17th - Today we visited Les Alpilles, specifically Les Baux and the Vallon de la Leque. We arrived at the south face of Les Baux around 9am and immediately spotted 2 or 3 Crag Martins wheeling around the rock face. A flock of Jackdaws were also present. After 30 minutes we spotted our first target, a splendid male Blue Rock Thrush flew from the bushes at the base of the rock face and hopped around for a few minutes before disappearing. A number of Sardinian, Dartford and Cetti's Warblers were seen in the bushes along the narrow pathway. We drove to another site  close by and walked along a path though the trees. Here we managed to spot Firecrest, Goldcrest, Blue and Great Tits, Chaffinch, Goldfinch and finally a pair of Crested Tits that gave brief views deep in the forest. We drove to the Vallon de la Leque and walked up the gravel track where we spotted Sardinian Warbler, Firecrest, Goldcrest, Serin and had excellent prolonged views of at least 3 Crested Tits. We also managed close views of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff here. As we descended we saw a single adult Raven fly over the gorge and land on top of the rock face.

16th Oct - We began at the Baisse de 500 francs just after 8am and noted a good number of waders feeding on the lagoon including 2 Grey Plovers, 70 Little Stints, 30 Avocets, 60 Ringed Plovers, 300+ Dunlin, 15 Redshank and 5 Green Sandpipers. Overhead we spotted 20+ Sandwich Terns and a single juvenile Gull-billed Tern. We also saw 3 Kingfishers along the banks of one of the lagoons. Next stop was at the Phare de Gacholle where we walked to the lighthouse from the car park. Along the path we had good views of a pair of Crested Larks, a pair of Stonechats, a single Dartford Warbler, several Black Redstarts, Sardinian Warblers, Fan-tailed Warblers, and both single Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler flitting through the trees around the lighthouse itself. After an excellent lunch we visited the Marais de Grenouillet where a good number of wildfowl were feeding on the flooded marsh. We spotted 7 Greylag Geese, 30 Shelduck, 25 Gadwall, 70 Teal and 55 Shoveler amongst a large number of Mallard. In the distance I spotted a juvenile White Stork which was probably one of those hatched from the nest adjacent to La Capeliere. Scott spotted a fly-over Sparrowhawk and there were several Marsh Harriers and Common Buzzards in the area. We travelled the short distance to the small lagoon opposite La Capeliere and here located a pair of Curlews, 3 Spotted Redshanks, a single Snipe and a pair of Little Grebes. On Vaccares we found many Great Crested Grebes and 5 Black- necked Grebes plus a dozen flying Common Terns. A brief trip to Mas d'Agon was rather disappointing although a single Penduline Tit was heard. We then drove to Consecaniere in the hope of spotting an elusive Terek Sandpiper but only managed more Dunlin, Little Stints and Ringed Plovers plus a migrating Greenshank. The drive along the track back to Mejanes produced large numbers of flyover Meadow Pipits and Corn Buntings but not a single Reed Bunting! Our final stop was at Mas Lauricet but as we approached in the car I spotted a Water Rail walking along a roadside stream. Unfortunately it disappeared very quickly as we disembarked! We parked by the open woodland near the farm and all appeared quiet until I spotted a Green Woodpecker in the trees and Scott managed a great sighting of a juvenile Roller as it flew into the same stand of trees. This was a very late bird! On the journey back to the hotel we spotted a pair of Northern Wheatears which was another pleasant surprise!

27th - A visit to La Capeliere (1st since early July) and Mas d'Agon today. On the Etang de Vaccares I spotted at least 3 Black-necked Grebes and 15 Great Crested Grebes. At Capeliere the 1st hide was so full I decided to come back after I'd been around the reserve! It was a good decision as it turned out! At the next hide a good number of Spotted Redshanks (45) were feeding avariciously on the exposed mud, many moulting from summer plumage, and in their midst I spotted a juvenile Lesser Yellowlegs. Whether this was the same bird seen here in May I couldn't say. Unfortunately, it soon disappeared from view behind a reedbed and then the entire flock of waders was spooked by a Marsh Harrier and they headed off towards Vaccares. From this hide I also spotted an adult Water Rail creeping through the reeds on the far side of the lagoon. At the next hide a pair of Wood Sandpipers were feeding right in front of the hide and within minutes they were joined by 2 adult and 1 juvenile Greenshank. I managed to get excellent photos of these birds. I continued along the path through the trees but given the number of people on the reserve it wasn't a surprise that all was quiet! The lagoon overlooked by the tamarisk hide was dry and the lagoon over the road held only 5 Black-winged Stilts. I returned to the main hide which was now empty and quickly found the Marsh Sandpiper that had been around for the past month or so. It was feeding amongst 80+ Spotted Redshanks and I managed some reasonable photos. In addition I spotted a pair of Green Sandpipers, several Mallard and a pair of Teal on the lagoon. At Mas d'Agon I found Squacco and Purple Herons, Little and Great Crested Grebes, Whiskered Terns, a Kingfisher, a pair of Wood Sandpipers, 7 Bee-eaters and a Roller. I returned in the evening and the only sighting of note was 8 Night Herons, the most I have seen here!

26th - A brief visit to Vignolles and Vaccares today. At the Enfores de la Vignolles a good number of waders were feeding on the mudflats to the left of the track - these included 30+ LRP, 8 Ringed Plovers, 60+ Kentish Plovers, 25 Dunlin and 3 Curlew Sandpipers. Along the edge of the lagoon were a pair of Common Sandpipers and at least 3 Green Sandpipers. I drove back to the Etang de TdV and here spotted an adult Honey Buzzard, which soared above for 5 minutes or so, a number of Mallard, Gadwall and Shoveler in flight, Grey and Purple Herons, and a flock of 20+ Spoonbills that briefly took to the air over towards TdV. A Cetti's Warbler called and around 30 juvenile Yellow Wagtails flew amongst the garrigue. At Vaccares, apart from a single adult Gull-billed Tern and several Common Terns perched on the jetty and 3 summer plumaged Black-necked Grebes on the lake, everything was quiet. On the journey back to Arles I spotted 2 Rollers and 6 Bee-eaters.

25th - A visit to the Crau today with the hope of spotting a migrating Dotterel or two. On the journey I managed to see a flock of 25+ Bee-eaters around Raphele and a single Roller at Vergieres. As I drove onto the Crau at least 5 Tawny Pipits were chasing each other around close to Mas Chauvet. I had excellent close views. Many Skylarks and Crested Larks were also giving good views as they flitted about! A pair of Northern Wheatears flew along the side of the track giving a good indication that migration was well underway. A female Hen Harrier flew over and then I spotted a superb male perched on a rockpile not 50 metres from the track. It too posed beautifully for an extended viewing. Kestrels were numerous (>15), and seemed to be occupying every stonepile available. A female Montagu's Harrier then put in an appearance, impressing with her effortless soaring in the strong winds. As I continued on the track south I spotted another harrier perched on a rock and managed to get fairly close to it. After having scoped it I was 90% certain it was an adult female Pallid Harrier. Its facial markings added to the wing shape in flight and the lack of the dark bar across the upper secondaries seemed to rule out both Hen and Montagu's. Unfortunately, I did not get a view of the underside of the bird in flight so could not see if it had the diagnostic dark inner secondaries but I did get a decent picture of the bird when perched and it is posted on the blog! I turned east and parked near Limous Berg and had a walk around. Almost immediately I put up a Hoopoe and spotted another pair of Wheatears, and a pair of Whinchats. Several calling Corn Buntings and a Calandra Lark took flight and in the distance I spotted a female Little Bustard creeping through the long grass. A Red-legged Partridge was spotted running away along another track and I noticed a pair of plovers flying over my head. The view was not good but they may easily have been Dotterel. Back in the car I found a male Southern Grey Shrike perched in a bush close to the Berg and as I approached Mas Chauvet again I spotted a juvenile Red-backed Shrike in its customary pose perched high in a gorse bush. I made a brief stop at the Etang d'Entressen but it contained nothing but Yellow-legged and Black-headed Gulls

22nd - An early start today for a trip to Piemanson via Vignolles/Fangassier. I arrived at Vignolles just before 8am and the shallow water at the north end of Fangassier was full of Black-headed Gulls, probably numbering around 500. I scoped the shoreline on Vignolles and the first wader I picked out was a splendid, moulting adult Temminck's Stint. It was feeding in the company of 6 Little Ringed Plovers and 2 juvenile Kentish Plovers. Due to the high water level on Vignolles there was nothing else about except 4 Common Sandpipers. However, as I drove back towards L'Amphise a couple of juvenile Caspian Terns swooped low over the car. I made my way down to Piemanson and as I approached the Baisse de 500 francs it was obvious there had been a major influx of waders in the past week. I counted 42 Black-winged Stilts, 10 Redshank, 3 Common Sandpiper, 12 Ringed Plover, 45 LRP, 35 Kentish Plover, 14 Little Stint, 2 Sanderling and a moulting Knot. Continuing along to the They de Ste. Ursule there were even greater numbers with around 400 Dunlin, 150 Little Stint, 12 Curlew Sandpiper, 30 LRP, 55 Kentish Plovers and over 200 Shelduck, most of which were juveniles! I had a quick trip to the beach but the tourists were everywhere and the sea held nothing but Yellow legged Gulls and a few Little Terns feeding, although the garrigue was full of juvenile Yellow Wagtails. I made my way back into the Camargue via Mas Cameroun where I spotted 3 Turtle Doves and a couple of Bee-eaters and stopped by the Etang de TdV. Here I found 6 Mute Swans, 20 Mallard and 5 Gadwall on the lake plus a flock of 30 Little Terns and one Whiskered Tern over.  A couple of Green Sandpipers flew between the islands and both Grey and Purple Herons flew in to feed. There were Sand and House Martins flying over continuously and a splendid male Marsh Harrier then appeared on the far side of the lake. I heard Cetti's and Sardinian Warblers and saw a pair of Fan-tailed Warblers as they called high above me. On the journey back I also spotted single Linnet, Reed Bunting and Greenfinch.

21st - An evening visit to Mas d'Agon today. Earlier in the day a juvenile Caspian Tern was seen crossing the N113 just to the east of St.Martin de Crau. The water level in the main lagoon at Mas d'Agon is quite low at the moment and, as a result, more waders seem to be present. A number of Little and Great Egrets, 2 Squacco Herons, 3 Black-winged Stilts and 3 Night Herons were feeding on the lagoon. On the far side I spotted a pair of feeding Wood Sandpipers and 3 Green Sandpipers flew over the reedbed. At least 5 Little Grebes and 7 Great Crested Grebes were also feeding on the surface weeds. A single Snipe then flew over the road and headed east. Then I noticed a small bird at the edge of the nearest reedbed. When I scoped it I was gobsmacked to find it was a juvenile Baillon's Crake, a bird I had never seen before! It fed for several minutes out in the open before disappearing back into the reeds. What a fantastic surprise! As the sun went down the number of terns returning to their roosts increased and the number of Whiskered Terns alone must have numbered around 200!  Just to add icing to the cake I then spotted an adult Purple Swamphen appear from another reedbed and potter about a bit before flying directly towards me, only to land out of sight behind the reedbed by the road. A great 2 hours birding!

