Bird Migration in the south of France
Sitting like an oversized burial mound on the coastal plains near Gruissan is a hillock called the Roc de Conilhac. Surrounded by flat lands, lagoons (Fr.etangs), marshlands (Fr. Marais) and some grazing land ( Fr. paturage), with ranges of hills in the distance and the town of Narbonne to the north, it attracts birds and birders every year during the post-nuptial migration period which last from July through to the end of October.
Equipped with telescopes and binoculars, people line up in a loose group and call out the birds that they see coming from the east. Regulars bring chairs or stools to ease the aches from standing several hours peering into the distance, and refreshing cups of coffee and a picnic are always welcome.
A mixed flock of birders.
Usually there is someone who is a professional who will recognise birds at distance, so it is good to place yourselves not too far away from them, and keep your ears open. This is often in French, so an opportunity to learn the French names for birds.
The important thing to know about raptor flights is that they are very dependent on the wind. A typical raptor makes wing flaps and then glides; the pattern is in fact one of the ways that an experienced birder will recognise a species. The direction of the wind is crucial.
In the Aude the wind that encourages the southern, autumn, migration is from the north west, and is called locally the Tramontane. The Roc is on our best migration corridor, attracting really good numbers of raptors (and other birds), so when the winds are right all the birds coming from further north arriving at the Mediterranean coast, turn south-west, and so pass over the Roc. Over the sea there are no thermal vortexes that will carry large birds high into the sky from which they can glide onwards. Ultimately, if on their way to Africa, they will have to cross the water, but will often do this at the straits of Gibraltar, the most narrow point of the western Mediterranean.
We were lucky the day we on the Roc. We have arrived the afternoon before and the wind, although a Tramontane, was so strong that it was hard to keep the telescope on its feet. The birds were probably wary about flying in such a gale, and there were few to be seen in flight. So we enjoyed instead the flocks of flamingos (Fr. Flamant rose), feeding in the shallow waters of the lagoons, sometimes accompanied by other water birds; Cormorants (Fr. Grand Comoran); various ducks and the egrets which are in the area.
By next morning the wind strength had noticeably dropped, and we discovered we were in for an avian treat. Amongst the first to be spotted at distance coming our way were a pair Black storks (Fr. Cigogne noir), spectacular cousins of the white, with striking red beaks and legs, but much rarer. Flying close to them was a Short-toed eagle ((Fr. Circaète jean le Blanc). This is a bird that is recognised by its light colour below, its large brown head and its ability to hover in the air peering down at the ground below searching for prey.
Another large raptor that was appeared in good numbers were the Honey buzzards (Fr. Bondrée apivore) , recognisable by their small cuckoo like heads, and the dark patches at the carpal (elbow) joints on the adults. They also hold their wings high in flight, and very occasionally will clap them together above their backs, a sort of display gesture.
Honey Buzzard, Jonathan Kemp
Black kites (Fr. Milan Noir), Sparrowhawks (Fr. épervier), and Kestrels (Fr. Crecerelle), all followed in close succession. March harriers (Fr. Busard des Roseaux) were quartering the hedge rows below us in search of the frog and small rodent prey. Barn swallows (Fr. Hirondelle rustique), and House martins danced around feeding on insects as they flew. An Osprey (Fr.Balbuzard pêcheur) flew by at a distance. This species will use the area as a ‘stopover’, a place to stay for a time on their migration and replenish their energy by feeding on the fish that can be found in the lagoons. That day there were five in the area, we were told, other years I have heard that could be three times that number. There are posts stuck out in the lakes, and with a little luck you might see these beautiful birds perched as they eat a fish.
An Osprey, carrying its supper. Michel Fernandez
These ‘stopover’ or ‘staging’ places have now been found to key to successful migration, as well as their final destinations. Waders, for instance, who also migrate in enormous numbers, will seek out mud flats exposed by outgoing tides. To feed they plunge their beaks through the smooth surfaces, which hide just below a biological stew of worms, clams, snails, tiny crustaceans and many other marine invertebrates, a rich, varied feast for hungry birds. There are a few waders to be seen from the Roc, but the limited Mediterranean tides do not produce mud flats, so large flocks are not to be seen here.
However, at about 10.30, an enormous flock of large birds appeared in the far distance over the town of Gruissan. At first nothing more than a mass of dots, wheeling as they searched for thermals, but steadily making their way towards us. Soon we could make out that they were White Storks (Fr. Cigogne blanche), who migrate in loose, swirling flocks.
During the next hour as they came close we were treated to a really remarkable show. Flock after flock followed, and the final estimate was about 3000 birds reeling all around us, some close, some further away. A really extraordinary spectacle. Probably the high winds of the previous days had blocked their migration, as it would be difficult to land safely. All the people there marvelled at the sight of the masses of large birds as they passed over and around us.
A really wonderful morning’s birding . If you search on the
LPO website you can find advice as to migration corridors near you; work out
the timing, and the winds, and you could be in for a great treat. Below is the link for the Occitan region, go to the agenda page to discover other field trips available.
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