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.