{"id":42777,"date":"2020-06-22T13:04:01","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T17:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/?p=42777"},"modified":"2020-06-22T13:04:03","modified_gmt":"2020-06-22T17:04:03","slug":"depuis-ma-fenetre-from-my-window","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/2020\/06\/22\/depuis-ma-fenetre-from-my-window\/","title":{"rendered":"Depuis Ma Fen\u00eatre\u00a0\/ From My Window"},"content":{"rendered":"

Read this in English.<\/a><\/em>

J’ai pu voir de nombreuses esp\u00e8ces pendant mon confinement au Covid, m\u00eame depuis mon appartement parisien. La nature est toute proche.<\/blockquote><\/figure><\/span>J’ai fait\u00a0<\/span>les chroniques confin\u00e9es quotidiennes<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>pendant la quarantaine parisienne, et voici quelques observations r\u00e9centes de notre maison \u00e0 Pantin, dans la banlieue nord-est de Paris.<\/p>\n

Les M\u00e9sanges charbonni\u00e8res qui ont \u00e9lu domicile dans le trou du mur\u00a0<\/span>de mes voisins<\/span>\u00a0ont quitt\u00e9 leur nid ce matin. Des\u00a0<\/span>six<\/span>\u00a0jeunes, un a fini croqu\u00e9 par une pie, mais les 5 autres ont pass\u00e9 leur journ\u00e9e \u00e0 attendre patiemment leur nourriture dans le cerisier de la cour. Photo du jour d’un\u00a0<\/span>des jeunes fra\u00eechement sorti<\/span>\u00a0:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Cet essai fait partie de la nouvelle initiative : TNOC Francophone<\/blockquote><\/figure>Le couple de Rougequeues noirs qui niche vraisemblablement dans la rue voisine se fait discret. Le m\u00e2le ne chante plus que quelques fois par jour. Il y a 10 jours, un jeune m\u00e2le (2e<\/span>\u00a0ann\u00e9e) est venu concurrencer le m\u00e2le bien noir qui occupe habituellement les lieux. La femelle s’int\u00e9ressait \u00e0 lui, le vieux m\u00e2le tentait parfois de le chasser, mais s’en d\u00e9sint\u00e9ressait le plus souvent. L’idylle a \u00e9t\u00e9 intense (poursuites et vols \u00e0 deux toute la journ\u00e9e mais br\u00e8ve, car je ne l’ai jamais revu, ce ne fut qu’une amourette de passage, mais peut-\u00eatre en a-t-il profit\u00e9 pour s’accoupler discr\u00e8tement comme cela arrive si souvent chez les oiseaux\u202f<\/span>\ud83d\ude42.<\/span><\/p>\n

