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.