20th - An afternoon visit to Gimeaux and Vaccares today. The rice fields at Gimeaux still held half a dozen post-breeding  Black-winged Stilts and overhead I noted 6 Whiskered Terns, 3 Gull-billed Terns and 2 Common Terns. Further along the road 35 Bee-eaters, including 15 juveniles, were perched on the cattle fences along with 200+ Starlings. A quick visit to Mas Lauricet produced adult and juvenile Rollers, both perched in trees and giving excellent views, and 3 Common Buzzards seen soaring distantly over St. Gilles. At Vaccares, 3 Common Sandpipers were spotted feeding along the shoreline and a single Wood Sandpiper flew over. On the lake 4 Black-necked Grebes and a Little Grebe joined around 20 Great Crested Grebes. Then I spotted a harrier approaching from the south and assumed it was a Hen Harrier but as it flew past it was obviously a "stonking" male Pallid Harrier. It continued northwards before I had a chance to get the camera out! This was the first male Pallid Harrier I have seen in France! At the Etang de TdV I spotted a pair of Short-toed Eagles that were alternately hovering and gliding as they searched for food. On the Etang itself were a pair of Little Terns, 5 Mute Swans, 12 Mallards and a feeding Purple Heron. In the fields by TdV a Hobby was spotted perched on a fence and 2 Crested Larks flew over.

13th - Another early morning trip to Mas d'Agon and Vaccares today. In the flooded rice fields north of Mas d'Agon I spotted a flock of 12 Cattle Egrets and a single Glossy Ibis feeding. This seems to be a regular spot to find the ibis at this time of year. A Purple Heron also flew over here. Further south by the main lagoons I had a great view of a Squacco Heron as it hunted at the water's edge and many Little and Great Egrets were seen at the far side of the eastern lagoon engaged in the same pursuit. A small copse of trees near the road produced both adult and juvenile Night Herons perched unobtrusively - probably at their roosting site! A female Marsh Harrier was seen quartering the reedbed to the west and then a male Sparrowhawk suddenly flew down the small canal, missing me by a couple of feet! If it was hoping to surprise an unsuspecting sparrow or finch it was out of luck! A good number (40+) of Whiskered Terns were hunting over the lagoons as usual and these were joined by a pair of juvenile Caspian Terns, at least 4 Gull-billed Terns and a single Common Tern. A flock of 24 Bee-eaters then appeared and began perching in the same trees as the Night Herons. A Kingfisher called and flew over and I managed to spot a pair of Little Grebes on the lagoon amongst around 20 Great Crested Grebes. Next stop was along the eastern shore of Vaccares where I saw 2 Common Sandpipers feeding, a Buzzard over, a single juvenile Lapwing, and a number of Common and Little Terns feeding over the lake. Visible migration was obvious here with at least 60 Sand Martins making their way south alongside the Barn Swallows and House Martins. At the Etang de TdV I saw several Gadwall and Mallard on the water. In the garrigue next to the road a Yellow Wagtail was easily spotted and a female Reed Bunting flew over. Five minutes later an adult Short-toed Eagle began soaring over the lake giving excellent views. It hung in the breeze for minutes on end without any wing movement as is characteristic with this species. At least 2 Fan-tailed Warblers were calling  and a pair of Crested Larks perched on a fence by the road. Then a most unusual sighting for this area - a flock of 12 Collared Pratincoles flew over the road heading east! This is the first time I have seen this species away from Mas d'Agon, Gimeaux or the Pont des Tourradons! The journey back to Arles produced a single Green Woodpecker over and at least 4 Rollers perched on conspicuous lookouts.

12th - An afternoon visit to the Alpilles around Aureille today. On the journey a flock of around 40 Cattle Egrets were seen feeding in a rice field in the Baux valley. I followed the GR6 path to the east and then took the first footpath on the left. A calling Southern Grey Shrike was the first bird I saw and it was soon joined by its mate which gave excellent views on the top of a rocky outcrop. At least 3 male Subalpine Warblers were heard calling from the scrub and soon one was seen flying into a small tree accompanied by a juvenile. A male Stonechat then appeared on the other side of the path giving its characteristic 'chaak' call. A little further on I noticed a raptor appear over the rocky ridge to the south. On closer inspection it turned out to be an adult Bonelli's Eagle which was soon joined by another and they gave wonderful views for about 5 minutes before disappearing behind the ridge. A Kestrel then flew over the path and perched high on top of the cliff to the North where a Crag Martin was flying around. Then I caught a glimpse of a passerine standing on top of a rock near the path. I assumed it was another shrike but having scoped the bird it was a splendid male Black-eared Wheatear! This was the first time I've seen this species in the Alpilles and only the second I've managed this year. A little further along the path passed through a stand of dead trees and here I spotted a male Dartford Warbler, a pair of Black Redstarts and heard a pair of Serins calling. On the walk back I spotted a Stock Dove, a Black Kite and an adult Short-toed Eagle that was hunting over the olive fields.

11th - A visit to Mas d'Agon and Vaccares today. At Mas d'Agon the usual Cattle, Little and Great Egrets were feeding on the lagoons. A pair of Squacco Herons flew over in courtship flight and a Purple Heron was spotted feeding in the distance. A number of Whiskered Terns were feeding over the marshes and around 20 Common Terns soon joined them. A Water Rail was heard calling from the reedbed and both male and female Marsh Harriers hunted over the marsh to the west. The flooded field by the road held around 100 Black-headed Gulls and 12 Wood Sandpipers that were busy feeding. Both Mallard and Gadwall flew over after a while and a Reed Warbler was seen disappearing into the reeds. A brief stop at Vaccares and a few Black-winged Stilts were still feeding on the lagoon next to La Capeliere. Along the shore I spotted at least 4 Common Sandpipers, a juvenile Curlew and a Redshank. Sitting on the jetty were 15 Common Terns and a single Arctic Tern, and I then spotted 6 Sandwich Terns and a pair of Little Terns flying over the water. At Fielouse I noticed 6 Bee-eaters calling and swooping around the canal and a pair of Yellow Wagtails were chasing each other through the garrigue. Finally, as I drove back 3 Greenshank flew over the car.

7th - This morning I visited Mas d'Agon, Vaccares and Fielouse before the rains came around lunchtime! The fields north of Mas d'Agon held a pair of Glossy Ibis feeding amongst the grass plus 8 Little Egrets, a Great Egret and 3 Cattle Egrets. An adult and juvenile Night Heron flew over giving their ugly, frog-like "quark" call. Just as I was leaving a flock of 8 Collared Pratincoles flew low over the road and landed out of sight somewhere in the nearby rice field. At Mas d'Agon there were around 25 Little Egrets, 3 Great Egrets, 2 Purple Herons and 10+ Grey Herons all fishing on the main lagoon. I spotted at least 3 Little Grebes and a pair of Great crested Grebes, too. The resident Whiskered Terns, numbering around 35, were still fishing over this lagoon and they were joined by 8 Common Terns and single, adult Gull-billed and juvenile Black Terns. 15 Flamingoes passed overhead in formation and a single Snipe then flew low over the reedbed, the first I've seen for 3 months! A pair of Squacco Herons also flew over giving great views. The ploughed field south of the lagoon held 100 or so Black-headed Gulls and 8 Wood Sandpipers. I spotted a Kingfisher flying along the canal as I drove away. On the drive to Vaccares I saw a Roller take off from a wire fence and a Green Woodpecker fly across the road just missing the car! At Vaccares I noticed 5 Common Sandpipers and a juvenile Curlew feeding alongside the Etang. Many Sand Martins and Swallows were migrating through over the water and several Common Terns were fishing here. At Fielouse, an adult Short-toed Eagle hovered silently overhead in the strengthening wind and I spotted 2 juvenile Melodious Warblers and a Sardinian Warbler in the trees. A Blackcap sang energetically from the same trees. Further along towards TdV a pair of juvenile Whinchats and an adult male Stonechat perched on top of the garrigue giving excellent views. 4 Corn Buntings flew off from the adjacent corn field and a Green Sandpiper flew along a drainage channel, calling loudly.

5th - Beauduc was the early morning destination today in the hope of catching up with more migrating waders, some rare hopefully! As I drove along L'Amphise a female Sparrowhawk almost collided with the car, only taking avoiding action at the last moment! Along the track just before reaching the water pump at Enfores de Vignolles I spotted around 12 Little Stints and 6 Curlew Sandpipers, most of which were moulting from summer plumage. The lagoon also held around 60 Flamingoes. Having parked the car I walked between the Etangs Fangassier and Galabert spotting at least 5 Common and 3 Green Sandpipers on the way. On the exposed mud of Fangassier was an amazing sight - in the region of 400 Sand Martins resting on the ground! They flew off as I approached but this was easily the greatest number of this species I had seen in one colony! At the southern end of Galabert I noted 12 Little Ringed Plovers, 5 Curlew Sandpipers, 3 Dunlin, 2 Kentish Plovers and 8 Little Stints. Rounding the corner on the way to the pump behind the beach there were a good number of waders on the Etang du Grand Rascaillon and it was here that I spotted my first Temminck's Stint since last autumn! It was associating with a flock of 20 Curlew Sandpipers, 13 Little Stints and 8 Little Ringed Plovers. A flock of 8 Bee-Eaters swooped and called overhead and a Cormorant flew over. In the copse of trees behind the pump I found a female Pied Flycatcher and 5 Melodious Warblers which were surprisingly active and obliging. The lagoon behind the beach road produced 6 Slender-billed Gulls, 4 Sandwich, 3 Common and 8 Little Terns and a pair of Oystercatchers but no waders. The return journey produced a pair of Crested Larks, a White Stork in flight, a female Marsh Harrier and more of the same.

4th - A return to La Palissade this morning given the promising variety of waders seen here last week. A brief stop near the Tour du Valat resulted in an adult White Stork being seen feeding amongst the scrub and a flock of 20+ Cattle Egrets gathered around a herd of cattle. As I approached the car park at La Palissade a Hoopoe disappeared into the trees and a Black Kite flew over. The walk to La Sableuse was productive as the almost dry lagoon to the south had 5 juvenile Black Storks feeding on the ever disappearing pool of water, along with a couple of Grey Herons and a Great Egret. The scrub produced 2 juvenile Yellow Wagtails and at least 4 Melodious Warblers flitting around in the trees. Overhead were 15+ Sand Martins, 10+ House Martins and 30 Swallows. From the hide I spotted 48 Avocets, 60 Black-winged Stilts, 40+ Little Ringed Plovers, 5 Kentish Plovers, 25 Grey Plovers (including only 2 summer plumaged adults), at least 300 Dunlin, 43 Curlew Sandpipers, 10 Little Stints, a single Wood Sandpiper, 4 Green Sandpipers, 12 Common Sandpipers, 15 Redshank, 3 Greenshank and, most surprisingly, a pair of Turnstones (both moulting from summer plumage). In addition to these waders the lagoon hosted 15 Slender-billed Gulls, 30 Yellow-legged Gulls, 10 Little Terns, a single Gull-billed Tern, 40 Common Terns and 4 Whiskered Terns. A Buzzard soared overhead and a female Marsh Harrier caused consternation as it lazily flew over the lagoon! The walk back to the car park produced a pair of Reed Buntings, 15 Goldfinches, a Linnet and a Western Bonelli's Warbler! On the return journey to Arles I spotted a single Roller and a flock of 24 Spoonbills on the Etang de TdV.

