Pagney 13/9/2026 - Opening of the Hunting Season

     An early start on the patch to enjoy the time left before the guns arrived. About 50 Corn Buntings left the roost just before 7am. They left in a tight group so it was impossible to count them accurately. A minimum of five Yellow Wagtails that had also roosted in the reeds left at the same time. 

    The 80 or so Mallards that were on site flew off before it got light. Maybe they knew what was coming! 


    Compared to when I started birding at Pagney more than fifteen years ago, the number of hunters has declined considerably and so this morning only seventeen gunshots were heard and the two hopefuls that came to have a look around the place didn't find anything to shoot and moved on. 

    The number of bird species that are still on the quarry list in France is disturbing and far higher than in any other EU country. Species present at Pagney today that risked their lives were: Mallard, Teal, Moorhen, Coot, Lapwing, Green Sandpiper, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Song Thrush and Starling. There are usually plenty of other species that have to be careful too but it really is a crap Autumn! 

    The five Snipes present didn't have to worry so much - they're protected in the Jura department again this year. If they were to fly over the river into Haute-Saône or into the Doubs to the East though, they are still very much on the hunting list there!

    Charlie el Chorlito - the Ringed Plover from yesterday was still present, a Bluethroat was seen on the island and two Ospreys flew through. The walnut tree near the tables was visited by both a Middle Spotted Woodpecker and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but the Great Spotted didn't come today so we missed out on the hat-trick. "Misère" the long-staying Purple Heron was still there and didn't bother to move when the hunters approached.

    Once home, there were a few Long-tailed Tits and a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker from the balcony.

Misère the Purple Heron meets someone with a gun.

A Coot sniffing a Cormorant's arse





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