shots of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr, a very localised species of mountain goat that looks particularly good against the natural mineral candy-cane stripes of the upper slopes....

 

 

 

Thattekad, Kerala - more highlights

Blue-faced Malkoha
 

Crested Serpent Eagle 
 

Black-hooded Oriole

Brown Hawk Owl

Dark-fronted Babbler - shy as hell, and a miracle this photo came out at all..... 

Stork-billed Kingfisher

 

Heart-spotted Woodpecker - unbeatable

vaguely familiar 

Godzilla vs. India

Well, not quite, but here's a few rather wonderful lizards around the reserve. This one was particularly large, and not remotely phased by our presence:

While these incredibly well-camouflaged Rock Ogamas (subspecies, or species?) entertained us endlessly on the The Rock, at least when they weren't magically disappearing before our very eyes.....

This is the female - 

 

 and this is the male -
 

 

 

 ...and talking of top-class entertainment, these Flying Lizards put on some daredevil shows right in front of our balcony at Jungle Bird Homestay.

 

 
(If anyone can identify the actual species involved, I'd be grateful.)

Sometimes I think, if it wasn't birds, it'd have to be reptiles and amphibians.

Asian Paradise & Blue-throated Flycatchers, Kerala

Back to the trip.... the photographic conditions were never easy (and often impossible) when in the jungle itself, but sometimes attempts just had to made - especially when confronted with such subjects as Asian Paradise Flycatchers. This male was sallying out over the water, hovering briefly and then dropping like a stone into the water; at first I assumed it was catching prey from the surface, but then realised it was actually bathing (albeit very clumsily).
 

 

 

 

and the females are hardly the dullest of birds.....

Blue-throated Flycatchers, meanwhile, are equally stunning (and endemic to the region), but much less likely to break cover; this male was uncharacteristically gung-ho, and even allowed a few somewhat crappy shots, bless him.

Provencal Warblers

It's not all Blackcaps (thank the gods) - a few other warbler species are around locally. Sardinian Warblers are common and vocal in most habitats (especially gardens), Chiffchaffs are sprinkled here and there, and Dartford Warblers are on the stony, scrubby slopes. We're here until mid-March, so hopefully we'll catch up with a few incoming migrants before long.

Chiffchaff

 

 

 

Sardinian Warblers

 

Dartford Warblers