the essential
Raymond Pagès, an amateur photographer, observed a black stork in the north of the Lot. A species as rare as it is threatened. Still amazed, he tells.
Like an enchanted parenthesis. On Saturday May 25 in Teyssieu, in the north of the Lot, Raymond Pagès witnessed a magical scene. In any case, like the retiree had never seen before. This wildlife photography enthusiast goes on a wander, heading to a pond between Teyssieu and Comiac. His thing: dragonflies. He spotted a body of water perfect for his photos. But that morning, at 9 a.m., life was decidedly different. Because before arriving at the pond, and while he is driving, the retiree sees a black stork take off. “With its black body and the white underside of its wings, it took off from a field below and it was kind enough to circle above my car before continuing its flight,” remembers the Lotois . Fortunately, he was ready: two cameras on the passenger seat, a 90 D from Canon and a 70-200 from the same brand, exactly.
But the equipment is not suitable: intended for photographing dragonflies, it is a little too small…” A white stork, I wouldn’t have paid attention to it. But a black one, it’s unexpected, beginner’s luck. I jumped on my equipment and managed to capture 8 shots, even if I was not equipped with my doubler (editor’s note, a focal length multiplier),” he adds. Raymond Pagès is a connoisseur, he has no doubts. He has just seen a black stork, a species as rare as it is endangered.
Only 86 couples in France
The animal measures approximately one meter and weighs 3 kg. “The purists would kill me but it looks a bit like a heron or in any case, like the storks that you can see in Alsace except that it is all black with a white line on the chest,” explains the enthusiast. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the animal is on the red list in France as it is “endangered as a breeder and vulnerable as a passing species”. According to the amateur photographer, in 2023, there were only 86 couples in France.
He knows a lot about it. Did you know, for example, that black storks in pairs migrate alone and join their partner once in France? “The male or female leaves Africa and joins his partner on arrival. It is the first to arrive who waits for the other. Pairs of black storks are very faithful,” explains the retiree. He reported his observation on the Faune France website and the national Black Stork ONF-LPO network, indicating the day, location and species. On the first, a specialist confirmed that it is a black stork. “It’s truly exceptional,” he adds, still not believing his eyes. A stork in the Lot sky: the sign of a particularly well-preserved sector? “Not necessarily,” replies the amateur naturalist, “it was mainly the location of its migratory corridor.” Definitely a question of luck.
