A spring at the Hâble d'Ault
This year, the weather offered us two beautiful weeks of good weather in spring while I was on vacation and I was able to take advantage of it to go and do some wildlife photography at the Hâble d'Ault.
First of all, there was this beautiful Barn Owl, sitting on his post, and letting me get within a few feet. I can't imagine how the mouse feels when he meets the yellow and piercing eyes of this bird... I could see him a second time a few days later, but he was less cooperative...
I also came across the gray cuckoo, who had come to look for a large caterpillar in a bush near which I had posted my blind. The whinchat I was watching at the time got the fright of its life.
There was also the white-fronted redstart, which I had never encountered before. This little bird really has a beautiful, colorful livery.
I also learned to recognize the Lark, which I must have often confused with the Meadow Pipit in the past. The beak is actually more conical, there is sometimes a small crest erected on the head and the spots on the belly do not go down as low as in the pipit... I was able to observe them feeding their young by bringing them in turn (both adults participate) full spoonfuls of mosquitoes, larvae and other insects. The nest is a simple cavity at the foot of a grass clump, and the parents are very careful not to feel observed before going there. The brood is at the mercy of the first dog not held on a leash that passes there, or of the first vehicle that drives off the path... Notice to the hunters of the area who do not have much consideration for all this biodiversity.
And then there were the usual melodious linnets, whose male with those red colors is so photogenic. I was able to witness the nest building in a bush, which seems to be the responsibility of the female, with the male merely accompanying her. I could also see a very brief mating scene. The linnets seem to enjoy the lichens and other fatty plants that they find on the gravelly lawns of the hâble, sometimes merging with the vegetation in an astonishing mimicry.
The brush warblers are also well represented at this site. At this time, the males sing at the top of the branches of the bushes to attract females. The variety of trills they emit is incredibly rich! What a repertoire they have! And then as soon as they have found a mate, it is radio silence and they return to their discreet life...
In the images below, you will also find the following species, some of which are emblematic of the Bay of the Somme: Elegant Avocet, White Stilt, Melanocephalus Gull, Meadow Pipit, Spring Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Northern Accentor and Little Gravelot. Enjoy your visit!
Stork nesting in the Bay of the Somme
Here are the pictures taken during a few stalking sessions near a nest of white storks (Ciconia ciconia) well accessible on the roadside, in the lower valley of the Somme, close to the Somme bay. A nice little spot because the small country road is not very busy and you are alone with the chirping of the birds most of the time. There is a lot of waiting to be done because the birds can be absent for a long time or remain almost motionless, dozing on the nest for a long time... Fortunately, there are other nests further away, too far for photos, but which still allow observation.
Seeing a stork come back with enough to add a floor to the nest is the reward for the wait! The construction of the nests continues from year to year and they can weigh 200 to 300 kg (or even much more and end up collapsing). The lady (?) shows her contentment by snapping her beak, head back, and each one goes to work to arrange the branches or the balls of mud thus brought back.
There is a bit of competition, so I could see another individual, either in search of a nest, or a supernumerary male in search of a female, trying to land on the nest occupied by "my" pair and being violently chased away!
With a bit of luck, storks can be found in the neighbouring fields and pastures. I observed 6 of them in a potato field, exploring the freshly dug furrows, sometimes with only their heads visible...
When I was last here, the brooding had begun, so I preferred not to risk disturbing them. See you in a few weeks to see if the young are present!
Rencontre avec les Tournepierre à collier
C’est en cherchant à photographier les phoques à Berck-sur-mer que j’ai croisé la route de ces jolis limicoles qu’on appelle les Tournepierre à collier. Ils viennent manger les petits crabes dans les anfractuosités des rochers et des épis, par petits groupes de 3-4 individus. Peu farouches ils peuvent se blottir au fond d’un trou pour passer inaperçus des touristes qui les frôlent…
Carnet rose
C’est la saison des naissances au marais du Crotoy, et voici donc la progéniture d’une maman canard qui a bien travaillé. Maintenant il faut promener tout ce petit monde pour leur apprendre à manger tout seul tout en surveillant les prédateurs éventuels… Pas de tout repos, mais heureusement les piou-piou dorment beaucoup aussi…
Affût-photo au Hâble d’Ault
Voici les images issues de plusieurs séances d’affût au Hâble d’Ault en compagnie des Linottes mélodieuses dont le mâle est si photogénique, des traquets motteux (idem), bergeronnettes et autres passereaux… La mare au limicoles m’a également permis de rencontrer les tadornes de belon, ainsi que les mouettes mélanocéphales.. Quelques vanneaux huppés, courlis et Gravelots complètent le tableau…
Le printemps est également la saison où les chevaux Fjord agrandissent la famille, de même que les lapins de garenne qui laissent les lapereaux sortir à proximité des terriers…
A la rencontre de l’échasse blanche
Cela n’a durée que quelques jours, mais ce printemps-ci, les échasses sont venues chercher leur nourriture tout près de mon poste d’observation, en ce montrant très tolérantes. Ca a été l’occasion de faire quelques gros plans, et de photographier un accouplement, particulièrement esthétique chez cette espèce où le mâle prend la femelle sous son aile avec un croisement de becs qui ressemble à un petit câlin.