1st - A brief trip to Le Vergieres today. 3 Black Kites were immediately seen circling over the small wooded area to the north of the Peau de Meau reserve while a flock of around 10 Bee-eaters swooped over the approach road. A number of Kestrels perched on top of the stone piles strewn across this part of the Crau and a single Lesser Kestrel flew over the car evidently looking for food. Just a little further on a juvenile Montagu's Harrier was spotted preening on another of these stone lookouts. The number of larks and pipits had dropped significantly since my last visit - I saw a single Tawny Pipit walking through the scrub and one fly-over Crested Lark today. A couple of Buzzards soared over towards the N568 and a second Montagu's Harrier flew over the track. A single Roller was then spotted perched on a fence on the Peau de Meau reserve. On the return journey I spotted an immature Caspian Tern fly across the D35, probably the best sighting of the day!

31st - A return to the Pont des Tourradons today with the hope of spotting a rare migrant or two! The water level on the marshes had dropped significantly since last week and so waders were limited as to their feeding areas. The number of Wood Sandpipers had increased to around 20 and were accompanied by 3 Avocets, 10+ Black-winged Stilts, 5 Little Ringed Plovers, 4 Green Sandpipers, 8 Common Sandpipers, 3 Greenshank and 4 moulting Ruff. In the distance, over the reedbeds, a Marsh Harrier put up a flock of 30+ Spoonbills which soon returned to their feeding grounds out of sight! Both Night Herons (2) and Purple Herons (5) flew over and a Hobby was spotted hunting over the same reedbeds a few moments later. One of the lagoons held a number of terns preening on the exposed mud. They consisted of 15+ adult and juvenile Gull-billed Terns, 30+ Sandwich Terns, 50+ Whiskered Terns and a pair of Common Terns. A flock of around 100 Black-headed Gulls accompanied them. The sky was full of the usual Swallows and House Martins and I managed to spot a single Red-rumped Swallow in their midst. Passerines were again scarce though I found Sardinian, Fan-tailed and Great Reed Warblers. I drove back to the Etang du Charnier en route finding a Hoopoe, a male Cuckoo and 6 Bee-eaters. The Etang was quiet although 4 Shoveler and 6 Gadwall were seen in flight and a juvenile Shelduck fed on the lake.

30th - Today I decided to take a trip to a rarely visited reserve close to the plage de Piemanson, the Domaine de Palissade. The weather was hot and sunny with a weak southerly breeze, the early mist having been quickly burnt off by the sun. On the drive down the D36 I stopped briefly by the Tour du Valat and noted a White Stork gliding in to land, a Common Sandpiper and Squacco Heron flying along the roadside canal and a flock of 30+ Cattle Egrets in a field. At the reserve I walked along the trail to La Baisse Claire and soon located a number of warblers in a copse of trees. I spotted a pair of Sardinian Warblers, male Lesser Whitethroat and a Melodious Warbler, plus I heard a Spectacled Warbler give its characteristic alarm call. As I continued along the track 3 Goldfinches flew over. From the hide overlooking the lagoon I found a flock of 40+ Little Egrets, 8 Grey Herons, 2 Purple Herons, a single Greenshank, 2 Common Sandpipers and 6 Black-winged Stilts. I also spotted a juvenile Marsh Harrier on the ground eating a small mammal and a Grey Heron catch an eel and carry it away, presumably to feed its young. I continued on the track to the next lagoon where I had more distant views of a pair of Black-tailed Godwits and another sizeable flock of Little Egrets (> 50 birds). Returning to the main path I continued on to La Sableuse and from the hide noted an impressive selection of waders. These included 2 Grey Plovers, 30+ Dunlin, 4 Wood Sandpipers, an Oystercatcher, 20+ Little Ringed Plovers, 12 Green Sandpipers, 8 Common Sandpipers, 40+ Ruff, 4 Greenshank, 3 Black-tailed Godwits and a single Spotted Redshank. There were a number of Little, Common and Sandwich Terns feeding over the lagoon too. On the walk back I noticed a colony of Grey Herons in trees by the Rhone.

24th - Today a visit to the Crau in the morning and Mas d'Agon in the evening. I visited the main Crau area today rather than le Vergieres and within a couple of minutes I had seen a female, then male, Montagu's Harrier hunting. I spotted 3 Black Kites soaring on thermals and a female Marsh Harrier in the distance. A number of Kestrels and a single Lesser Kestrel were perched on the stone piles as I drove further into the Crau. I decided to walk for a while and immediately disturbed a Stone-Curlew which flew a short distance and was relocated on the ground. Several Crested Larks were still singing and a Red-legged Partridge called as it flew off. I spotted a Southern Grey Shrike as it perched atop a bush then flew to another nearby. Both Tawny Pipits and Calandra Larks were then seen in flight and, finally, on the ground. Having made up my mind that nothing more was likely from this area I decided to take a short cut back to the car across the coussous. It was an inspired decision as I disturbed a Pin-tailed Sandgrouse that had been sitting anonymously within 50 metres of where I was standing ! It flew a short distance and I had excellent flight views but on approaching it on the ground the bird flew off - still, a real privilege to see such a rare bird up close. As I left the Crau I spotted a Whinchat, singing Corn Bunting and Roller on a telephone wire. A brief stop at the Entressen rubbish dump produced only 30 Black Kites, 300 Yellow-legged Gulls and a single White Stork. The evening visit to Mas d'Agon produced the usual suspects - Night Heron (adult + juvenile), Little Egret, Great Egret, Squacco Heron, Grey Heron, Purple Heron (4) and 25 juvenile Flamingoes over. Terns were again numerous with the resident Whiskered (50) joined by Common, Gull-billed and a couple of Black. But it was the sight of an adult Bittern flying close by that made the visit worthwhile - not an easy bird to see anywhere ! I also spotted a single Savi's Warbler in the reeds and a Marsh Warbler along the canal by the farm. At La Chassagne, on the drive back, I spotted a Hobby that had landed on the ground only to be attacked by a male Kestrel ! The Hobby eventually flew off !

23rd- The Camargue Gardoise was the destination today - more specifically the Etang du Charnier and Pont des Touraddons. The journey down was interesting as I spotted 2 Rollers on telephone wires and then alongside the Scamandre reserve a flooded rice field held 15 Little Egrets and 7 Glossy Ibis. The female White Stork was standing on her nest on the tower too. At Pont des Touraddons the water levels on the brackish lagoon were just right and as a result it held the greatest diversity of waders I have yet seen here. They included 25 Black-winged Stilts, 2 Avocets, 6 Wood Sandpipers, 2 Green Sandpipers, a single Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, 2 Greenshank, 2 Black-tailed Godwits and 3 moulting Ruff. In addition, 14 Collared Pratincoles flew over and around 100 Black-headed Gulls were also present on the lagoon. Terns were constantly flying over and they included 10 Common, 4 Little and 24 Whiskered. I spotted an adult Hobby hunting over the reedbed and it was soon joined by another, presumably its mate. The bushes and garrigue were pretty quiet but a male Sardinian Warbler did call and show itself after a time. I then travelled back to the Etang du Charnier and stopped along the causeway. The reedbeds and lake held several Great Crested and Little Grebes plus the usual egrets and I had an excellent close view of a Squacco Heron. A Purple Heron fished quietly 50 metres away and then I got to see the bird I was hoping for - an adult Purple Gallinule walking alongside the reedbed. It looked splendid with its bright red crown, picking at various pieces of vegetation as it made its way through the shallow water. After 5 minutes or so it disappeared back into the reeds. A pair of Gadwall flying over were the only other highlight of the day.

22nd - An evening visit to Pont de Rousty today. On the pathway I spotted Nightingale, Fan-tailed Warbler, 2 Linnets and a Corn Bunting. 4 Bee-eaters also flew over. In the reeds close to the hide a Reed Warbler and a Sardinian Warbler both called and showed themselves, if only briefly. The lagoon held a number of waders including 8 Wood Sandpipers, 10 Black-winged Stilts, 12 Black-tailed Godwits, a single Green Sandpiper and a Common Sandpiper. Wildfowl consisted of just 15 Mallard and 8 Shoveler. Overhead I spotted 2 Night Herons, 3 Great Egrets, 23 Little Egrets and a Purple Heron. On the walk back 4 Crested Larks called from the dry fields and a Hoopoe flew alongside the canal.

21st - A trip to the Marais du Vigueirat this morning in a strong Mistral and to Mas d'Agon in the evening . The wooded area at Vigueirat was empty other than a couple of Blackcaps heard calling and a Kingfisher that flew off from its perch near the reedbed. The marsh held a dozen Black-winged Stilts and 2 Wood Sandpipers plus a few Mallard. The second woodland had, amongst others, a pair of Cetti's Warblers, Nightingale, Melodious Warbler, juvenile Great Tit and Green Woodpecker. All 4 young White Storks were again standing in their nest giving superb views and a Fan-tailed Warbler sang its piercing song. On the open garrigue a male Stonechat showed well, at least 4 Bee-eaters flew overhead and a Reed Warbler disappeared into the reeds. The water level on the marsh next to the lagoon was just right for waders so it was no surprise to find 3 Greenshanks, 7 Wood Sandpipers and 12 Black-winged Stilts feeding here. A Yellow Wagtail was also spotted here. The lagoon itself was quiet although both Black Kite and female Marsh Harrier flew over. The journey back to Arles turned up another Roller on telephone wires. In the evening Mas d'Agon was livelier with a group of 6 Glossy Ibis feeding in flooded fields north of the farm. The lagoons at the Mas still held a good number of Whiskered Terns (60) plus 15 Common and a single Gull-billed Tern. A Hoopoe did its best to control its flight in the gale but disappeared like it had been fired from a slingshot! On the water I spotted 8 Great Crested Grebes, 6 Little Grebes and around 80 Coot. Both adult and juvenile Night Herons flew over as did 3 Purple Herons and then a real surprise, an adult male Goosander flew right over my head. A group of 4 Bee-eaters came close and a single Snipe flew haphazardly into the reeds next to the road but this was the last significant sighting of the evening.

17th - Given the promise of a 50kph westerly wind today I thought the beach at Piemanson would be worth a visit. I travelled down via Tour du Valat and Amphise but these were very quiet with just a single Short-toed Eagle at TdV and a pair of Common plus a single Green Sandpiper by the pumping station at Enfores de la Vignolle. A flock of 15 Little Ringed Plovers wandered about where the paved road ended. At Piemanson the wind was, predictably, not from the West but from the North !! Still at least there were a good number of terns around - Sandwich, Little, Common and Gull-billed plus a significant influx of Black Terns evidently already on their way south with a number of juveniles to boost their numbers. Soon a fishing boat arrived and was followed by the usual train of gulls as it steamed its way east. Unfortunately, due in part to the wind no doubt, there were no shearwaters or skuas in with these gulls. However, just as I was despairing of seeing anything worthwhile I noticed an odd looking gull on the sea and identified it as a juvenile Audouin's Gull. It gave excellent views and remained for at least 30 minutes. On the return through the Camargue I spotted 8 Bee-eaters, 3 Mediterranean Gulls, a Curlew, an adult Night Heron, Purple Heron, 4 White Storks and several Yellow Wagtails. This is the quietest time of the year so far.

