Sunday 5th June (One Flew Over Mr. Kite)

Mr. Kite looked out of The Joint window onto green grass and a family of Blackbirds feeding. After his ‘world birding tour’ Mr. Kite thought he would take it easy.

In the morning Mr. Kite watched White Storks flying around and circling. Then he set off on a leisurely tour of a few ponds. On one pond Mr. Kite watched a Purple Heron. Now Purple Herons don’t like people watching them so Mr. Kite sat near a bush and did not move. This bird was not having much success and eventually took to the air.

Mr. Kite cycled along tracks looking for a good vantage point;  are a thousands ponds there is a good chance of finding a suitable place and soon Mr. Kite was sitting happily watching birds. Egrets and Herons were plentiful and then Mr. Kite noticed a Black Tern sitting on the shore. Soon this bird was flying around the pond ‘turning sharply’; no pun meant. After five minutes the Black Tern left.

Mr. Kite then cycled to Etang Chaffaud on the edge of Villars-les-Doombes as it was on the way back. In the hot sun Mr. Kite sat and watched another Purple Heron feeding unsuccessfully. When another Purple Heron attempted to land on the communal pond the resident bird flew straight at it and drove it away. As a result of watching Purple Herons Mr. Kite did not consider this was their day; they were failures at fishing and anti-social with the communal pond.

Mr. Kite then looked to the left to see a white bird flying towards the town with it’s wings beating rapidly. This bird continued ‘like an arrow’; straight and level. As it became closer Mr. Kite could see it’s long straight ‘spoon-shaped bill’. Now the question was whether this ‘Eurasian Spoonbill’ was just flying over; or was it an escapee from Parc des Oiseaux?

Did it matter? Not really, Mr. Kite enjoyed watching a ‘Spoonbill fly’.

Mr. Kite returned to The Joint and sat on a chair with a tipple of Kronenbourg watching White Storks and listening to Pelicans. Cheers.