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.

1st - Avoiding the area around Vaccares due to the recent influx of tourists I headed along the route de Gimeaux in the north of the Camargue. The weather was sunny and hot with no wind for a change. Unfortunately, the flooded fields that had held a number of terns just 2 weeks ago now held only a dozen Mediterranean Gulls, a few Black-winged Stilts and a single Common Tern. Further along the road however, I noticed a number of falcons circling overhead. These turned out to be 4 Red-footed Falcons (3 males and 1 female) which gave wonderful views. Just part of a huge influx of this species across the whole of southern France in the past week. Another stop just past Mas des Barnacles gave me my second Little Bittern in 3 days - a splendid male this time, along with Cetti's Warbler, Nightingale and Stonechat. Turning onto the Albaron-St.Gilles road I spotted a male Cuckoo in a nearby tree plus several Wood Sandpipers in adjacent fields. My final stop of the afternoon was at Mas Lauricet where the fields held 7 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Greenshank, plus many Little and Cattle Egrets. Both Purple and Squacco Herons flew past and a number of raptors were seen soaring over the canal including 2 Short-toed Eagles, Buzzard, Kestrel and a single Honey Buzzard, my first of the year !

30th - An overcast and rainy day mean't birding was not easy today but a brief trip along the Gimeaux road turned up a gem in the form of a 1st summer female Pallid Harrier that was hunting North of the road. Excellent prolonged views were obtained as the bird swooped and glided low over the fields. In addition to the standard fare I noted a flock of 5 Bee-Eaters in the trees of Gimeaux and at least 20 Black-winged Stilts feeding in the flooded fields further west.

29th - Beginning the day at Piemanson I scoped the sea only to find an adult Audouin's Gull loafing about 100 metres away ! It flew off after 5 minutes and wasn't seen again. In addition, I had a pair of Black Terns that flew directly over my head in off the sea and a group of 6 Slender-billed Gulls flying along the beach. I then explored the marshy area behind the beach and discovered a Wryneck, 3 Tawny Pipits, a Willow Warbler, a Whitethroat, 5 Yellow Wagtails of the ssp cinereocapilla and a couple of Whinchats. En route to the Digue I stopped to watch an obliging Hobby perched next to the road and several Northern Wheatears. The Digue was relatively quiet with a single Whinchat next to the path plus the usual Ringed and Kentish Plovers, Redshank, Dunlin, Little Stint, plus the addition of 4 Curlew Sandpipers resplendent in summer plumage! As I left the Digue, just opposite the pumping station, I noted at least 4 Bee-Eaters and a male Pied Flycatcher, both firsts for this spring. Further along the road I stopped opposite the Salin de Badon and disturbed a wonderful female Little Bittern that perched in a tree for several minutes before disappearing. Nightingales were singing everywhere amongst the vegetation and a Reed Warbler sang from a nearby tree. A final stop at Mas d'Agon turned up a single Whiskered Tern and a Purple Heron.

28th - Today I visited the Marais du Viguierat, the first visit for some time. Although the wet wooded area was full of singing Nightingales they remained well hidden, as usual. The water level on the marshland was perfect for waders and indeed as I arrived a group of 11 Glossy Ibis were found feeding here. They were very flighty though and although I managed a few digiscoped pictures they soon left. Also on the same marsh were at least 50 Wood Sandpipers and a pair of Yellow Wagtails (ssp thunbergi) which gave excellent views. My first good view of a Squacco Heron this year followed and a nice male Cuckoo posed on the fence. Apart from the usual Little and Great Egrets a Purple Heron was seen emerging from the far reedbed and relocating into another close by. The walk through the final wooded area was enlivened by a flock of 15+ Long-tailed Tits that were very confiding, and were soon joined by Great Tits, a Blackcap and more Cetti's Warblers.

