Xalbai's Photos of Mallachie

On Sunday 6th September 2009, a French birdwatcher and photographer named Didier Domec was out in wetlands by the Nivelle river, near St Jean de Luz on the Basque coast. 

He had placed his hide near a perch he'd put up a few weeks before, with the aim of photographing ospreys on migration. Right on cue, an osprey approached; he noticed it was wearing an aerial.  

After some unsuccessful fishing attempts.....

The bird settled on the perch right in front of him. Now he could read its ring - white, with a black PM.  

 Startled by a boat, the osprey flew off.........

Past this mountain, La Rhune, and over the border into Spain.

When he got home, Didier Domec set about finding out where the osprey had come from. He posted details of the sighting, and some of the photos, on the website Faune-Aquitaine.org, a database of bird sightings run by the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO) in the region.

The webmasters started surfing, and soon found the RSPB site, where they were able to identify Mallachie. Didier then joined the RSPB community, under his internet name of Xalbai, and posted his photos, originally on this thread

Xalbai's last two photos of Mallachie, and his story of how he came to take the photos..... 

I'm very happy to have the opportunity to meet the rspb community and to please them with my photos. I've dreamed to take photos like that for more than 1 year. That's why in August, with a friend of mine, I set up a dead tree near the NIVELLE river as a perch for osprey during the migration. When I saw Mallachie I hide myself near the perch....10 minutes later, she came to perch,10 meters of my position...When I saw the antenna and the ring, I was sure she was an osprey "VIP". The members of "Faune-Aquitaine" a French website, helped me to find you in order to let you know how she is getting on. This is a beautiful story. It was for me a moment of emotion. Very many thanks..

Thansk Sue C for putting all the photos together have them saved in my favourites now so I can access them quickly when I want a Mallachie fix.  It has been a real bonus for us and what wonderful photos Didier has taken.

Many thanks SueC for putting theses photos on the one page. I havent been able to see them all over the last few days so this is very welcome. They are absolutely brilliant.

Thanks Margobird & wendymac

I've just noticed - it looks as if Mallachie is "taking a bow" at the end doesn't it?

Sue C

Thanks Margobird & wendymac

I've just noticed - it looks as if Mallachie is "taking a bow" at the end doesn't it?

Now that you mention it Yes it does. Wonder if she does autographs!

Not long home from work - noticed that GE is not yet updated and came to this page hungry for Mallachie. A wonderful page, Sue, thank you so much for putting it together.

Fantastic photo's from Xalbai, well done!!!  you have excelled yourself.

Agree with the rest of those on this page, thank you Sue for putting them altogether.

Thanks from me, also, Sue. What great pictures, more than we could have hoped for, ever. Extra thanks of course to Xalbai, you are a star!

My favourite is the shot from below where Mallachie is looking directly into the lens.  She must have known she was on camera.  What a star!  (Xalbai too, of course).