Excellent birding from the house yesterday (11th). My first swift and bee-eater(s) of 2026, hoopoe, lesser sp. w'pecker, melodious w'bler, 2 marsh harriers, red & 6 black kites, peregrine, booted & s/t eagles, osprey, adult male gos and black stork. #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Hoping for my first common rock thrush(es) on the Montagne d'Aret today, but no joy. Did see/hear tree pipits, skylarks & woodlarks, cuckoo & black woodpecker. BoPs inc. griffon, 5 short-toed eagles, ad male gos & 2-3 golden eagles. Next time then 🤞 #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Change of scenery t'day at a limestone plateau E of my regular patch. Newly arrived redstart, n'gales, Western Bonelli's warbler & 17+ Western subalpine warblers. Also singles of woodlark, cirl & corn bunts. Top BoP was a super golden eagle overhead #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Another cracking day (6th) on the Espinouse... skylarks, woodlarks, cuckoos, my first tree pipits, two red kites, five short-toed eagles & seven griffon vultures. But top of the pops were a single ring ouzel and a pair of rock buntings #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

A sparkling day on the Espinouse. Darties, skylarks, woodlarks, dunnocks (!), 2+ cuckoos, 3 black woodpeckers, short-toed (4) booted & golden eagles, 7 Alpine swifts NE #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

The Tramontane finally dropped - a bit - y'day, and bingo, some birds! H'lights inc. 1 red & 9 black kites, 3 marsh harriers, 3 short-toed eagles, 1 pale booted eagle, 3 ospreys & up to 3 golden eagles, inc spectacular dogfight between two of them #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Another good day's (24th) birding in the Orb Valley before the Tramontane blocks visible migration for a bit. My first swallows, 7+ sparrowhawks, 5+ short-toed eagles, 1 female gos, 1 golden eagle, 6 marsh harriers and a surprising 90+ black kites #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

V. good BoP birding from the house this w/e. Tots inc 6+ kestrels, 11+ s'hawks, 5+ buzzards, 7+ blk & 1 red kites, 3 m. harriers, 11+ STEs (inc mating pair), 15+ griffons, 1+ p'grine, 1 osprey, 3 goshawks & 2 golden eagles. Plus g'crest & f'crest! #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Sunny but hazy & a cool SE'erly on the Montagne d'Aret turned up a typical early spring selection. Four-plus meadow pipits, singing skylarks, woodlarks, Darties, dunnocks & stonechats. Plus 2 house martins N, 4+ STEs, 8 griffons & two golden eagles #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

A good day on the Espinouse (17th). Best birds inc. yellowhammer, crossbill, meadow pipits, skylarks, woodlark, stonechats, marsh & crested tits, black woodpecker, 2 red kites, 7+ sparrowhawks, 8+ short-toed & 2 golden eagles and a female goshawk #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

A good day out on the Espinouse...woodlarks, stonechats, black woodpecker, kestrels, sparrowhawks, buzzards, ravens, blue rock thrush, 4 griffons, 4 black & 1 red kites, 3 short-toed eagles, 1 black vulture & 3 golden eagles #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

The rain actually stopped for several hours today, so there was a bit of spring migration to enjoy: one red & three black kites, 20+ buzzards & 11+ kestrels all East. Plus griffon, peregrine, 2 yellow-legged gulls & singing cirl bunting #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

A sparkling first day of spring on the Caroux yesterday with singing skylarks, woodlarks, stonechats, Dartford warblers & meadow pipits (a rare breeder here). BoPs surprisingly thin but two griffons, five red kites north and a peregrine #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

A top morning on the Sommet de l'Espinouse y'day. Early spring migration inc low 00s chaffinches, 6+ bramblings, 24+ siskins, 10+ xbills & 1 citril finch. Singing woodlarks & 2 calling black w'peckers. Best BoPs inc 2 male goshawks & 2 golden eagles #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

A spring-like day between Storms Nils (140+kph) last week & Pedro (90+kph) tomorrow. Crag martins, peregrine, golden eagle and, a very good spring record here, 45 common cranes heading NE #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Like many others in Western Europe I'm trying to dodge the almost non-stop rain on my local patch in the Orb & Jaur Valleys. Better on Saturday with one subadult & one displaying adult golden eagles. Then today this unusually showy black woodpecker #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Most of the snow had gone, but still chilly on the Caroux today. Had to work hard for my birds but h'lights inc. marsh & crested tits, Dartford warblers, ravens, buzzards, black woodpecker, peregrine, golden eagle and especially nine citril finches #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Still snowy and chilly on the Montagne d'Aret yesterday. Highlights were woodlark, black woodpecker, a pair of dislaying peregrines, six or so Alpine accentors and an hour and a half of two black vultures #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

A whole day of sunshine in the Orb Valley yesterday (26th)😎! A super male brambling on the feeders, plus kestrel, sparrowhawk, 6 buzzards, 2 ravens, a spectacular stooping goshawk and three different golden eagles #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

After 2+ weeks of low cloud & almost continuous rain, some torrential, it was nice to be able to see up & down & across the Orb Valley for much of today. Up & about were 1 kestrel, 3 buzzards, 5 ravens, peregrine & the closest pair of golden eagles #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Cold & icy on the E side of the Caroux today. Fairly quiet but 4 Darties, 4 ravens, red kite, 2 griffons & male peregrine. A concerted effort for wallcreeper turned up a blue rock thrush instead, actually probably just as difficult to see here #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Sun but still bloomin´ cold on 2nd & 3rd! Top birds inc. likely 3rd local pr of golden eagles (inc display), a passing subadult & one of the original two pairs displaying. Plus 4 griffons, cracking overhead views of black vulture & 2+ citril finches #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

My New Year's Day birding largely thwarted by low cloud & a biting Tramontane. That said, two-plus dippers, two kingfishers squabbling over a perch (to sit on, not the fish), one calling black woodpecker, and two drive-up-to Alpine accentors #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Another sunny Orb Valley Wednesday 🤔! Highlights inc. 6 red-legged partridges, 3 little & 1 great white egrets, 2 griffons, golden eagle, 2 peregrines, 11+ Sardinian warblers, 6+ cirl buntings & a low altitude roadside alpine accentor 😮. #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

A sunny day after two wet ones on the Caroux today, but surprisingly few raptors. Just 1+ griffons, 4+ buzzards & a kestrel. But 7 linnets (quite rare here), 4 fieldfares and finally...good 'scope views of 8 citril finches 😎 #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Much better weather on the Montagne d'Aret today 😎! Highlights inc. cresties, Darties, 7 griffons (& very distant probable black vulture), 2 heard-only black woodpeckers, 25 Alpine accentors & ca.30 very flighty white-winged snowfinches #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Birding was a slog in the fog on the Caroux today. Really not raptor weather - but marsh, l-t & crested tits, brambling, Dartford warbler, 6+ redwings, a flyover Alpine accentor & 4+ fieldfares were the highlights. The latter a pretty good bird here #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

Luckily I caught a good weather-window earlier, and stayed below the looming cloud and advancing rain to the NW. Mostly quiet, but 8+ redwings are good here, and finally, my first wallcreeper of the autumn/winter 👍 #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

This male kestrel just beyond our garden, trying to keep out of the increasingly cold Tramontane blowing yesterday #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway

A cloudy start & gusting 60kph Tramontane t'day on the Montagne d'Aret. But crossbill, 1+ Alpine accentor, r/t hen harrier, displaying golden eagle, 10 griffons & black vulture. Another fleeting glimpse of ca.30 "citril finches" - still v. elusive! #birds #birding #OrbValleyBirding #orbvalleyflyway