PICTURES. In full migration, more than a million birds flew over Pont-de-Roide this autumn

It is one of the most important migration corridors in France: every autumn, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds fly over Pont-de-Roide near Montbéliard in the Doubs. For observers of the LPO, this year is exceptional in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

Exceptional spot for ornithological observation, every year, the Fort de Roche, on the heights of Pont-de-Roide in the Doubs, allows LPO volunteers to count the migratory birds that pass through the Doubs valley and to estimate the population status of these species. However, this year, they have already observed the passage of more than a million birds, while they still have almost three weeks of counting left.

“It’s only the fourth time that we have exceeded one million” explains Georges Lignier, voluntary counting monitoring coordinator for the LPO Franche-Comté. One species in particular has been noticed by its large groups this year: wood pigeons, which accounted for more than 70,000 individuals observed on October 28. “This is an excellent level, the record for this species is 1.1 million in 2019”.

This is historic for ornithology in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, because we have a counting site called the mountain of madness in Burgundy, which have also greatly exceeded one million birds. They even counted more than 300,000 wood pigeons in 48 hours.

Georges Lignier, volunteer counting coordinator for the LPO Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

The weather is no stranger to these results: “we were penalized for a while by the patches of fog, we couldn’t see much, but since then we have excellent visibility, we manage to take flights at 25-30 kilometers” welcomes Georges Lignier.

Red kites also stood out this fall. While usually counted over the whole season between 7,000 and 12,000 individuals, they were already to October 28 more than 9,700 to have been seen and identified from Fort des Roches. “It somewhat reflects a better state of health of the population, explains Georges Lignier, but these are populations that remain fragile”.

On the other hand, other species are rarer this season. “There is a notable absentee, begins the LPO volunteer, these are the small sparrows.” “The most important thing is the little chaffinch”he continues.

Another species whose absence has been noticed: “we only have three bullfinches”. AT the same time last year, just over 120 individuals had already been observed. “That’s a sign, it’s a bird that’s not doing well at all”.

Until the end of the count, LPO volunteers take turns to observe the sky and identify the species that use the migratory corridor. Since August 20, “we were able to ensure a daily presence, welcomes Georges Lignier, that’s a strong commitment for volunteers”.

Volunteers who also welcome the public. “We have tourists, we have people from all over France too” details the counting coordinator. “The fort is always open, and from sunrise to the very end of the afternoon, there are entertainments. For one or ten people, we welcome, we explain what we do, why and how”. A good idea for outings for curious little ones on vacation.