We started down memory lane today by driving over to Cugy (where Barb had lived for 5 months). Remarkably, we found her old apartment building — although with some changes (I thought we had brought along photos of it from 1963, but apparently not, so we will post comparison photos when we get home).
Okay, enough of non-birding!
We headed up to a nature preserve called Chavornay — a wetland, fields, and marsh. Just before we got there, we found a Eurasian Collared-Dove.
At the first pond, a Purple Heron was preening.
From the observation blind, we saw Coots, Tufted Ducks, and this Great Cormorant.
Great Cormorant, Chavornay, June 19, 2016
Another Purple Heron flew by.
Also there, a Reed Warbler posed.
I decided to walk down to check a nearby channel. Although I didn’t find any new birds, I did find Deer tracks — the closest we have come so far to seeing any wild mammals here.
And another frog (at all of the wetlands we have visited so far, the frogs and toads are in full chorus).
While I was doing that, Barb started walking back to the car. In a field of Swiss Chard (!), she found a Yellow Wagtail, which conveniently reappeared when I caught up.
We next headed for the Vallee de Joux. As we pulled into the first wetland parking area, a Hobby flew in and raced back and forth over the stream and marsh for several minutes.
Out on the lake were many Coots, Great Crested Grebes, and Black-headed Gulls. We drove down the lakeside, but didn’t find anything new. But as we pulled into a parking lot to turn around, a small bird flitted into a tree in front of us. It was a Redstart.
Although Tufted Ducks are common here, most of the ones we have seen have been distant. So a closer one on a pond was nice.
While driving back to the hotel, we spotted a Common Buzzard.
Common Buzzard, near Cugy, June 19, 2016
In Pennsylvania, when a farmer is out mowing the hay, he is followed by a swarm of swallows. Here, he is followed by kites!
The triplist is 52, with 40 lifers.
We head to France and the Camargue (a large coastal preserve) tomorrow.