J’ai eu la surprise pendant le confinement d’entendre le rougequeue noir \u00e9mettre plusieurs imitations, dont le chant du Pouillot v\u00e9loce, le cri du Chevalier cul<\/span>–<\/span>blanc et du troglodyte, et des babils que je n’avais jamais entendus.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Mais j’ai eu encore plus de plaisir \u00e0 \u00e9couter le chant du Rougequeue \u00e0 front blanc qui niche de l’autre c\u00f4t\u00e9 de la rue, dans l’enceinte du Lyc\u00e9e Berthelot. Il niche l\u00e0 depuis l’an dernier (en tout cas je ne l’avais jamais vu avant), dans le vieux mur que l’on voit au fond. J’en suis \u00e0 14 esp\u00e8ces imit\u00e9es par ce m\u00e2le tr\u00e8s imitateur, qui passe son temps en particulier \u00e0 faire le chant de la grisette et du grimpereau. Aujourd’hui, il m’a gratifi\u00e9 pour la premi\u00e8re fois du chant du Cochevis, juste avant de s’accoupler avec sa femelle !<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A c\u00f4t\u00e9 de lui, la Fauvette \u00e0 t\u00eate noire chante quotidiennement, mais ce m\u00e2le n’est pas coutumier des imitations pourtant fr\u00e9quentes chez l’esp\u00e8ce.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Le confinement a donc \u00e9t\u00e9 l’occasion d’apprendre des choses sur des esp\u00e8ces tr\u00e8s communes : je n’avais jamais par exemple entendu le chant de la Pie, sorte de babil grin\u00e7ant, et pendant le mois de mars \u00e7a m’est arriv\u00e9 \u00e0 plusieurs reprises !<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Nous sommes \u00e0 300m\u202fdu cimeti\u00e8re de Pantin. Depuis 2-3 ans, un couple de Faucons hobereau y niche, ce qui est remarquable, \u00e0 500m de Paris. Mais c’est \u00e9galement le cas dans les bois de Vincennes et Boulogne, et dans d’autres cimeti\u00e8res p\u00e9riph\u00e9riques. Incroyable comment cette esp\u00e8ce a regagn\u00e9 du terrain. En montant sur le toit, j’ai le bonheur de le voir de temps en temps passer au ras des toits, et la semaine derni\u00e8re j’ai entendu le couple \u00e9mettre de sortes de petits cris de perruches que je n’avais jamais entendus, alors que l’un des deux tenait un oiseau dans les serres.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Nous habitons \u00e0 2-3 km \u00e0 vol d’oiseau du nid de Faucon p\u00e8lerin de la tour des Lilas, et encore aujourd’hui, j’ai vu la femelle cercler au-dessus de chez nous. Ce luxe d’ornithologie urbaine est tout r\u00e9cent, j’en r\u00eavais quand j’\u00e9tais gosse, c’est devenu presque habituel. Quel changement !\u00a0<\/span>Je pensais qu\u2019il s\u2019agissait de ce couple jusqu\u2019\u00e0 ce que j\u2019observe aujourd\u2019hui les deux oiseaux sur une tour abandonn\u00e9e de la porte de la Villette, visible en me pla\u00e7ant \u00e0 l\u2019extr\u00e9mit\u00e9 de mon\u00a0<\/span>toit<\/span>\u00a0! Il semblerait bien que nous ayons \u00e0 faire \u00e0 un nouveau couple de p\u00e8lerin, juste au bord du p\u00e9riph\u00e9rique parisien !<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Avec le survol quotidien des perruches, notre environnement s’est modifi\u00e9 \u00e0 grande vitesse. Sans parler des go\u00e9lands, bruns et argent\u00e9s, que j’observe quotidiennement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Aujourd’hui, avec le beau temps qui a suivi la pluie, je suis remont\u00e9 sur le toit, en 2h, entre deux lectures de mails, j’ai vu un Milan noir et un Balbuzard p\u00eacheur en migration, et quelques hirondelles rustiques. Coup de chance !<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus classique, depuis mars j’ai eu plusieurs fois l’\u00e9pervier, g\u00e9n\u00e9ralement rep\u00e9r\u00e9 gr\u00e2ce aux cris des corneilles qui viennent le houspiller.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Au rayon des grosses surprises, il y a 10 jours, le 23 avril, alors que j’\u00e9tais sur mon ordinateur dehors comme ce soir, un\u00a0<\/span>Oedicn\u00e8me<\/span>\u00a0s’est mis \u00e0 crier pendant une vingtaine de secondes ! C’est un \u00e9trange oiseau des milieux secs, qui adore les carri\u00e8res et autres terrains nus. Le couple le plus proche est \u00e0 environ 15 km, aux abords de l’a\u00e9roport Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle, mais l’esp\u00e8ce est connue pour faire des d\u00e9placements assez longs la nuit pour s’alimenter et est loquace en vol.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Il n’y a pas que les oiseaux, et outre les souris domestiques qui passent de temps en temps dans notre cuisine et les Pipistrelles communes en vol le soir, quelques insectes sont de passage. Pendant le beau temps de la semaine derni\u00e8re, j’ai eu la visite quotidienne d’un Brun des\u00a0<\/span>Pelargoniums<\/span>\u00a0sur les g\u00e9raniums\u00a0<\/span>de mon voisin<\/span>\u00a0(photo ci-dessous), petit papillon introduit dans le nord de la France. Un\u00a0<\/span>N\u00e9musien<\/span>\u00a0est pass\u00e9 bri\u00e8vement, l’Azur\u00e9 des nerpruns est pr\u00e9sent en continu.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Les\u00a0<\/span>Xylocopes (les grosses abeilles charpenti\u00e8res noires) patrouillent en permanence et sont \u00e9tonnamment nombreux et presque chaque jour, une ou deux c\u00e9toines dor\u00e9es viennent butiner. De notre tas de bois s’est envol\u00e9 un Petit Capricorne, on va peut-\u00eatre participer involontairement \u00e0 l’installation de l’esp\u00e8ce dans un des parcs voisins ! Les\u00a0<\/span>Osmies cornues \u00e9taient fr\u00e9quentes il y a un mois mais je ne les vois presque plus.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Un syrphe que je n’avais pas souvent vu en ville,\u00a0<\/span>Merodon\u00a0<\/em>sylvestris<\/em>, a fait une apparition la semaine derni\u00e8re,\u202fet une autre esp\u00e8ce,\u00a0<\/span>Myathropa<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>florea, semble int\u00e9ress\u00e9e par le terreau de notre petit pin, il pond surement dedans.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a>
\n<\/a>
\nBonne derni\u00e8re semaine confin\u00e9e !<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(NDLR\u202f: Le confinement devrait \u00eatre lev\u00e9 progressivement en France \u00e0 partir du 11 mai 2020).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maxime\u00a0<\/strong>Zucca<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Paris<\/p>\n

