in the Drôme, the white stork is a delight for ornithologists

On the heights of Tain-l’Hermitage (Drôme), the Pierre Aiguille belvedere is the unmissable meeting place for ornithologists. Armed with their telescopes, professionals and amateurs contemplate the spectacle of migrations of common cranes and black storks. “Day and night, they use visual cues. And there, there are many who will orient themselves thanks to the Rhône”explains Luca Fetique, volunteer at the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO).

The white stork returns

Of all the birds, the white stork attracts special attention. While other species are becoming rarer, it is very present in the sky. The species has been protected for 40 years. “In the 2000s, there was one flight a year, when we had 100 birds, it was a party on the rock. And this year, we reach the 10,000th”, rejoices Jean-Christophe Cordara, ornithologist. Storks head north for breeding, and will return in late summer.