Barn owl

Rumours of a bird being seen around the village materialised into a sighting by me on 12/05/04, the bird entering a hole in an old, but inhabited, building.

Barn swallow

Large numbers seen on spring passage from March, first 6/03/07, with a good number remaining to breed. The autumn passage can be equally heavy.

Bee-eater

Generally, a rather late spring migrant and summer visitor, not seen in any numbers until early May, when up to 100 birds were found re-fuelling from local bee hives, before moving on (2001)! New breeding colony in a bank created by roadworks found in 2003,following a particularly heavy spring passage. Small parties can be seen flying over the village throughout the summer and are generally present on wires on the southern village edge, but becoming noticeably more numerous in August, when parties of up to 60 birds are in evidence daily, and can also be heard during darkness,passing overhead. First were 2 very early birds hawking insects over the village in the evening of 3/04/04,last 15/09/03.

Black kite

Spring passage commences as for short toed eagle and the two species are often seen moving through together. Occasionally seen throughout the summer months but not abundant. First 8/03/04,last 09/10/04. On 28/03/05 groups of 7,12 and 15 passed through northwards and a group of 30 was part of a large raptor movement 21/03/06. They are the first of the raptors to return south, commencing in the first half of August. A group of c.100 passed over the village in the evening of 9/08/08, then quickly came down to roost in trees to the south of us. Magic! A similar sized group passed over the village, southbound, 3/08/09.

Black redstart

Abundant resident breeder, with numbers swelled in the autumn/winter period by birds presumably from further north, when as many as a dozen present together in our garden.

Black stork

2 were circling with a grey heron on the village edge on the morning of 30/08/07. They landed in a dead tree for a couple of minutes, before continuing their south-bound migration. Wow! Incredibly, a third bird passed over the village, southbound, in the early evening on the same day and a further 2 storks were seen circling in almost exactly the same spot as the first 2 mentioned, on 3/09/07, believed to be blacks also, although they drifted off south before I could confirm their exact I.D. One passed west, high, 29/04/09. One circled over the village, late in the afternoon on 2/09/09, for 15 mins or so, before going down to roost just outside the village, with a further bird arriving late the following day, to roost in the same area and, amazingly, a third circled over the village, with a Grey Heron, the next day!

Blackbird

Resident, also in small numbers, population swelling in autumn/winter.

Blackcap

Resident in good numbers, with perhaps numbers swelled in autumn/winter. Breeders continue to sing into July.

Black-winged stilt

2 flew over, heading south and calling, 6/05/05(per David Goulding). 3 flew over, heading east and calling, 30/07/06. 2 in flight, heading N.W., 10/08/08.

Blue tit

As for great tit.

Bonelli's warbler

Spring migrant, first seen 2nd week in April (first 7/04/03), some may stay to breed. Small numbers only and can be difficult to locate. Presumed more abundant in the deciduous woods in the Parc. Passage birds seen in the garden regularly,particularly in the autumn.

Booted eagle

Small number of passage migrants found to occur in both periods, largely spring and generally caught up in the passage of other raptors, notably honey buzzards. Spring 2002 was particularly good, with a total of 4 dark morph birds seen, 2 of them on 20/05/02, when a late movement of honey buzzards occurred. Two superb pale morph individuals passed through on 06/05/02, another good day for h.buzzard passage. A significent number were identified in a 2 day raptor passage of unpresidented proportions which occurred on 2nd and 3rd April 2004., but "first" date was an incredibly early dark morph individual over the house on 13/03/08. Autumn sightings are less common, but 2 pale phase birds which were caught up in a small passage of raptors on 15/10/04 and which passed by low and close, were memorable and even more so was a very late pale bird on 18/11/04. A pale morph bird, being mobbed by a kestrel, over the village on 3/07/06, was unusual and welcome! On 22/07/07, another pale morph bird plunged into our garden and took a starling from a feeding flock, then soared around with it in it's talons before drifting off with it, to feed - nice one for the garden list! On 24/09/07, 4 dark morph birds came over late in the day and roosted in trees to the south of the village.