Blanes life list (French patch)

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My second patch is a remote valley in the Aude department of South West France in the foothills of the Pyrenees (I map it out here if you are interested). In total it is almost 1000 hectares (although much of my focus is on about one tenth of that) of hilly maquis – mediterranean shrub/scrub (formerly cultivated) – with some Holm Oak, Kermes Oak, Box, and Aleppo Pine woodland. There are small streams during the wetter months, but otherwise the land is quite dry.

Here is a list of the birds I have recorded on the patch (not in the surrounding areas):

  1. Red-legged Partridge (Resident)
  2. Griffon Vulture (First seen Jan 2017)
  3. Golden Eagle (Seen throughout year)
  4. Short-toed Eagle (Very common summer migrant breeding raptor)
  5. Hen Harrier (Occasionally seen on patch)
  6. Montagu’s Harrier (First seen July 2019)
  7. Common Buzzard (Common in area, occasionally seen in large numbers)
  8. Honey Buzzard (first seen in July 2014)
  9. Sparrowhawk (Common resident)
  10. Goshawk (Probable resident – seen occasionally)
  11. Kestrel (Seen occasionally)
  12. Peregrine (Seen once)
  13. Hobby (Seen occasionally)
  14. Cormorant (seen once in 2016 flying North)
  15. Wood Pigeon (Common resident – mainly in pines)
  16. Turtle Dove (Summer migrant)
  17. Cuckoo (Common summer migrant)
  18. Swift (Summer migrant)
  19. Alpine Swift (first seen August 2017)
  20. Red-backed Shrike (first seen August 2017)
  21. Hoopoe (Summer migrant)
  22. European Bee-eater (Summer migrant)
  23. Black Woodpecker (Seen once in winter)
  24. Great Spotted Woodpecker (Probable resident)
  25. Wryneck (Summer migrant – bred on patch)
  26. Woodlark (Common resident)
  27. Crag Martin (Summer migrant)
  28. House Martin (First seen July 2019)
  29. Barn Swallow (Summer migrant)
  30. Meadow Pipit (occasionally seen)
  31. Tree Pipit (first heard September 2019)
  32. Tawny Pipit (first seen July 2019)
  33. Wagtail sp (flyover in July 2019 – didn’t get features or call)
  34. Dunnock (Resident)
  35. Robin (Common resident)
  36. Nightingale (Summer migrant breeder)
  37. Common Redstart (Summer migrant)
  38. Black Redstart (Very common resident)
  39. Stonechat (Resident breeder)
  40. Song Thrush (Resident and winter migrant)
  41. Mistle Thrush (First seen March 2019)
  42. Redwing (Winter migrant)
  43. Fieldfare (Winter migrant)
  44. Blackbird (Very common resident)
  45. Blackcap (Common resident)
  46. Whitethroat (Summer migrant)
  47. Western Orphean Warbler (first seen on patch in August 2017)
  48. Sardinian Warbler (Common resident)
  49. Subalpine Warbler (Very common summer migrant breeder)
  50. Dartford Warbler (First seen July 2019)
  51. Melodious Warbler (Summer migrant breeder)
  52. Chiffchaff (Summer migrant and probable resident)
  53. Willow Warbler (Passage migrant)
  54. Firecrest (Very common resident)
  55. Goldcrest (Common, especially in Winter)
  56. Wren (Very common resident)
  57. Spotted Flycatcher (Summer/passage migrant)
  58. Pied Flycatcher (Passage migrant)
  59. Great Tit (Common resident)
  60. Blue Tit (Common resident)
  61. Coal Tit (Resident)
  62. Crested Tit (Resident)
  63. Long-tailed Tit (Resident)
  64. Short-toed Treecreeper (Resident)
  65. Jay (Resident)
  66. Red-billed Chough (Resident breeder)
  67. Carrion Crow (Only seen on fringes nearer villages)
  68. Raven (Resident breeder)
  69. Starling (Occasionally seen)
  70. Chaffinch (Resident breeder)
  71. Linnet (Probable resident)
  72. Goldfinch (Resident breeder)
  73. Siskin (single male seen December 2016)
  74. Greenfinch (Resident breeder)
  75. Serin (Summer migrant or resident breeder)
  76. Hawfinch (passage migrant?)
  77. Cirl Bunting (Resident)
  78. Rock Bunting (Seen in late March)