Toutes les photos sont de Maxime Zucca.<\/p>\n

Sur\u00a0The Nature of Cities<\/a><\/p>\n

* * *<\/h2>\n

Outside My Window<\/h2>\n
I could see many species during Covid confinement\u2014even from my Paris apartment. Nature is nearby.<\/blockquote><\/figure>I have made\u00a0daily confined chronicles<\/a>\u00a0(in French) during the Paris Covid quarantine, and here are some recent observations from our home in Pantin, in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris.<\/p>\n

The Coal Titmouse family that took up residence in the hole in my neighbour’s wall left their nest this morning. Of the six youngsters, one ended up biting a Magpie, but the other five spent their day patiently waiting for their food in the cherry tree in the courtyard. Here is a daytime photo of one of the youngsters, freshly emerged:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This essay is part of the new initiative: TNOC Francophone.<\/blockquote><\/figure><\/span>A couple of Black Redheads, who are probably nesting in the nearby street, are discreet. The male now only sings a few times a day. Ten days ago, a young male (a 2 year old) came to compete with the black male that usually occupies the premises. The female was interested in him, the old male sometimes tried to chase him away, but most often lost interest. The romance was intense (chases and flights in pairs all day long) but short. I never saw him again; it was only a passing fling, but maybe he took advantage of it to mate discreetly as it happens so often in birds \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

I was surprised during the confinement to hear the Black Redstart emitting several imitations, including the song of the Swift Warbler, the cry of the Leach Knight, and the Troglodyte, and babbling that I had never heard before.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

But I had even more fun listening to the song of the Red-headed Redstart nesting across the street, in the grounds of the Berthelot School. It has been nesting there since last year (at least I had never seen it before), in the old wall in the back. I have now counted 14 species imitated by this very creative male, who spends his time to make song imitating the Grizzly Bear and the Creeper. Today, he gave me for the first time the song of the Cochevis, just before mating with his female!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Next to him, the Black-headed Warbler sings daily, but this male is not accustomed to the imitations that are common in the species.<\/p>\n

