Olive grove

Birds and Botto

When Pids was building La Vigie in 1902, he employed a gardener, Botto, and kept him for some years. Botto knew his bitds – he shot them for the pot – and Collingwood took him along on excursions into the countryside. Collingwood also shot birds of course, not for sport in the Riviera or for the pot, but to verify identifications. Botto and Collingwood, the latter carrying his walking-stick gun to avoid attention in public places, made an unlikely pair.

27 March 1902, Monte Carlo

While on the Point (where Pids is building a Villa), I saw a Blue-throated Warbler. It had great confidence and hopped about feeding almost as tamely as our own English Robin. …… The gardener says these birds only stay a short time, passing on before the summer. It seemed almost to prefer the vicinity of man; picking about, with gait of a Nightingale, always close around us and I made several sketches of it.

Blue-throated Warbler 1902

23 April 1903, Monte Carlo
After a stormy, windy night the day was bright, but the mistral continued to blow. Walking in the garden Pids flushed a Quail and while I was searching the promontory I disturbed a strange bird that was quite unknown to me. The cursory glance that I was able to obtain showed a large patch of white upon either wing (probably the secondaries) and the rest of the bird seemed sooty black. It appeared to be the size of a coot and its flight was soft like that of a Rail. [later note ‘probably a Little Bittern’].

A number of Nightingales also could be seen distributed along the coast, skulking in some sheltered thicket and occasionally I heard them singing in a half-hearted manner. I saw another bird that I did not recognise – about the size of a Butcher Bird, it was dark blue in general plumage with a white rump. Its flight was like that of a Redstart. Evidently the stormy night has caused a sudden influx of migrants.

26 April 1903, Monte Carlo
Went with the gardener Botto to La Turbie and walked the hills in search of nests. Although we were unsuccessful in this respect I saw many birds of interest. The Cuckoo was calling for the first time and I saw several amongst the pines. But I was more delighted in seeing the Golden Oriole for I have never before observed it in a wild state. There were many chats and I saw one of those beautiful pinky-white and black wheatears – a very handsome bird.