16th - A tour of  the Gimeaux area and Mas d'Agon today. Opposite the Mas des Barnacles there was the first evidence this year of young Black-winged Stilts feeding in the flooded rice field. At least 12 Bee-eaters were flying around their usual territory and both adult Night Heron and Purple Heron flew over the road. The other rice field held Little and Great Egrets plus a few Stilts and feeding overhead 6 Gull-billed Terns and 8 Whiskered Terns. I stopped by the Mas Neuf junction and found at least 8 Great Reed Warblers, of which 2 were juveniles, a Reed Warbler and a Stonechat. A pair of Sparrowhawks soared briefly overhead and an adult Short-toed Eagle was spotted perched on top of a telephone pole. At Mas d'Agon the usual Whiskered and Common Terns were present feeding over the lagoons. A Hoopoe flew into the woodland to the south and a Green Woodpecker also called and flew over. Only a single Collared Pratincole was seen today although the resident birds may have been here earlier. A real surprise was a Short-eared Owl that flew over the reedbeds and disappeared into some long grass, evidently after some tasty morsel. The only other notable sighting was a male Reed Bunting which have been pretty rare in the past couple of months!

15th - An evening excursion to the Pont de Rousty for the first time in ages. The rice fields on the way to the hide held a number of Little Egrets, Cattle Egrets and Black-winged Stilts. In the avenue of trees a single Melodious Warbler, a Nightingale and 2 Savi's Warblers were singing and flying around. The reed-lined path produced Reed Warbler, another Savi's Warbler and a Fan-tailed Warbler. As I walked along the path towards the hide a number of herons were disturbed from the reedbed alongside, in addition to the Great, Little and Cattle Egrets there were around 20 Squacco Herons, 6 adult Night Herons and 3 Glossy Ibis! On arrival at the hide it was clear that the lagoon had a good water level for waders. A group of 12 Black-tailed Godwits fed alongside 10+ Green Sandpipers, a single Avocet and a couple of Wood Sandpipers. Black-winged Stilts were numerous and there were a flock of 150 Greater Flamingoes on the far side of the lagoon. A number of Mallard and 7 Shovelers represented the wildfowl. Marsh Harriers and Black Kites patrolled the reedbeds and a Purple Heron flew over. On the way back I caught a glimpse of what may have been a Bittern disappearing into the reeds plus a Hoopoe and Green Woodpecker.

13th - A walk along the Mas de la Galere road today in blazing sunshine. Several Little and Cattle Egrets were flying over as I set off. The first vineyard on the right produced a single adult Stone-curlew (the first I've seen here) and an adult Red-legged Partridge with 3 well grown young. On the wires overhead I spotted an adult Roller soon to be joined by another as it flew in from the trees nearby. On the opposite side of the road a single stubble field held around 300 adult and juvenile Black-headed Gulls with at least 6 Mediterranean Gulls. A Purple Heron soon flew over followed by an adult Squacco Heron looking resplendent in its summer plumage. Close to the Mas de Grand Galignan I heard a Turtle Dove and spotted 6 Bee-eaters swooping through the trees. Another 3 Rollers were hopping from tree to tree here and a Fan-tailed Warbler showed itself well in some reeds adjacent to the road. The Mas de la Galere held 3 Black Kites, a pair of Kestrels and a single juvenile Short-toed Eagle. By the river a male Reed Bunting flew over and a Corn Bunting sang from a wooden post. The return journey was made memorable by excellent views of a Melodious Warbler and the magical song of a Blackcap.

11th - A trip into the Camargue today to visit Mas d'Agon and Salin de Badon amongst other places. The sky was overcast and a pleasant breeze blowing as I arrived at Mas d'Agon. Whiskered Terns were feeding on both sides of the road and must have numbered around 80. A rufous female Cuckoo appeared and did a quick recce of the area then I spotted a pair of fly-over Night Herons and at least 4 Purple Herons, all in the first 10 minutes. Common Terns and a single Gull-billed Tern joined the other terns feeding over the lagoon and 4 Shoveler flew over. Soon, Collared Pratincoles began swooping over the road giving excellent views and then I spotted a Black-winged Pratincole amongst them. The lack of white trailing edge to the secondaries and the darker head were diagnostic. It is often the case that a flock of Collareds will have one or two Black-winged with them and so it proved today although I had watched this flock several times and not spotted this bird so it may have only recently joined the others. Before I left a Squacco Heron flew low over my head. I tried to get a permit to Salin de Badon but was told the reserve was closed due to all the water evaporating! I decided to explore the area alongside Vaccares instead. Just south of Capelliere 3 Common Sandpipers fed on the shoreline and a Green Sandpiper flew over. Next stop was at Marais de Palunette where 12 Spotted Redshank were feeding, 10 of which were resplendent in summer plumage, plus a pair of Black-tailed Godwits and more than 20 Black-winged Stilts. A stop at the Etang de Tour du Valat produced 24 Spoonbills on the lake ( presumably relocated from Salin de Badon due to the lack of water!) plus at least 15 Little Terns feeding. Soon a Short-toed Eagle appeared hanging in the air looking for prey. Its beautifully patterned underside was clearly visible. A final stop at Fumemorte produced nothing more than a pair of Crested Larks and 5 Corn Buntings feeding in a field.

10th - An early start at the Etang des Aulnes and a brief exploration of the Crau around Vergieres today. On the journey down I spotted a single Stone-curlew in a field alongside the D26 close to Les Bastidettes - the first of this species seen here. The Etang was calm with no wind whatsoever. The trees resounded with Melodious Warbler song and Blackcap, Nightingale, Blue Tit and Melodious Warbler were all seen. A pair of Stonechats were spotted on the heath. On the lake there was nothing but a pair of Common Terns fishing but a fly-over female Red-crested Pochard was a nice surprise. The reedbed held at least 3 singing Great Reed Warblers, one of which was spotted, plus Reed Warbler and a single Grasshopper Warbler that was heard only. The nesting Golden Orioles were heard calling and then the male spotted in flight along with a Purple Heron. I moved onto the Crau and had a far view of a Southern Grey Shrike plus several Tawny Pipits close up. As I drove along the track a raptor took off from the ground and flew low over a considerable distance. First impressions were of a large falcon, possibly a Saker, but I could not refind the bird so it remains a possible only. At least 10 Black Kites were feeding in the area plus a couple of Kestrels and a single Lesser Kestrel. I walked along the stream and disturbed a pair of Red-legged Partridges, several Yellow Wagtails, 5 Tawny Pipits, a Calandra Lark and 8 Crested Larks. Back at the Peau de Meau car park I spotted a fly-over Turtle Dove then a walk along the stream produced a pair of Rollers, single Bee-eater, Corn Bunting and Savi's Warbler.

8th - Sunny and warm but cooler than in recent weeks. An early morning trip to the Phare de Gacholle with various stops along the eastern shore of the Vaccares on the way back in search of returning migrant waders amongst other things. The water level on the lagoons by the pumping station was probably too deep but a pair of Common Sandpipers were feeding along the shore and Flamingoes numbered around 500. I drove to the Phare de Gacholle and only spotted single Kentish Plover and Green Sandpiper on the adjacent lagoon plus upwards of 30 Yellow Wagtails along the track. A walk to the next lagoon to the south and here were 40+ Kentish Plovers, many on nests, 15 Little Ringed Plovers, 8 Common Sandpipers and 2 Dunlin. I returned to the bridge by the sluice gate and scoped the lagoon to the North where at least 200 Avocets were feeding along with 2 Ruff, 3 Curlews, 3 Oystercatchers, several Shelduck and at least one Spotted Redshank. A Caspian Tern and several Linnets flew over as I was returning to the car. On the return journey I stopped at Amphise where a group of 12 Crested Larks were feeding and 3 Little Terns and a Bee-eater flew over. A stop by the pumping station had allowed me close-up views of a Purple Heron fishing. Next stop was at the Etang de Tour du Valat where I spotted a group of 12 Spoonbills and a couple of Cormorants, one of which was the north African race lucidus. I waited here for over an hour and had a single Kentish Plover, 8 Whiskered Terns, another Caspian Tern, a Gull-billed Tern, a Cuckoo, 10+ Yellow Wagtails (flava) and an adult Short-toed Eagle that gave excellent views overhead. I also witnessed a contretemps between a Black Kite and a male Marsh Harrier in which the kite was obviously intruding on the harrier's territory so the harrier attacked the kite and at one time this involved interlocking their talons and doing a spiralling fall that was very impressive. Further north I managed to hear a Sardinian Warbler and see Fan-tailed, Cetti's, Reed and Melodious.Unfortunately rare waders were just that.

7th - A cooler but still sunny day today for a visit to Mas d'Agon and La Capelliere. A single Roller on wires close to Mas St Cecile was a good start to the day. At Mas d'Agon a few Collared Pratincoles were overflying the road but no sign of the reported Black-winged Pratincole seen over the weekend! At least 20 Whiskered Terns were feeding on the lagoons along with a couple of Common and a single Gull-billed Tern. Both Purple and Squacco Herons also flew across the road. After a few minutes I noticed an adult Caspian Tern also feeding on the lagoon to the west of the road. A fairly scarce bird at this site! La Capelliere had a decent selection of waders present as the first returning migrants have recently arrived. From the main hide around 40 Black-winged Stilts, 17 Green Sandpipers, a single Wood Sandpiper, 13 Spotted Redshank (most in summer plumage) and the star birds, 3 Marsh Sandpipers. Unfortunately the rest of the reserve was fairly quiet with a relatively showy Great Reed Warbler plus a brief glimpse of a Moustached Warbler in the reeds the best I could find. I tried one further stop along Fumemorte and managed at least 3 Stonechats, an adult Short-toed Eagle, several Crested Larks and a single Calandra Lark but overall the area was very quiet.

6th - A visit to a new area today, namely the Alpilles around Aureille. A footpath/road called GR6 runs a good bit of the length of the eastern Alpilles just to the south of the hills. I took this route east and spent around 2 hours birding the area. On the drive to the site I spotted a single Roller perched in characteristic pose on a telephone wire in the Baux valley and then a pair of Alpine Swifts flying over peaks to the south of the Maussane-Le Destet road. On the actual walk I first spotted a very tatty Kestrel that looked as if it had moulted around 50% of its primaries! How it managed to get airborne I have no idea! A couple of minutes later I had a great view of an adult Bonelli's Eagle as it soared first in front then directly overhead. It was joined by another adult and the pair soon disappeared over the hills to the North. As I got further into the hills the path became narrower and the number of birds increased. I heard and then saw a male Subalpine Warbler as it carried food to a nest in a nearby bush. The calls of the young birds were heard clearly. An adult Southern Grey Shrike then posed nicely on the peak of a large boulder before a Sparrowhawk appeared overhead in a search for food. The maquis was now full of birds with several Black Redstarts, at least 8 Stonechats, a female Subalpine Warbler and a pair of Sardinian Warblers chasing each other through the rocks. Then I noticed a thrush sized bird atop another rock and confirmed it as an exquisite male Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush! It flew across the valley and was soon joined a by a female giving reasonable views. The last time I saw one of these birds was 4 years ago on Mont Ventoux so it was nice to discover a pair closer to home. A female Dartford Warbler then made her presence known and gave extended views (for a Dartford Warbler!!) before diving into some scrub. On the walk back I had a Black Kite soaring overhead and a Woodlark giving its beautiful song as it fluttered to the ground in front of me. All in all a great day.

