Wheatear and Tree Pipit

Well, the wheatear didn't take long in response to my last post as a solitary male was waiting for me on the Lairière plains early this morning. My bike ride took me on to La Tâche where a tree pipit was singing and then delicately parachuting down from his high perch....and so two more spring migrants have made their appearance.

As always, a few other species which were missing from yesterday's tally put in an appearance today: a yellowhammer was singing near La Poterie, a pair of mallards were on the village pond (these are wild ones and not the tamer ones that we have fed for the last couple of years) and from the house I watched a male hen harrier quartering the fields. Several swallows were also around as was a solitary kingfisher and a white wagtail by the Charente near Luxé.

A parting comment on yesterday's post is that song thrushes were challenging blackcaps as the commonest songster today.