Photographie ornithologique au marais du Crotoy en Baie de Somme
Il faut se lever tôt pour aller se poster le long de la piste cyclable alors que l’endroit est encore calme, mais le marais du Crotoy en baie de Somme offre souvent de belles observations ornithologiques au printemps. C’est le moment des naissances et les oiseaux un peu territoriaux tels que foulques maroules ou les cygnes tuberculés défendent leur territoire avec férocité. Les bagarres ne son pas rare et çà éclabousse fort !
Un peu plus tard en saison, ils promènent leurs jeunes pour le nourrissage ou improvisent des séquences de toilettage en famille. En revanche, les mouettes ne se sont pas tellement reproduites cette année, il semble que la grippe aviaire ait beaucoup perturbé la colonie. Il y a cependant fréquemment au moins une grande aigrette ou une garzette pour faire le show et le bonheur du photographe ornitho…
Photo ornitho au Hâble d’Ault
Ce printemps aura encore été une belle saison pour photographier les oiseaux en baie de Somme, au Hâble d’Ault notamment. J’ai eu la chance faire quelques belles rencontres avec les courlis corlieux ou les mouettes mélanocéphales, ou encore de voir le ballet des alouettes nourrissant leurs petit dans leur nid, une simple cache au pied d’une touffe d’herbe. Les gravelots étaient présent aussi et la saison des amours m’a permis d’immortaliser quelques parades et accouplements. Enfin, les traquets motteux prés des terriers de lapins et les linottes mélodieuses peu farouches et si colorées ont fait le reste du spectacle. C’est beaucoup d’attente mais quand l’oiseau offre une belle image c’est vraiment un grand plaisir. Et le reste du temps, le temps passé à observer est tellement riche d’enseignements…
La vie du Marais
Malgré la sécheresse et la baisse du niveau d’eau dans le marais du Crotoy, quelques observations ornithologiques étaient quand même possibles cette année. Voici donc quelques images de la vie du marais, au printemps et en début d’été. Les scènes de nourrissage des foulques macroules étaient vraiment intéressantes à observer, les parents travaillant d’arrache-pied pour trouver et remonter la nourriture pour leur nombreuse progéniture.
Chez les spatules, à cette époque les jeunes étaient déjà bien émancipés, même s’ils continuaient à harceler les adultes pour quémander de la nourriture. Les autres se toilettent mutuellement ou vont à la pêche avec une efficacité redoutable !
Parfois la vie des oiseaux est perturbée par le passage d’une vache Higland ou de quelques Henson, accompagnés de hérons garde-bœufs…
Nourrissage des jeunes spatules en baie de Somme
Si vous voulez savoir ce que c’est que le harcèlement, je vous conseille d’aller observer les jeunes spatules qui réclament à manger aux adultes au marais du Crotoy. Dans ce marais de la baie de Somme, on peut les voir poursuivre leur victime en hochant la tête frénétiquement et en poussant de nombreux cris. Le pauvre parent (ou pas d’ailleurs) essaie de s’éloigner de ce gêneur, à pied ou en volant plus loin, mais rien n’y fait. Le juvénile le poursuit, le presse, le prend sous son aile, tapote son bec avec le sien. Au final, l’adulte finit par le laisser enfourner son bec dans son propre gosier pour lui régurgiter de la nourriture et satisfaire sa faim.
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!