3rd - Today I travelled along the road to Gimeaux under an overcast sky with a little drizzle. I stopped at the first bend past Gimeaux and walked along the track where I managed to spot a female Reed Bunting, several Corn Buntings, a Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail, Reed Warbler and 6 Tree Sparrows. Close to Mas des Barnacles I found 6 Bee-eaters,a dozen nesting Black-winged Stilts, a pair of Black Kites and a Common Tern. I continued on to Mejanes where I looked out over the Basses Mejanes and found a pair of Cetti's Warblers, a pair of Sardinian Warblers, Reed Warbler and 50 Flamingoes feeding on the lagoon. I then stopped at Mas d'Agon where 12 Whiskered Terns and 30+ Collared Pratincoles were flying over the lagoons. At times they passed low overhead giving excellent views. A juvenile Night Heron was then seen perched in a low tree only 10 metres away while an adult bird flew overhead along with a Purple Heron. Two Squacco Herons were soon seen in courtship flight over the eastern lagoon. Further north I managed to see a single Gull-billed Tern flying along the roadside, a male Cuckoo, 4 Wood Sandpipers giving alarm calls as they flew over, a single Curlew, Green Sandpiper and a Hoopoe. The protected zone was full of singing Skylarks and Crested Larks as usual with the added bonus of a single Short-toed Lark hopping around on a bare piece of ground.

1st July - An early visit to Marais du Vigueirat today and a good early sighting of a Roller on the telephone wires as I drove down the D35. The wet wood was very quiet with only a few tits (Great, Blue and Long-tailed) hopping through the trees and single Cetti's Warbler, Nightingale and Reed Warbler heard. The rapidly drying marsh held a dozen Black-winged Stilts and a further 10 or so flew over. The resident Cuckoo was seen flying and calling as it patrolled the trees. The 2nd wooded area had singing Nightingale and Melodious Warbler and a fly-by Kingfisher plus a Blackbird giving its alarm call. The White Stork nest had 4 well-developed young in it with the female proudly standing guard over them. In an adjacent tree I had excellent views of a calling Turtle Dove which eventually was spooked by a Black Kite! The open marshy area had a single Wood Sandpiper, several Bee-eaters, male Stonechat and Whinchat and a few Sardinian Warblers. But the most unusual sighting was a female Orphean Warbler which climbed through a nearby tree giving pretty good views. This is the first time I've seen this species at Vigueirat! Raptors were noticeable by their absence but I did manage to see a Sparrowhawk, female Marsh Harrier and a pair of Black Kites in mating flight. The extensive woodland by the canal produced both Green and Great-Spotted Woodpeckers and I heard a Lesser Spotted calling. Wildfowl was limited to a few Mallard and a single female Shoveler.

30th - The hot weather continues and the lack of wind today made it unpleasant to be out in the sun for any length of time. A brief trip to Mas d'Agon and Vaccares turned up few surprises. Driving south past La Chassagne I noticed 2 Collared Pratincoles as they flew west. At d'Agon a couple of Great White Egrets were an interesting observation given their absence here for the past 6 weeks or so. Terns were present in reasonable numbers with 5 Whiskered, 3 Common and a single Gull-billed all seen in flight over the lagoons. A single, adult Night Heron was also seen in flight having apparently lost any sense of the time of day ! Black Kites were numerous and a male Marsh Harrier quartered the reedbed looking for food. Two Purple Herons flew over although heading in opposite directions. At Vaccares the Black-winged Stilts continued to nest opposite the La Capelliere reserve entrance and I had the privilege of watching the male of one pair swopping incubation duties with the female. She didn't need much persuading to go looking for food! On the Etang itself I spotted a juvenile Herring Gull attempting to beg food from a pair of Yellow-legged Gulls! They were less than enthusiastic to put it mildly. A couple of Oystercatchers headed south and a Bee-eater appeared next to the road and gave excellent views perched on a telephone wire. Then, finally, an unusual sighting for this area when a Calandra Lark flew along between the road and the Etang only to disappear into a reedbed!

27th - A trip to the northern end of the Crau today in stifling heat, although a medium strength Mistral made it feel reasonably comfortable. On the approach road I noticed a Jay flying into the trees around Vergiere which was something of a surprise given the extreme heat in the past week or so ! I would have expected these birds to have relocated to the Alpilles where it is cooler. On the Crau itself we soon picked out 3 Southern Grey Shrikes that have been seen in this area before. They seemed unconcerned by the strong wind and frequently perched atop small bushes. A falcon then flew over and it was unmistakable as an adult Eleonora's Falcon with its dark underside primaries and long tail and wings. It spent some 5 minutes in view and was enjoying the experience of testing its flying skills in the wind. Larks were calling all over the area and we easily spotted Skylark, Crested Lark and Calandra Larks. We drove a good distance into the Crau and noted at least 3 Black Kites looking for food. On the return journey I spotted another shrike at a decent viewing distance. This was clearly a Lesser Grey Shrike, with its black forehead and shorter tail. It is the first of this species I have seen in the Camargue for 5 years, so was an enjoyable discovery ! Further along the track Georgina spotted a small bird close by with a number of flies in its beak. It was elusive at first but we soon had good views of it. A female Black-eared Wheatear of the form hispanica ! Another relatively rare sighting in this part of the Crau. A single Tawny Pipit and Hoopoe were the only other birds of note on the Crau but we did see 10 White Storks gliding over the N568 and a Roller on a telephone wire on the journey home.

25th - A short trip to Gimeaux and the Mas d'Agon area early today before the temperature became too oppressive ! The Black-winged Stilts were on their nests as we stopped to count their numbers. We spotted 6 occupied nests in the rice field opposite Mas des Barnacles with a couple of Common Terns flying over. Further along the road we spotted 4 Bee-eaters perched on the roadside fences and a Cetti's Warbler in flight. We then had an excellent view of a single Collared Pratincole as it flew directly over our heads. A short walk along a rough track led to me spotting a single Glossy Ibis gliding in to land out of sight behind a hedge plus a number of feeding Black-winged Stilts, more Bee-eaters, and a single adult Night Heron. Crested Larks were displaying over the dry fields as we returned to the car. We drove to the Mas Neuf viewpoint and noted a pair of cuckoos in mating flight and at least 3 Great Reed Warblers croaking and climbing through the reeds. At Mas d'Agon there had been a significant influx of Whiskered Terns. Around 40 adults were gathered over the marshes swirling around in a huge circle. Others were feeding along with 6 Common Terns and a single Gull-billed Tern. A Purple Heron soon flew over and both Reed and Great Reed Warblers sang from the reeds next to the road. As we travelled north past La Chassagne a couple of Rollers perched on telephone wires giving superb views and a Sparrowhawk dived in front of the car and again gave us excellent views.

23rd - A return to the Camargue and an early start at the beach at Piemanson confirmed that the predicted onshore wind was non-existent. In addition, a mist sat over the sea which made viewing difficult. Thus all we managed were 6 Common and 3 Little Terns! The lagoon by the beach was a little more productive with 12 Slender-billed Gulls, 3 fishing Little Terns and 4 Sandwich Terns. A number of Yellow Wagtails ssp. thunbergii called from the scrub but no other passerines were seen here. We travelled north past the Beauduc road and looked around Amphise where we found 4 Hoopoes, 2 Bee-eaters, a Melodious Warbler, several Little Egrets, Black Kites and many Crested Larks. A single Red-legged Partridge ran along in front of the car as we left the area! Another stop opposite Salin de Badon resulted in Reed, Great Reed and Savi's Warblers being seen quite easily as they called and climbed through the trees above the reedbeds. We had an excellent view of a Short-toed Eagle perched on a telephone pole at Fielouse and the young White Storks were showing well on their nest at La Capelliere. Despite an intensive search no Rollers were found in the northern Camargue!

18th - Another sunny and warm day as we headed North to the Monfrague National Park. On arrival at the peak at Penafalcon we could see a number of Griffon Vultures both perched on the rocks and gliding on the thermals high above us. They numbered around 30 birds. On the opposite peak I spotted an adult Egyptian Vulture amongst the Griffons. After another 5 minutes 3 Black Storks flew across the lake to the south and landed in amongst the trees where their nests were located. I scanned the scree slope to the north of the main peak and soon managed to pick out a single Black Wheatear as it hopped around the rocks and boulders. A much hoped for sighting ! Then a male Blue Rock Thrush appeared at the top of the scree and performed well for a few minutes. We continued along the road past Villareal de San Carlos and stopped high on the sierra to scope some of the raptors that were soaring over the ridge. These were mainly Griffon Vultures and Black Kites but occasionally joined by the odd Black Stork, Short-toed Eagle or Egyptian Vulture. After 15 minutes I managed to spot my main target, a superb 2nd year Spanish Imperial Eagle that stayed within range for a good 5 minutes. These birds number only 11 pairs in the Monfrague Park so it was something of an achievement to spot one. It was the only one we saw all day ! In addition to all the raptors I spotted a flock of 12 Spanish Sparrows as they flew over and heard Sardinian, Spectacled and Subalpine Warblers, all within 10 minutes. We crossed a low bridge over the dammed River Tajos which played host to around 100 pairs of House Martins that had built their nests under the overhang of the bridge. It was here that I spotted a pair of Alpine Swifts and 3 White-rumped Swifts in with the hundreds of martins and swallows. We followed the road to Barrajos and stopped along the way to watch a pair of soaring Black Vultures, several Woodchat Shrikes, a single adult Booted Eagle and a huge spiral of raptors which included Griffons, another Booted Eagle and an adult Bonelli's Eagle. On the return journey I noticed a field close to the road with a large earth mound and on it were 3 adult Black Vultures. They proved to be extremely accommodating and allowed us to get some excellent pictures. Further along I got a brief flight view of a Rufous Bush Robin as it disappeared into the trees. Its white-edged tail a distinctive marker. We stopped at Villareal on the way back for refreshments and I got a brief look at a male Golden Oriole as it flew into the shade of a nearby tree.

17th - An early start in the warm sunshine and the grassland of Belen was full of the song of Crested Larks. Travelling along the road I spotted many fly-over Cattle Egrets and Black Kites and a pair of Stonechats chacked by a small stream. The fields were full of feeding White Storks. As I reached the brow of a hill I noticed a large bird flying away from me on the left, its wings a mix of black, white and brown, surely a Great Bustard ! Unfortunately by the time I was out of the car it could not be re located. After another kilometre or so I decided to turn around and on the return journey spotted an amazing sight. About 50 metres from the road, perched on a boulder in an adjacent field sat 2 Black Vultures, an adult and a juvenile, apparently oblivious of me ! I had fantastic views of one of the most endangered raptors in the world ! A quick breakfast and we were soon travelling towards Caceres in the hope of better views of more Great Bustards among other things. The main road between Trujillo and Caceres cut through excellent steppe country. Overhead we spotted many Griffon Vultures, Black Kites, both kestrels and the occasional Buzzard. Along the roadside the nest boxes were full of Rollers, and Hoopoes were everywhere. We then took a road through some Holm oak woodland and spotted many Woodchat Shrikes, Azure-winged Magpies and Bee-eaters. A reasonable sized lake held a pair of Little Ringed Plovers, several Black-winged Stilts and 6 Whiskered Terns. Continuing our journey we found a pair of Great spotted Cuckoos and a Buzzard catching a Swallow in mid air ! Amazing! Having been unsuccessful with our search for any more Bustards we decided to have lunch at the Embalse de Caceres. The lake held many White Storks and we had a wonderful view while we ate our tortillas. We decided to drive the track which led into the park and after a hundred metres or so I noticed some large birds to our right. Sure enough when scoped they were confirmed as Great Bustards ! They numbered around 12 and looked very stately as they wandered slowly through the scrub. We managed a few photos and a movie.