25th - Today we combined the flat desolate wastelands of the Crau with the more verdant slopes of the Alpilles. An early start at the Piste du Vallon resulted in a wonderful, close up view of a Stone-Curlew and 10 fly-over Little Bustards. The unmistakeable song of at least 3 Nightingales accompanied us as we walked further in and we soon spotted a singing Corn Bunting - one of a flock of around 50 birds. We managed to find a number of male Little Bustards on the ground looking resplendent in their black neck feathers. Black Kites were constantly gliding overhead and we had a couple of Stock Doves flying quickly past. Next stop was the Plaine de Crau and immediately we spotted a Northern Wheatear and one of several Tawny Pipits. The number of Calandra Larks had not diminished since my last visit and they delighted us with their song displays. The area was full of Skylarks and Crested Larks and a Marsh Harrier hunted overhead. We located another 4 Little Bustards and a couple of Stone-Curlews before Steve picked out what looked like a tentative female Red-footed Falcon. Unfortunately it was some way off and couldn't be relocated when we got closer. We were then treated to a very odd looking, presumed female, Cuckoo with a bright rufous head, barred greenish back and barred white breast ! This was immediately followed by two 1st summer Great Spotted Cuckoos and a juvenile Short-toed Eagle that had caught some prey on the ground. As we left the area 3 Hoopoes, another Northern Wheatear and a female Montagu's Harrier added the icing on the cake of a productive visit. A brief stop at Entressen rubbish tip produced only a couple of White Storks and around 50 Black Kites. Final stop for the morning was at the airfield at Eyguieres which was a little disappointing although it did produce another Stone-Curlew and at least 2 Little Bustards, plus a Red-legged Partridge. Our first stop in the Alpilles was at La Caume where we spotted a possible Peregrine, Alpine Swift and Sparrowhawk. Unfortunately it was a little too windy for any other raptors and the forest was quiet. A stop at Mas de l'Ange produced another 3 Alpine Swifts, Blue Rock Thrush, Serin, Jay, Crested and Long-tailed Tits plus a number of finches that were heard only. We then moved to Les Baux which was emptying of tourists where Steve spotted both Crag Martins and more Alpine Swifts. The final stop of the day was at Le Destet for the famed Eagle Owl but unfortunately it was reluctant to show itself and we had to make do with another Sparrowhawk and several Serins and Goldfinches.

23rd - Today we started off by the pumping station at Enforces de la Vignolle and walked along to the Phare de Gacholle. The Greater Flamingoes were everywhere and must have numbered around 300. A number of waders were feeding close to the parking space including around 15 Dunlin, at least one Little Stint and half a dozen Kentish Plovers. A single Green Sandpiper also flew in to feed. The bushes along the Digue which are normally so productive produced..............one Willow Warbler ! The stream by the weir had a flock of at least 12 Spotted Redshanks with a single bird moulting into summer plumage. Then in the bushes to the North of the path I spotted an adult male Woodchat Shrike of the subspecies badius. It sat out in the open for several minutes allowing excellent views. The trees and bushes around the lighthouse were oddly devoid of migrants although a fly-over group of around 30 Ruff, a pair of Red-legged Partridge and numerous Sardinian Warblers and Yellow Wagtails gave us something to look at ! A pair of Gadwall were spotted on a nearby lagoon. The return journey to the car produced a far away flock of around 300 Dunlin and Little Stint plus a few Little Terns. Our visit to Grenouillet was more productive with a good selection of raptors around. Steve did a great job of spotting a male Red-footed Falcon as it flew past and we had decent views of the bird as it crossed the marais in front of us. There were good numbers of Black Kites, Marsh Harriers, Buzzards and Kestrels, and then I spotted an adult Short-toed Eagle which landed at the top of an electricity pylon and posed accommodatingly for at least 5 minutes. Next stop was La Capelliere where we managed a flock of around 20 Black-winged Stilts, a Little Grebe and the female White Stork on her nest. The flooded fields north of Vaccares produced upwards of 50 Whiskered Terns, a couple of Black Terns, 8 Black-tailed Godwits and a single Gull-billed Tern. Final stop was at Mas d'Agon where we noted the usual resident species plus a possible second Red-footed Falcon ( views were limited ), a fly-past Common Cuckoo, a single Red-rumped Swallow and an impressive Purple Heron that crossed the road within 30 feet of us !

22nd - A trip today to Saintes Maries de la Mer to check out some terns and gulls and to walk along the Digue a la Mer in search of migrant waders. On arrival I had a quick look around La Brise camping site where a Red- throated Pipit had been reported on Saturday. After an extensive search the only birds seen were a pair of Hoopoes, Crested Lark and several Greenfinches-no sign of any pipits. I took up a sheltered position behind the beach for a sea watch and immediately it was clear there had been a huge influx of terns in the past week. In the first 10 minutes I had seen literally hundreds, comprising Little, Sandwich, Common, Gull-billed and even a few Whiskered. No sign of any Caspians though which was something of a surprise as I had regularly seen one or two over the winter at this site. The number of gulls was also very impressive with the majority being Black-headed and Yellow-legged with an occasional Kittiwake or Little Gull thrown in. After around 40 minutes I finally got to see the gull I was hoping for ! Two adult Audouins Gulls flew past at close quarters giving excellent views! My first seen in France. By this time the tourists were beginning to emerge from their motorized rabbit hutches so rather than walk the Digue I decided to drive back up along the western shore of Vaccares. I located a large flock of waders close to the "Terek Sandpiper bay" which comprised the usual Dunlin, Little Stint, Grey Plover (in stunning breeding plumage), Ringed and Kentish Plovers. In addition a pair of Oystercatcher and 5 Avocet were feeding along the shore, plus 3 Curlews. The flooded fields north of Vaccares produced 6 Redshank, 2 Spotted Redshank and at least 9 Greenshank. Yellow Wagtails were everywhere and were all of the nominate race. A visit to Mas d'Agon again produced nothing but 30 Black-winged Stilt.