Pas de Calais!

Yesterday I met AJG and TM at silly o-clock to catch the ferry to Calais. Surprising the on board breakfast was hot, usually tepid at best. On arrival we drove straight to Bonelle arriving around 07.00. As we got out of the car 2 Turtle Doves flew over and added to the cacophony of bird song, Song Thrushes, Blackcaps, Garden Warblers, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Skylarks, Yellowhammers, Sedge Warblers as well as Wrens, Dunnocks and Robins and more. Scanning the tussock grass we located 4 Bluethroats and several Stonechats, a Cattle Egret foraged among the cows and on a small pool Black-winged Stilts and Avocets were nesting. Also there were singing Marsh Warblers a Strutting White Stork and several White Wagtails. We found Song Thrushes seemed to be abundant at every place we stopped. 

 Black-winged Stilts

 Avocet

 Bluethroat

 White Storks

 White Wagtail

 Cattle Egrets

A La Basse pools the Black-headed Gull colony was full of young gulls, also a few Mediterranean Gulls there. Several Cattle Egrets were foraging around the ponies, 2 Little-ringed Plovers, More Storks, several Common Buzzards, White Wagtails and another Marsh Warbler. 

 Mediterranean Gull

 At our usual raptor watch point at Crecy Forest we had to wait a whole 10 minutes before the first of several Honey Buzzards appeared, along with the usual Common Buzzards, Hobby's, a male Hen Harrier, and a flock of 62 Mediterranean Gulls flew over.

 In the forest Firecrest, Crested Tit, Melodious Warbler, Marsh Warbler and many more passerines were seen and heard as well as superb low flying Honey Buzzard. A tick for me in the forest was a Broad Bordered Bee Hawkmoth.

 Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth

 Spoonbills at Oye Platier

At Oye Platier 11 Spoonbills, 5 Black-winged Stilts, c100 Avocets, a Common Sandpiper, a Ruff, a Greenshank and a Long-tailed Duck.

 Kentish Plover eggs

On a beach near Calais 10+ Kentish Plovers and c50 Little terns were nesting, the Kentish Plover eggs we found had been layed below the high water mark so stand little chance of success.

 Kentish Plover

 Long-tailed Duck at Oye Platier

Do you want use this picnic table!

Good to see Calais local authority have a sense of humour placing the picnic table beside the leaning pill box. Another brilliant day out across the channel in great company and super warm weather.