Buoyed by our success we continued along the track and I spotted a single male Little Bustard in flight which, unfortunately, couldn't be relocated on the ground. Larks were everywhere and we managed to see Crested, Calandra, Thekla and Short-toed all within 30 minutes ! When we arrived at the end of the track 3 Montagu's Harriers flew over and a Short-toed Eagle was spotted on a fencepost. On the return journey we found a pair of Stone-curlews and a Raven but no sandgrouse unfortunately. Still, a fantastic day.

16th - A brief trip to Extremadura to find some species typical of the Spanish steppes. We drove from Madrid down to Trujillo and discovered a wonderful small town full of nesting White Storks and Lesser Kestrels. The skies were full of swallows, swifts and the odd Pallid Swift.

13th - The wind was a strong north-westerly today but the sun still shone as we made our way to the beach at Piemanson. As expected the sea was fairly agitated and seabirds were everywhere. A number of Common, Sandwich and Little Terns were feeding just off the beach within easy binocular viewing distance. After about 20 minutes I spotted, just below the horizon, a number of European Storm-petrels flying west. Their characteristic bouncy, almost swallow-like, flight made identification relatively easy and everyone eventually got on the birds. Luckily for us a fishing boat then appeared and within 20 minutes or so birds were being attracted from over a large area. At first Yellow-legged Gulls were the only prize but soon a number of Balearic Shearwaters were shearing and banking in the boat's wake and a juvenile Gannet was also curious. Several Gull- billed Terns joined the throng behind the boat as it headed west and out of sight. Peter then spotted 2 adult Caspian Terns as they flew in off the sea and a minute later they were followed by 4 juveniles. An excellent sighting. We decided to explore the scrub behind the beach next but it was quiet apart from a pair of Tawny Pipits, a pair of Reed Buntings and several Yellow Wagtails ssp thunbergi. As we walked back to the van a pair of Gadwall and a female Eider flew over. Just behind the beach we stopped to admire a flock of 30 or so Slender-billed Gulls showing a nice contrast with juvenile Black-headed Gulls alongside. Making our way back into the Camargue we stopped at the Baisse de 500 francs in the hope of an Audouins Gull but none were present although we did spot a pair of feeding Avocets on a small pool. Our next stop was at the Etang de Tour du Valat where we had very good views of a Crested Lark and a brief look at a Short-toed Lark which perched on top of the garrigue. Yellow Wagtails were everywhere and were all of the ssp. thunbergi. Further north we stopped by La Capelliere to admire the nesting Black-winged Stilts and heard a singing Whitethroat, spotted a Fan-tailed Warbler, 2 Melodious Warblers and a Yellowhammer and then heard a Cuckoo calling. The White Storks and young on the nest by the reserve entrance gave everyone good photographic opportunities.

12th - Another warm and sunny day today for our visit to the Petit Camargue - more specifically the Etang du Charnier and the Pont des Tourradons. On the journey we passed the derelict mill with a White Stork's nest on top. The female was sitting on the nest but no evidence of any young around yet ! The etang held at least 80 Mute Swans on arrival, a good percentage of which were juveniles. Terns were much in evidence with upwards of 15 Little Terns, 2 or 3 Whiskered Terns and 30+ Common Terns. We noticed a good number of Purple Herons in flight, 5 were seen in the first hour. Suddenly one of our party spotted a pair of Glossy Ibis gliding gracefully over the lake. Unfortunately they landed just out of view behind a reedbed, however everyone had brief views. We needn't have worried though as another 5 birds were spotted and everyone had good flight and ground views eventually. In addition to these species we noted Little and Cattle Egrets, an obliging Squacco Heron, that landed on the road not 50 metres from the van, and several pairs of Black-winged Stilt. After a while we travelled the short distance to the Pont des Tourradons and en route spotted a Hobby in pursuit of a sparrow, which by some miracle escaped capture! The wet forest at the Pont reverberated with Nightingale song and we managed brief, crippling views of a couple of birds. A Night Heron was disturbed from its roost site and was less than impressed as it had to find alternative accommodation. We then heard a Reed Warbler and managed to get decent views of it but the Cetti's Warbler was not as obliging. A Fan tailed Warbler sang overhead just as a juvenile Short-toed Eagle glided slowly over, again giving great views. In addition, we managed around 300 Flamingoes, 30 Mediterranean Gulls and a Willow Warbler. Finally, as we left, a Kingfisher led the way along the road in front of the van! A bizarre sight! As we travelled back to base I noted 2 Rollers perched on trees at Gimeaux.

11th - Today we visited the Etang des Aulnes and the northern Crau in the early morning and in the evening took a trip to Pont de Rousty in search of owls. At the Etang we walked the path through the trees alongside the lake and heard a wonderful chorus of Nightingales, warblers and tits. A Green Woodpecker flew across our path but disappeared over nearby fields. We spotted a female then male Stonechat perched in the bushes giving its characteristic 'tack' call. On the lake we had a pair of Great-crested Grebes, at least 3 Common Terns, a single Common Gull perched on a buoy and, on the far side, a hunting Hobby. The bushes adjacent to the lake produced a pair of Nightingales, (giving their alarm call non-stop for 30 minutes or more!), several juvenile Blue Tits, a Great Tit, a Whitethroat, 2 Melodious Warblers and a Fan-tailed Warbler. Several Bee-eaters then flew over along with a Purple Heron. As we moved along to the reedbed we heard at least 2 Grasshopper Warblers reeling and soon had excellent views of one of the birds. Cetti's Warblers were also frequently heard although they remained more elusive as did the single Reed Warbler that was also heard. From the tall beech tree near the road I heard the characteristic fluty call of a Golden Oriole and sure enough one was spotted high amongst the leaves. Eventually everyone had decent views of the male. A wonderful bird! We decided to move on to the Crau and as we drove along the road I spotted a splendid adult Bonelli's Eagle that was perched on a fence-post. Unfortunately it flew to a nearby tree and so could not be photographed but still it gave decent views to all. It didn't take us long to connect with our first birds on the Crau as a male Southern Grey Shrike became very agitated with our presence and gave a wonderful display of aggressive behaviour.



A number of Black Kites were swooping overhead and a male Marsh Harrier soon joined them. As we moved further onto the Crau we spotted several Tawny Pipits, a Northern Wheatear, 3 Lesser Kestrels and around a dozen Little Bustards including 4 males. Surprisingly, the flock of sheep that were feeding close to us then put up a flock of over 40 Little Egrets! Hardly the habitat one would normally associate with this water loving species! We also managed to see a group of 7 Calandra Larks and numerous Crested Larks.
In the evening a quick trip to the Pont de Rousty mean't we spotted a pair of Spoonbills as they flew towards their roosting site and then as the sun disappeared behind the horizon an adult Little Owl came and perched on a tree right next to the car park. It was soon making short hunting flights to pick up insects from the ground and gave us all excellent entertainment for close on 30 minutes. Unfortunately no Scops Owls were present tonight.

10th - Weather was calm and sunny today and by lunchtime temperatures were around 25C. We visited La Capelliere and Mas d'Agon before the heat set in. The woodland at the start of the trail resounded with Melodious Warbler and Nightingale song but as always these species proved elusive. From the first hide I spotted an adult Hobby preening high up in a tree. The lagoon had a single Flamingo feeding on it plus a couple of Moorhens but was otherwise quiet. At the second hide we had excellent, close-up views of a pair of young Cetti's Warblers that somehow managed to annoy a Robin, which then chased them through the undergrowth ! Further along we had good views of a Nightingale and a female Blackcap but we were startled when a female Sparrowhawk flew low over our heads and attempted to take something from the nearby reedbed. Whatever it was chasing escaped ! The heathland area produced a male Cuckoo, a male Marsh Harrier overhead and a pair of Crested Larks in mating flight. From the lagoon hide we spotted a pair of Black-winged Stilts, a calling Fan-tailed Warbler and a pair of Yellow Wagtails in addition to a possible Moustached Warbler which flew into the reedbed. The aaaaaahh moment of the morning was provided by a group of 4 young Coypu (ragondin) which posed nicely for photos and video (attached)!



The other notable sighting was the 3 young White Storks in their nest by the reserve entrance. Our stop at Mas d'Agon produced a number of Common, Whiskered, Sandwich and Black Terns plus at least 3 Reed Warblers, 2 Great Reed Warblers, 2 Fan-tailed Warblers, a Purple Heron and a Squacco Heron. Just north of here we stopped to admire a number of Camargue ponies only to find at least 60 Collared Pratincoles bathing and feeding over the flooded fields here. This number included a minimum of 10 juveniles and one possible Black-winged Pratincole, although this bird was more likely a hybrid Collared x Black-winged. Everyone had marvellous views of this species !

9th June - Having spent a week in the drizzle of England it was nice to return to the sun and warmth of the Camargue. We explored a number of areas today including Mas d'Agon, Beauduc and Fielouse. An early start at La Chassagne began with a pair of confiding Stone- curlews giving wonderful views to everyone. Further down towards d'Agon the formerly dry fields were now flooded and playing host to around 25 feeding Black-winged Stilts. An adult Purple Heron soon landed by the shallow canal and then I noticed at least 8 Collared Pratincoles perched along a ridge of earth in the middle of the field. They remained stationery for 20 minutes or so while we had superb views of this rare breeding species. We moved half a mile south to the main Mas d'Agon lagoons and birds were everywhere! Three fly-over Night Herons were soon joined by a dozen Squacco Herons heading out to feed over the marshes. Terns were numerous with at least 20 Common, 15 Sandwich, 10 Whiskered and a pair of Black. A Common Cuckoo flew over giving its distinctive call then a Hobby glided overhead with a nice meal in its talons. Several Bee- eaters were then found hawking over the farm to the south. Our next stop was just north of the Mas Neuf junction where we spotted 3 Great Reed Warblers, 4 Reed Warblers, a Fan-tailed Warbler and a Savi's Warbler. The drive down to Beauduc brought the usual egrets and herons. We parked the car and walked the path between Galabert and Fangassier. Unfortunately the flies and mosquitos were out in large numbers. We managed around 30 Ringed Plovers, 20 Kentish Plovers, a single Little Stint and at least 40 Slender-billed Gulls, looking very attractive in summer plumage, before we had to beat a hasty retreat! On the journey back we had good views of 3 Melodious Warblers, heard a couple of Marsh Warblers, saw a single Spoonbill flying over the Etang de Tour du Valat and numerous Crested and Skylarks. Yellow Wagtails were abundant. Around Gageron we also spotted a couple of Rollers perched on telephone wires.

