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Birds and mammals of the Ariège Pyrenees :
Summer report by Dave Watts
Dave Watts is a professional wildlife photographer who spends much of the year in Ariège. This is the first installment of his quarterly report on mammals and birds in the central Pyrenees. More examples of his work can be seen on his website, www.davewattsphoto.com. Read also : Autumn, Winter, Spring
August 2002
With most birds having finished breeding some migrants start to head south from the end of July. The Black Kite is one of the earliest with numbers of birds heading south peaking during the middle of August. I recently watched a large flock of Black Kites (about 200 birds) passing south over Arbas, west of Saint Girons. Honey Buzzards will also be heading south during the latter half of August and most will have departed by the middle of September.
Only yesterday I watched another flock of about 100 Black Kites heading south over Moulis closely followed by a single male Montagu’s Harrier. What a magnificent bird. The lightest in weight of all the world’s harriers the Montagu’s Harrier sails and glides over cornfields and heathland with consummate grace and can cover great distances with ease by taking advantage of warm rising air. Cloudy weather is often the best for watching migrating birds as with clear blue skies birds are able to fly much higher.
The summer months are not generally a good time to see many birds as most song birds fall silent following the end of the breeding season.
Some birds do still have chicks in the nest including Short-toed Eagles and the few pairs of Egyptian Vultures which nest in the Ariège. As the Egyptian Vultures come to the end of the breeding season (during August) the adults and recently fledged juveniles frequently gather at communal roosts prior to migration. I have seen up to 20 birds at a roost south of the Sierra de Guara on the Spanish side of the Pyrénées.
I was recently privileged to be shown the nest of an Egyptian Vulture only a few kilometres from Saint Girons. The silhoutte of an adult bird gliding past the nest high on a cliff was unmistakable. We watched as it landed on a grassy bank close to the recently fledged chick which had an overall dark, almost black plumage. The Egyptian Vulture is classified as an "Endangered Species" in Europe although this year has seen a slight increase in the local breeding population from five to six pairs. Before the end of August these small black and white vultures will have departed south on their migration to spend the winter months in sub-Saharan Africa.
The local population of Bee-Eaters will now have increased due to the numerous juveniles on the wing. These stunning multi-coloured birds can easily be seen in the Vallée de L’Hers near Mirepoix where a large colony nests in the banks of the river together with several colonies of Sand Martins.
Because of the vast areas of forest and unspoilt mountain environment the Ariège is one of the finest areas in France to see mammals. Roe Deer are particularly common and increasing in many areas. Unlike other native deer and herbivores which rut or mate during Autumn, the Roe Deer rut occurs during July and August. During the rut Roe Deer become far less wary and are seen more often. The summer coat of the Roe Deer is a beautiful foxy-red which makes them more visible than at other times of the year. Although requiring areas of dense vegetation such as young forests or even areas of crops such as maize I frequently encounter Roe Deer high above the tree line on open mountain sides.
Another mammal suited to the forests of the Ariège is the Pine Marten. One of our most beautiful mammals this mustelid (a member of the weasel family) has dense rich chocolate fur with a creamy yellow throat patch. It has longer legs than most other mustelids and a long bushy tail. The similar Beech Marten has shorter legs and smaller ears. Pine Marten droppings are commonly seen along pathways and are often deposited on prominent rocks or logs. At this time of the year Pine Marten and Fox droppings become stained dark blue due to the large amount of blueberries and blackberries eaten. Cherry stones may also be visible in the droppings. Pine Martens become quite visible at this time of the year because of the increase in the population due to the recently emerged young from their dens and may even be seen during daylight. Fortunately a recent ministerial order has removed the Pine Marten from the list of noxious animals together with the Polecat and Weasel so in fact legally protecting these delightful mammals in France.