Sunrise at Marais de Sionnet / Private Tour with Scott

This time it's not a sunrise but a sunset at the Marais de Sionnet for this private nature excursion with Scott. It is the best birding hotspot of the left bank of the canton of Geneva. This walk allow us to start a well-deserved weekend!

We meet at the Chemin de la Motte car park to start our evening, the weather is a bit threatening and the wind is moderate. In this migration period, these conditions can be a double-edged sword... either the activity of the birds approaches nothingness, or they can set in motion certain migratory birds who would like to avoid the storm. Of course nature is not so black and white and there is (almost) alalways something to feed our naturalist soul.

We quickly get in the perimeter of the marshes and the activity seems to be there! Hares!

Photo Loris Bono

The numerous Nightingales are heard on both sides in the willow thickets, a few reckless ones come out into the open and allow themselves to be observed. Soon enough, the warblers stand out. A few blackcaps and reed warblers allow us to differentiate the songs. We stop for a few minutes to hope to photograph one of them on a singing post. And it did not fail! A Common Reed Warbler stands out prominently at the top of the reeds. The photos look good, the subject stands out well from the background, the dark atmosphere of the storm is there... it's in the box.

We continue our way on the wooden footbridge to check if a few waders are hiding in the bodies of water, but unfortunately no waders apart from a Gray Heron. However, the bodies of water are quite active, the Eurasian Coots are numerous and we can observe young people with good proximity. The storm is approaching and the Barn Swallows and Common Swifts perform an incessant broom above the marsh. At the end of the footbridge we take advantage of the telescope to spot a very visible and very active Common Cuckoo. Three minutes later, two Cuckoo are chasing each other less than fifteen meters from us, I had never seen such a scene in Geneva, a pleasure for the eyes!

Later we will observe the typical birds of the Geneva countryside such as Corn Bunting, Stonechat, Ring-necked pheasant or Common Kestrel.

Photo Loris Bono

The migration will also offer us a passage at eye level for a Honey-Buzzard.

To finish our loop around the Marais de Sionnet, we will take advantage of photographing some rather collaborative male Reed Buntings.

Photo Loris Bono

And we will be surprised to hear a Savi’s warbler sing since the twilight was kindly at the rendezvous. A wonderful outing!