A few Bird Notes from Southern Provence. 143


in Spring and Autumn, on their migrations south and north. The

voice of the Cuckoo is now and then heard, and in the woods ‘ the

Cuckoo’s mate,’ the Wryneck, feeds on the tree insects, with its long

tongue, while sometimes the Great Spotted Woodpecker makes the

forest resound with his hammering. There are Night-Jars too, the

common ‘ Europaeus,’ and also, I believe, the Red-necked Night¬

jar might be found; it has been seen near Marseilles.


Swifts circle and scream round the old tower of the Cathedral

at Fr^gus and many another ancient building in this country-side.

The Swallows come in the Spring time, though I believe some hardy

birds remain here all the winter if it is fairly mild. They build

under our eaves and in the cloister on the north side of the house,

and in the “ Miradou ” (loggia) on the south. They come in and

out quite fearlessly, and smear the cornices in all directions with

building material, before they fix on a suitable spot on which to

fasten the permanent nests of the season. There are Martins, too,

and in the mountain gorges of the Basse Alpes near Castelane, Crag

Swallows are found. It is curious how many pure White Swallows

breed in our neighbourhood ; year after year several nests are re¬

ported, and the young birds as well as the parents are pure white.

This spring (1913) a pair of white Swallows built in the tower at

St. Raphael and hatched out four pure -white nestlings. The ex¬

tremely rare Rufus Swallow has, I believe, been noted in this district.


Another very rare bird, the ‘ Two-barred Crossbill,’ appeared

here only this morning (September 15th). We saw two of them (a

pair ?) in a pine tree close to this house, and were able to observe

them for several minutes before they flew further afield. A few

common Crossbills come every spring and autumn.


Among the brushwood in the hills, and even close to the side

of paths and far up into the Esterels, coveys of Partridges are met

with, and of late years, since ‘ game birds ’ from Golden-crested

Wrens to Golden Eagles, have been more ' protected,’ their numbers

have greatly increased; they are very tame, just rising in front of a

pedestrian, and after flying a few yards close to the ground, they

quickly settle again among the bushes. They are also often seen

on the main road, in the hills, ‘ dusting ’ in the roads, or picking

up tiny insects and bits of grit.