So the confinement was an opportunity to learn things about very common species: I had never heard the song of the Magpie, for example, a kind of squeaky chatter, and during the month of March it happened to me several times!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We are 300m from the Pantin cemetery. For the past 2-3 years, a couple of Hobby Falcons have been nesting there. This is remarkable, only 500m from Paris. But it also happens in the woods of Vincennes and Boulogne, and in other peripheral cemeteries. Incredible how this species has regained its ground. When I go up on the roof, I am happy to see it from time to time passing by at roof level, and last week I heard the couple emitting some kind of little parakeet calls that I had never heard before, while one of them was holding a bird in the greenhouses.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>We live 2-3 km as the crow flies from the Peregrine Falcon’s nest in the Lilac Tower, and even today I saw the female circling above us. This luxury of urban ornithology is very recent. I used to dream about it when I was a kid; now it has become almost usual. What a change!\u00a0I thought it was this couple until today I observed the two birds on an abandoned tower at the Porte de la Villette, visible from the end of my roof! It seems we have a new pilgrim couple to deal with, just on the edge of the Parisian ring road!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

With the daily flight of the parakeets, our environment has changed at great speed. Not to mention the gulls, brown and silver, that I observe daily.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Today, with the good weather that followed the rain, I went back up on the roof. In two hours between, between two sessions reading emails, I saw a Black Kite and a migrating Osprey, and some Barn Swallows. Lucky break!<\/p>\n

More classic obswevations: since March I’ve had several times the Sparrow Hawk, which I spotted thanks to the cries of Crows that come to mob it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A big surprise: 10 days ago, on April 23rd, while I was on my computer outside like tonight, an Oedicn\u00e8me started screaming for about twenty seconds! It’s a strange dryland bird that loves quarries and other bare ground. The closest pair is about 15 km away, near Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport, but the species is known to make fairly long journeys at night to feed and is talkative in flight.<\/p>\n

It is not only birds, and apart from the house mice that spend time in our kitchen from time to time and the common Pipistrelle in flight in the evening, a few insects are passing by. During the nice weather last week, I had the daily visit of a Brown of the Pelargoniums on my neighbour’s geraniums (photo below), a small butterfly introduced in the north of France. A Nemusian passed by briefly, the Buckthorn Azure is continuously present.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Xylocopes (the big black carpenter bees) are constantly patrolling and are surprisingly numerous and almost every day, one or two golden ketones come to forage. A Little Capricorn flew away from our wood pile, we may involuntarily participate in the installation of the species in one of the nearby parks! Horned Osmies were common a month ago but I hardly see them anymore.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A hoverfly that I had not often seen in town, Merodon sylvestris<\/em>, made an appearance last week, and another species, Myathropa florea, seems interested in the soil of our little pine tree, it probably lays in it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Happy last confined week!<\/p>\n

(Note: Confinement was gradually lifted in France starting on 11 May 2020).<\/p>\n

Maxime Zucca<\/strong>
\nParis<\/p>\n

On The Nature of Cities<\/a><\/p>\n

All photos are by Maxime Zucca.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read this in English.J’ai fait\u00a0les chroniques confin\u00e9es quotidiennes\u00a0pendant la quarantaine parisienne, et voici quelques observations r\u00e9centes de notre maison \u00e0 Pantin, dans la banlieue nord-est de Paris. Les M\u00e9sanges charbonni\u00e8res qui ont \u00e9lu domicile dans le trou du mur\u00a0de mes voisins\u00a0ont quitt\u00e9 leur nid ce matin. Des\u00a0six\u00a0jeunes, un a fini croqu\u00e9 par une pie, mais […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":218,"featured_media":42891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[273,938,297],"tags":[401,1105,25,1147,29,100],"coauthors":[373],"class_list":["post-42777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essay","category-europe","category-essay-science-and-tools","tag-biodiversity","tag-covid","tag-europe","tag-natural","tag-what-is-urban-nature","tag-wildlife-people-interactions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/218"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42777"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thenatureofcities.com\/TNOC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=42777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}