I don't normally bore you with my annual visit to my family in France, but sitting here beer in hand and a good internet connection and the grandchildren being quite for a change I thought I would check the club website for anything interesting at home.

Looks like things are moving through and Craig's blog proves the point, then I came to the "A" team and "B" team and whatever team and was inspired......so here goes.

Newhaven to Diepp to Caen that's the boring bit, then short hops down the River Orne valley also known as "Little Switzerland" stunning gorges and oak woods which produced six woodpecker species within two days..

Black Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

Middle spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotteed Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Wryneck.

Further along the valley were the following Warblers,

Wood

Willow

Reed

Cettis

Whitethroat

Dartford

Sedge

Icterine

Melodious.

There were the usual Tits, the best two being Crested and Penduline.

 We also had Shrikes, Hoopoe, Kingfisher and a magnificent Golden Oriole.

After a week in this excellent region with surprisingly few raptors, we headed down to the coastal marches of the Vandee near Saint Jean De Monts where my son, wife and three grandchildren live in the middle of the "Les Marais".

This is Marsh Harrier central, it is difficult not see one of these gracefull creatures gliding over the fields, when you can take your eyes of them you will also see...

Great White Egret

Little Egret

Cattle Egret

Purple Heron

Black Kite

Osprey

Kestrel (two many to count)

Buzzard

Green Sandpiper

Turtle Dove

Stonechat, Winchat, and Wheatear

Lots of finch and Bunting flocks in the shrub edges of the marches, of interest were..

Linnet

Serin

Hawfinch (one individual)

Ortolan Bunting

Yellowhammer

Cirl Bunting

On the coast and as passage were the following..

Avocet

Spoonbill

Curlew Sandpiper

Sanderling

Black Stork

White Stork

Black-winged Stilt

Purple Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Little Stint.

Thousands of Gulls and Tern, I never have the time to sort them out, that's my excuse anyway !

Early next week we go north along the Atlantic coast and then back to Diepp and back to Uk early October in time to start up the winter feeding stations in Strongstry.

Regards Brian.