After visiting the market in Olonzac this morning and with a good forecast we set off for the coast and had lunch in Gruissan. Afterwards we drove out to the beach and headed south. We found a group of Kentish Plovers with 3 Ringed Plovers and 5 Little Stints before we stopped to walk out over the salt pans.
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| Gruissan Salt Pans with pink bloom |
We were delighted to see many Greater Flamingos were present with quite a few young birds. Three Sandwich Terns flew over and a Black Tern hawked for insects. We were soon looking at small groups of shorebirds most of which were Sanderlings and Dunlin..
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| Sanderlings |
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Dunlin
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Closer inspection revealed quite a few more Little Stints, Ringed Plovers and a superb Curlew Sandpiper.
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| Curlew Sandpiper |
The best was still to come. Looking once more through the flocks I was so pleased to find a juvenile Red-necked Phalarope bobbing around like a cork on the water and spinning around like a top as it fed feverishly.
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| Red-necked Phalarope |
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| Red-necked Phalarope. |
A great decision to visit the Salt Pans. We moved on to the wet meadows at Le Petit Tournabelle which were still good but I imagine levels will drop soon as the adjacent rice fields are harvested. We counted 10 Great White Egrets, the usual squadrons of Cattle and Little Egrets and a single Glossy Ibis. Scanning the fields we also noted 6 Wood Sandpipers, 3 Ruff and 2 Lapwings,
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| Glossy Ibis |
Arriving home just before sunset there was still time for excitement. Beryl called me just in time for me to see a Hobby chasing after a group of migrating Swallows which had been moving all day. A great finish to a good day.
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