28th - An early start today as the beach at Piemanson was the first port of call. The strong onshore wind was noticeable as was the huge increase in standing water. A brief scope of the sea showed that yesterday's rain, added to the strong winds, had brought in a number of birds. I spotted at least 100 Balearic Shearwaters making their way westwards in the company of one or two Gannets. Then a single White-winged Tern was seen fishing over the sea. A Cory's Shearwater appeared giving its characteristic banking and shearing display, then finally the bird I was hoping for, a dark form Arctic Skua seen well at a distance of about 200 metres, my first for France! The number of terns heading out to feed was in the hundreds at this point. I noted Common, Little, Sandwich and Gull-billed amongst them. Well satisfied with my hour's seawatch I investigated the Baisse de 500 francs and located a single Avocet plus a pair of resting Caspian Terns on a sand bar, the 6th tern species of the day! The roadside scrub produced a Hoopoe, a Sardinian Warbler, several singing Melodious Warblers and 2 singing Marsh Warblers plus a Sparrowhawk that appeared from nowhere. I made my way along the Grand/Petit Badon road and found a Short-toed Eagle, several Bee-eaters, a Hobby, a Spotted Flycatcher and a pair of singing Crested Larks. The return journey north was not uneventful either as I found 6 Spoonbills feeding on the Etang de Tour du Valat and a further 3 at Palunette which allowed me to get excellent digiscoped pictures. I even managed 3 Rollers as I passed Gageron

27th - Rain was forecast for today. It was overcast and warm as I travelled down to La Chassagne. I sat beneath at least 400 Swifts as they put on a fantastic display of aerobatics. My attention was distracted however by a calling Cuckoo which perched on a fence-post and gave excellent views. Not to be outdone it was soon joined by a first summer Great-spotted Cuckoo that looked to have suffered during the previous evening's downpour, such was the state of its plumage. As a female Marsh Harrier then flew over it put to flight 3 Stone-Curlews that gave vent to their eerie alarm call. My next stop was at Mas d'Agon where I spotted 3 Glossy Ibis landing just out of view plus a Purple Heron in flight. Travelling down towards Mas Neuf I stopped just short of the road junction and noted a recent influx of at least 4 Great Reed Warblers all singing from the reedbed. I managed to see 3 of the 4 birds well. I then noticed a bird in flight which I assumed was another GRW but when I got a decent view of it the plumage was much too dark and it looked more like an outsized Savi's Warbler. I had only seen Clamorous Reed Warbler once before and that was in India nearly 3 years ago but this bird would be a good contender for another. Unfortunately I couldn't get another look at it, so it remains only a possible! I also heard at least 2 Savi's Warblers singing from this reedbed. A further stop by Vaccares produced nothing of note except a pair of Black Terns but as I took the Tour du Valat road a pair of Honey Buzzards gave great views overhead. In the evening I took a trip along the Gimeaux road and just before the heavens opened I managed to spot at least 9 Collared Pratincoles balanced precariously on a mud bank separating 2 lagoons, as the wind tried its utmost to dislodge them.

23rd - Today I decided to walk from the Phare de Gacholle end of the Digue to see if it would be as productive as the St. Maries end was last week. The weather was calm and hot. Within a few minutes it was obvious that all the migrants had gone. The short walk to the lighthouse produced a couple of Yellow Wagtails (ssp iberiae), a single Whinchat and 3 fly-over Linnets. Around the Phare was nothing but a few House Sparrows. Further along the Digue I managed a nice view of a Tawny Pipit then at least 4 Sardinian Warblers in the scrub and a Willow Warbler flying into a tree. At one lagoon just north of the Digue 4 Redshanks and an Oystercatcher were feeding. The garrigue was full of Yellow Wagtails ssp. flava ( I counted 15) but nothing else. On the journey back to the car a flock of around 80 Ringed Plovers and 50 Little Stints flew over. Overall a disappointing day !

22nd - Today we travelled up into the Haute Alpes in search of a very rare French bird, the Black-headed Bunting. As we went north on the A51 I spotted a Green Woodpecker almost collide with a lorry ! The plateau de Valensole was wonderfully sunny and hot and a brief stop for food allowed me to spot several Serins and Goldfinches. We descended the steep valley down to Brunet and within minutes I had seen a female Red-footed Falcon as it posed in a tree close to the road. The roadside wires were full of singing Corn Buntings and a brief stop produced a singing Quail from an overgrown field. A Hoopoe was spotted in the road then 2 male Red-backed Shrikes were seen on fenceposts plus a Subalpine Warbler in a bush. A Chiffchaff was heard singing from nearby woodland. A little further along the road a couple of roadside trees stood between crop fields and here I heard the characteristic song I had been waiting for. The first tree produced a singing male Ortolan Bunting but the second had a male Black-headed Bunting singing from the very top ! In fact as I scanned the fields I spotted another male and at least 3 female birds. I managed to get several digiscoped pictures plus a video of the male bird singing from the tree. Magic ! On the journey home I spotted a Buzzard, Black Kite and a pair of White Storks. A wonderful day.

21st - Another sunny and calm day today allowed me to make a brief visit to the Camargue this morning and to Gimeaux in the evening in search of owls. A first stop close to Tour du Valat had me spotting the adult Short-toed Eagle again. This bird is frequenting the area regularly now although no mate has yet been spotted. The bushes to the south of the road also held a female Red-backed Shrike, a Hoopoe and at least 5 Bee-eaters. The canal at Fielouse was quieter than in recent days with only Melodious Warbler, Nightingale, Cetti's Warbler and Willow Warbler. Next I stopped opposite the Etang de Tour du Valat and saw a fly-over Purple Heron, a pair of Avocets landing on the etang and a Honey Buzzard. En route back to Arles I re-found the female Red-backed Shrike opposite the Vaccares but apart from the stilts and the White Stork on her nest there was nothing else of interest. In the evening I visited an area of sparse trees along the route de Gimeaux. As I drove past Gimeaux I spotted a Roller perched on a telephone wire, only my third this year ! Then as I approached the large reedbed to the south a Bittern flew in low over the reeds. As I waited near the cattle pens a Cuckoo made several flights over the car and a Hobby began catching insects then posed nicely in a tree nearby. I waited for another hour but there was no sign of any owls then, as I drove back towards Arles, an owl flew across in front of the car ! I managed to locate it with my torch as it perched high in a tree for several minutes - an adult Scops Owl ! What a treat ! 

19th - A bright sunny day and a brief trip around the Camargue taking in Mas d'Agon, Vaccares and Mejanes this morning. First stop was at La Chassagne where a Stone-Curlew and Lapwing were seen feeding amongst the grass. Mas d'Agon was fairly quiet with nothing but Coot and Great Crested Grebes apart from the usual egrets and herons. After a few minutes a Cuckoo flew over while calling and a Marsh Harrier was seen hunting over the reedbed. At Mas Neuf a Nightingale was singing from a tree close to the platform and a Collared Pratincole flew past giving excellent views. A flock of 6 Bee-eaters were also feeding close by. Next stop was opposite La Capelliere where the resident Black-winged Stilts were busy nest building. The reedbed held at least 10 Yellow Wagtails, a Water Pipit, several Cetti's Warblers and a Reed Warbler. Four Common Terns and a single Arctic Tern then began a noisy disagreement with the stilts and the pandemonium lasted for several minutes ! Over the Etang I spotted a pair of fishing Black Terns, although their white rumps were more typical of White-winged Terns than their more common cousins. As I travelled south on the D36 I caught a brief glimpse of an unfamiliar bird and on further investigation located a pair of Red-backed Shrikes in the roadside trees. The male was a magnificent example of one of the most attractive European shrikes. The final stop was at Fielouse where the bushes by the canal produced a pair of Melodious Warblers, a Chiffchaff and a Cetti's Warbler.

16th - Today we travelled to Beauduc in the hope of finding some migrants amongst the wader flock that has been resident on the Etang de Galabert for the past 2 weeks. We also visited Vaccares and Gageron on the way back. The outward journey was not uneventful as on the approach road to Sambuc I spotted a first summer Great-spotted Cuckoo perched on a fence. It was obliging enough to remain there while the group got good views. The road past la Belugue was as treacherous as ever and slowed our progress a little. As we travelled alongside the Etang du Grand Rascallion we spotted a number of Ringed Plovers, Kentish Plovers and Little Stints, although they were camouflaged well against the brown mud. There were several Yellow-legged Gulls on nests here too. Unfortunately when we arrived at the Etang de Galabert we found that the wader flock had gone! Not to be disheartened we searched the small copse of trees by the pumping station and almost immediately a Nightjar flew up and landed nearby. We slowly approached again and this time confirmed it as a Red-necked Nightjar as it gave close up flying views to everyone. An excellent discovery. We then did a brief recce of the area and found 2 pairs of Grey Plover, a pair of Curlews and an Oystercatcher, which is not a common bird in the Camargue. On the return journey back to Belugue we spotted 6 Bee-eaters, a Sardinian Warbler singing in the garrigue, 8 Avocets, 6 Black-winged Stilts and around 20 Mediterranean Gulls. Just as we got back on the D36 a Honey Buzzard floated over giving excellent views. As we travelled north we found, in addition to the abundant Black Kites and Marsh Harriers overhead, a Spectacled Warbler, Reed Warbler, Bonelli's Warbler, several Yellow Wagtails (ssp thunbergi) and at least 4 Melodious Warblers. At a brief stop at la Palunette we heard a Grasshopper Warbler, but unfortunately did not get any views, and saw a flyby Kingfisher. The pair of White Storks were still on their nest at Capelliere and a Penduline Tit flew across the road in front of the car, which was a surprise. Finally, between Gageron and Saint Cecile we found a single Roller perched on the telephone wires. A fine end to the day.

15th - The weather forecast was not good for today and so it turned out with sporadic showers all day. Even so we took a trip to the Gorges de Regalon in the Petit Luberon in the hope it would improve. As we approached the site we had excellent views of an adult Bonelli's Eagle that glided low over the road. The walk into the gorge produced at least 5 Black Kites and a dozen Alpine Swifts soaring over the massifs. We also heard Crested Tit, Goldcrest and Sardinian Warbler singing close by. A male Subalpine Warbler was spotted in a tree close to the path and good views were had by all. I then noticed a male Blue Rock Thrush looking out over the gorge from the ridge on one of the peaks. Luckily it remained immobile for a few minutes permitting good views through the scope. Other birds were now soaring high above the gorge. A pair of Crag Martins, at least 4 Choughs and a single Raven took turns in displaying their aerobatic talents. Several groups of Serins flew fast overhead just as the rain began again. It was soon obvious that this was not just a passing shower and so reluctantly we returned to Arles.

14th - Today we visited Saintes Maries de la Mer and more specifically La Brise campsite and the Digue a la Mer. At the campsite the Western Olivaceous Warbler was still showing along with several Spotted Flycatchers, a pair of Turtle Doves, a female Blackcap, 2 Sardinian Warblers and a Nightingale. We began to walk along the Digue and it was immediately evident that a good number of migrants had come in overnight. Within the first 200 metres we spotted 2 Icterine Warblers, 2 Bonelli's Warblers, 6 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Willow Warblers, a Marsh Warbler, a female Pied Flycatcher, 2 Garden Warblers and a female Red-backed Shrike. The first lagoon to the north was full of Greater Flamingoes but also 2 pairs of nesting Avocets and a single wader that, on closer inspection, turned out to be an adult Terek Sandpiper. Further along the Digue on the south side we spotted at least 6 Grey Plovers, 10 Ringed Plovers, 20 Kentish Plovers, 8 Dunlins and 15 Little Stints. A single Night Heron was then seen fishing in one of the lagoons and gave wonderful views to everyone. Still the birds kept coming with a pair of Red-legged Partridges flying across the path into the scrub, a Tawny Pipit, several Yellow Wagtails (ssp cinereocapilla), a pair of Linnets, a single Black-eared Wheatear and a pair of Crested Larks. As we reached the Trabes du Rousty 3 Common Sandpipers flew over and a Chiffchaff sang from the cover of some nearby trees. We scanned the sea and Mike spotted 2 Caspian Terns flying in off the sea. They joined the Sandwich Terns and Little Terns that continually flew overhead. I then managed to spot a female Montagu's Harrier hunting over the marshland to the north of the path. On the return journey we noticed a Purple Heron flying over the Etang des Imperieux and the same passerines in the trees.

