Twitching by pedalo

Red-footed Booby at Lac de Sainte-Croix

The Red-footed Booby was a shimmering white haze in the middle of the lake, and then a small boat sailed past it at point blank range. So we hastily got our gear, parted with a bit of cash and had our own boat charter (well, pedalo but this doesn't sound as impressive).

Charter boat station

Arriving at the bird, it was immediately obvious that it wasn't bothered by us, and continued to sit rather forlornly on the lake. Then, after half an hour or so it decided to have a fly about - skirting the sparse vegetation on the lake shore, presumably wishing it were the rainforest shores of the Caribbean.

Red-footed Booby at Lac de Sainte-Croix

For much of the afternoon, the bird stood and preened on a rock exhibiting its red feet and its small size was really apparent here. Additionally, it once again showed rather well and I imagine that these views would have been stamped on immediately back in the UK, with the Birdforum banter going into overdrive.

JJ and the RFB

Admittedly, when the bird was trapped and ringed, it was surprising that it was not taken into care although it was a very healthy weight. Of course, these boobies love a bit of attention in their native land so perhaps its confiding nature shouldn't be deemed a trait of ill health. But, whatever its physical state, it sure is a crazy bird to have turned up on a lake in France thousands of km from where it should be...

Lavender fields of Provence in the evening light