After my return to the UK I flew back to France, but this time Lauras parents place in Alsace, on the German/France border. It makes an excellent change to urban Paris, with the stunning woodlands of the Vosges mountains less than an hours drive away, and the general area covered by small patches of woodland and open fields.
We spent the
afternoon walking near the Chateau Greifenstein near the town of Saverne. It
being a Sunday afternoon I was expecting it to be busy with not much bird
activity, but I was pleasantly wrong. There were not too many people around and
birding was quite good. Granted it was mostly commoner species for the region,
but that still involves Firecrest and Crested Tit, two species I do not see at home.
But the highlight of
the walk was an unexpected bonus bird for my France list; a superb Black Stork
that flew over. This is a rare species in France, with only a small breeding
population and while I knew there were a few in the Vosges I did not expect
this encounter. It circled once over us before heading off north. Hopefully it
has luck breeding wherever it sets up shop!
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