13th - This morning we visited the Marais du Vigueirat followed by brief stops at the Etang des Aulnes and Peau de Meau. The weather was nice and calm and partly overcast. The reedbeds were alive with warblers, not surprisingly, and we managed to see Reed Warblers, Great Reed Warblers, a Sedge Warbler and a single Moustached Warbler. At least one Cuckoo was heard and then seen flying overhead. A pair of White Storks were on their nesting platform as usual but no sign of any chicks yet, unfortunately. I then spotted a singing Icterine Warbler in a tree adjacent to the boardwalk which everyone managed views of, then a Whitethroat in the scrub. The open field supported 2 Whinchats, a Stonechat, several Sardinian Warblers and a couple of Black-winged Stilts. We then saw a fly-over Glossy Ibis, which was a nice surprise, and a pair of Black Kites and single Red Kite. The lagoons held Great and Little Egrets, Grey and Purple Herons plus a pair of nesting Teal (!!), several Mallard and a pair of Red-crested Pochard, the first I have seen here. A flock of at least 6 Bee-eaters began calling and flying over the far end of the reserve giving everyone an additional splash of colour. In the woods by the canal we spotted numerous Melodious Warblers, Great and Blue Tits, Robin, Wood Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and a Squacco Heron in the flooded area. As we approached the exit a Green Woodpecker flew across the marsh and a pair of White Storks glided high above the trees to the south. As we left the reserve a probable Barred Warbler flew from the fence on our left right across in front of the car and disappeared into the trees, not to be seen again. This is a rare bird for the Camargue and, interestingly, is the same species that I got a brief glimpse of last autumn at the same venue !! Our stop at the Etang des Aulnes was not very productive with just a single Stonechat and a Great-crested Grebe although we did manage a good view of a flying, male Golden Oriole, my first this year! We then drove a little further, onto the very north of the Crau and spotted a pair of Jays in the trees. On the Crau itself we had a single Southern Grey Shrike plus several Lesser and Common Kestrels, 4 Crested Larks and a pair of Tawny Pipits.

12th - Today we decided to concentrate on the north of the Camargue along the route de Gimeaux. A number of the arable fields are now flooded for rice growing and the number and diversity of birds has increased accordingly. Just after the village there is an extensive reedbed and here we spotted Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Savi's Warbler all singing. Colin spotted a Melodious Warbler singing in an adjacent tree and I found a Short-toed Lark in a lay-by 100 metres further along the road. Just past the narrow bridge a flooded field held several pairs of breeding Black-winged Stilts plus 2 Wood Sandpipers, around 20 Mediterranean Gulls, several Great and Little Egrets, and a splendid Collared Pratincole which was doing its best to keep up with the continual flow of Swifts overhead. As we continued our journey a pair of White Storks drifted over giving everyone excellent views. Next we were treated to playful aerobatics between a Common and Gull-billed Tern followed by the first of 3 Cuckoos flying close by. Birds were coming thick and fast now as I spotted first a Turtle Dove perched alongside the road, then a pair of Great-spotted Cuckoos that mated as we watched! A wonderful sight! Then suddenly the sky was full of Bee-eaters as they continually gave their characteristic whooping calls and perched on the fence posts by the road. Everyone got excellent photos as they were unexpectedly transported to Africa for a few minutes! Next came a true bonus as I spotted a female Orphean Warbler engaged in a noisy squabble with a pair of Sardinian Warblers. They flew off in an agitated manner after we all had decent views. Our next stop was at Mas Lauricet where unfortunately all the waders had left. However, we did manage excellent views of both Squacco and Purple Herons plus Whinchat, Fan tailed Warbler,Yellow Wagtail, Linnet and several Goldfinches. Over the Petit Rhone we also spotted at least 2 Sparrowhawks, many Black Kites, Marsh Harrier and a single Short-toed Eagle. On the way back we found a feeding Kingfisher. Not bad for a few hours birding !

10th - Having heard that a Western Olivaceous Warbler had been seen in Saintes Maries de la Mer I was interested to see it and so made the 20 minute drive down. The weather was excellent with bright sunshine and a cooling breeze. I found the Le Brise campsite easily and parked outside. The far end of the campsite was empty of campers and it was here that I located the bird. It was quite easy to see although it flew several times from tree to tree and it remained silent throughout. It was in the company of a number of other migrants including at least 3 Spotted Flycatchers, a Redstart, a Spectacled Warbler and, unusually, a Rock Sparrow. The resident birds included 3 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Nightingales, a Whinchat, a pair of Tawny Pipits and many Goldfinches. All in all an excellent short excursion. In the evening I went into the Camargue in the hope of finding some owls. A stop at Mas d'Agon produced a flying Red-crested Pochard, Marsh Harrier, Purple Heron and both Whiskered and White-winged Terns. Then as I drove along the D37 I spotted a pair of Audouins Gulls in a field along with around 50 Yellow-legged Gulls. A nice surprise! I waited around the Villeneuve area until dark and had a brief walk around but apart from a Tawny Owl heard calling at some distance I could not locate any owls.

9th - A return to the Camargue and a brief stop at Fielouse gave me excellent views of both Nightingale and Icterine Warbler singing from bushes next to the canal, plus Spotted and Pied Flycatchers. Further towards Tour du Valat I had a close-up view of a wonderful adult Short-toed Eagle plus Fan tailed Warbler, Crested Lark, Cuckoo and several Shelducks. Next stop, by Salin de Badon, led to Reed Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Sedge Warbler all being heard but not seen and a flyover Purple Heron! At Amphise I spotted several Cattle Egrets feeding in a field along with a pair of Whinchats and a male Corn Bunting singing from a tree. My planned final destination was the Etang de Galabert, so I parked alongside and walked between it and Fangassier until I reached the far end. A single Willow Warbler and a pair of Yellow Wagtails flew from the scrub by the path as I passed. The far end of the Galabert hosted a flock of waders and although the wind was fairly strong by now I managed to pick out 100 Dunlin, 80 Little Stint, 30 Ringed Plovers, 20 Kentish Plovers, a pair of Sanderling and 4 Little Terns. Unfortunately there was no sign of the White-rumped Sandpiper seen on Tuesday. The return journey home was not uneventful as I noticed a Great-spotted Woodpecker flying alongside the road over the Tour du Valat reserve and then at Fielouse a splendid 3rd summer Bonelli's Eagle low over the fields to the right of the road.

8th - An early rise to birdwatch from the hotel window turned up trumps as a Black-bellied Dipper was spotted perched singing on a fence just above the stream that ran through the town ! An amazing sighting ! Also seen were 6 Swifts, 8 Blackbirds, 3 Serins, 10 House Martins, 2 Great Tits and at least 20 Carrion Crows leaving their roost sites. We travelled south from the hotel and first stop was along a huge gorge near St.Jean en Royans where raptors were numerous. I spotted 3 Black Kites, 4 Buzzards, a Short-toed Eagle, a Sparrowhawk and at least 3 Honey Buzzards, one of which was engaged in wing-clapping, a mating exercise unique to this species. In addition to these I spotted at least 8 Alpine Swifts plus numerous Crag Martins, Sardinian Warblers and Goldcrests. Our next stop was in the Foret de Lente which was fairly quiet apart from a Song Thrush, Blackcap, Melodious Warbler and several singing Chiffchaffs. We continued south and eventually stopped at the famous Col de Rousset where we spotted 2 Griffon Vultures gliding high up on the thermals, in addition to 3 Short-toed Eagles and several Black Kites. We emerged on to the plain below and searched for Ring Ouzels but instead discovered a pair of Black-eared Wheatears, Cuckoo, several Whinchats, Yellowhammer, Kestrel and 4 Skylarks singing high in the sky. After lunch at Die I spotted another Griffon Vulture as it glided down over the town.

7th - We decided to take a brief trip to Vercors Nature Park in search of specialist mountain species. Our base for the 2 days was Villard de Lans which was in the north of the park. The weather was bright and sunny although we had a brief shower on the Wednesday evening. The journey on the A7 turned up 2 Nutcrackers flying over the road which was a good start. An exploration of the high alpine meadows around the town lead to me spotting 4 Alpine Choughs that glided overhead for at least 5 minutes. The yellow bills were clearly visible on all the birds and they glided in pairs giving an excellent demonstration of aerobatics ( see attached video!). A short walk also produced Yellowhammer, Crested Tit, 3 Coal Tits, 6 Chaffinches, 5 Serins, Willow Warbler and 2 Goldcrests. Driving higher into the peaks I had a walk into the coniferous woodland which produced several Robins and Blackbirds, the possible call of a Hazel Grouse, a pair of Redstarts, a pair of Black Redstarts, 2 Jays and a pair of Bullfinches. We returned to the same area as dusk approached in search of owls but saw nothing.

ALPINE CHOUGHS

3rd - A brief trip to the Chateau d'Avignon for a non-birding experience turned out to be................a birding experience ! The drive along the D 570 turned up yet another Red-footed Falcon, this time a male gliding just south of the road ! The grounds of the chateau were nice and cool under the extensive tree cover. Birds were singing everywhere and I soon spotted a Hoopoe singing from the top of a distant tree. We settled down in the shade for a cup of tea and I noted a Melodious Warbler, at least 6 Pied Flycatchers, several Great Tits, a pair of Short-toed Treecreepers, a single Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, many Goldfinches and a Sparrowhawk. The journey back to Arles produced my first White-winged Tern of the year, in addition to many Black-winged Stilts, Mediterranean Gulls and 5 Gull-billed Terns. Merveilleuse!

2nd - An early start again at the Piemanson beach but no sign of any Audouin's Gulls today, or any of the mysterious, disappearing skuas! Conditions were calm and apart from half a dozen Little Terns, a Common Tern, 2 Gull-billed Terns and 4 Oystercatchers there was nothing of note. The dunes produced only the usual Tawny Pipits, Whinchats and Yellow Wagtails of ssp thunbergi and cinereocapilla. The Baisse du 500 francs had a decent-sized flock of waders comprising Dunlins, Little Stints, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover and 4 Curlew Sandpipers but in addition I noted 4 Avocets, 2 Redshank and 2 Curlews. As I left the area I heard a woodpecker drumming by the road opposite the saltpans and saw an adult Great-spotted drumming high on the trunk of an oak. Next stop was by flooded fields at Pont des Cocardes where a flight of 4 Green Sandpipers came in to land, a Cuckoo flew over and around 20 Mediterranean and Slender-billed Gulls were feeding. A pair of Sparrowhawks flew over as I travelled along to Amphise and here I investigated the fields by the road and found a pair of Northern Wheatears, 3 Stonechats, 4 Whinchats, a Cetti's Warbler and a Fan-tailed Warbler. By the pumping station further along the road a Purple Heron was perched in a bush and I saw a singing Common Redstart plus Black Kites, Marsh Harriers and 5 Bee-Eaters overhead. Next stop was at Fielouse where the influx of flycatchers and warblers was obvious. In 30 minutes I spotted 6+ Pied Flycatchers, a pair of Spotted Flycatchers, 2 Melodious Warblers, 3 Icterine Warblers, a Wood Warbler and a Nightingale! Just for good measure a pair of Short-toed Eagles glided low above my head and gave exquisite views. I also heard at least one Orphean Warbler singing from the undergrowth. Final stop was at some of the flooded fields by Gageron in the hope of a White-winged Tern but unfortunately the terns have abandoned their former feeding stations and all I had were Black-winged Stilts and Mediterranean Gulls.