Another Day in the Carmargue

Following on from my visit in January I thought I would try a spring visit with my friend Ron Bennett.  We set of at 6.30am and first stopped at the canal to the west of Etang de Scamandre in the Petit Carmargue.  A Bittern was booming the air resounded to the songs of Great Reed Warbler, Reed Warbler and Cetti's Warbler.  Plenty of Red-crested Pochards and Great White Egrets were also obvious.

Great White Egret

We moved on into the Carmague proper and stopped by Mas d'Agon where we heard another Bittern and also saw quite a number of Purple herons and a Squacco Heron.  Common, Whiskered and a couple of Gull-billed Terns were feeding here where we also saw our first of 5 Hobbys for the day.  Despite careful scrutiny we could find no Little Bittern.

Coypu - a common sight everywhere

We moved on to La Capeliere and apart from 7 Night Herons had a very disappointing visit with little else.  A check further south near the Tour de Val did produce 2 distant Collared Pratincoles. Towards the end of the day we did begin to see many groups of Glossy Ibis.  Despite searching the western side of Etang Vaccares we saw little else except Greater Flamingos.  I really will find it hard to return here as the birding is much more productive here in Languedoc.

Mediterranean Gulls are common in the Carmargue

Returning home a Wryneck was singing near my garden.