Hello Tweets.

My wife and I are still living in Paris, but I have been quite envious of
the slew of Asian rarities that have graced the Pacific Northwest this
winter.

I've found a few birds over here. Honestly, I expected Paris to be an
ecological wasteland after hearing repeated warnings of gardens that have
been manicured for centuries. While this is predominately the case, you can
still find patches of habitat throughout the city, especially in the "green
lungs" of Bois de Vincennes to the east and Bois de Boulogne to the west
(the latter is 2.5 times the size of Central Park, well wooded, and only a
mile from our flat).

I arrived in Paris in June of last year and averaged a morning of birding
through November. With this moderate effort (as well as missing spring
migration and not knowing the less common songs/calls), I was still able to
tally *72 species of birds* in the City of Light. I wrote a full recap here
for those interested:
http://www.flockingsomewhere.com/a-birder-in-paris-2012-recap/ (highlights
include *European Honey-buzzard, Lesser Redpoll, *and* Black Woodpecker*).

I also pulled together a resource for birdwatchers visiting Paris with some
of my favorite spots:
http://www.flockingsomewhere.com/birdwatching-in-paris/. There are many
reasons to visit this beautiful city, but this doesn't mean birders should
leave their binoculars at home--especially if it's their first time to
Europe. Been to Paris and found other locations that are good for birds?
Let me know!

With that, I begrudgingly wish you all continued success on the conveyor
belt of Asian strays.

Adam

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Adam Sedgley
P a r i s, France
sedge.thrasher [at] gmail [dot] com

http://www.flockingsomewhere.com
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