Category: David

Another bird heading south on autumn migration, pausing for a little rest and refreshment on the French Basque coast. This one’s a little ringed plover.

Scurrying over rocks or peeping out from the vegetation, these were common wall lizards.

A tiny crab out of water, possibly an escapee from a fisherman’s catch.

Another bird pausing to rest and eat on the Basque coast while on the autumn migration: this one a dunlin.

Growing wild on rough ground along the French Basque coast, a chicory plat with its bright blue flower.

On the shoreline near the French Basque resort of St Jean de Luz, several turnstones were active. Some were prospecting for food by the harbour: there’s still a small fishing fleet as well as some pleasure yachts. Others were hunting in the grass among the dunes on the foreshore.

We visited the area several times over the years, and never noticed them there before. Perhaps this time they were on their autumn migration, following the Atlantic coasts of France and Iberia.