Wildlife Holiday Recce

I have agreed to co-lead a Wildlife Holiday in Languedoc in late April for Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays.  Chris Durdin owner of Honeyguide and Rob Macklin co-leader have been here for a day or two and we have been going around on a reccee of sites.

Gadwall

We started today at Bessan in bright sunshine but a freezing wind.  We had no luck with Little Bustards but did find a mixed flock of Corn Buntings, Cirl Buntings and Greenfinches and a dozen Lapwings.  At Etang de Vendres the wind was very strong with ducks sheltering the lea and only a couple of Marsh Harriers really evident.  At Pissevache there were at least 6 Great White Egrets plus c100 Gadwall, c30 Teal , c30 Shoveler a few Shelduck and a dozen Greater Flamingos.

Greater Flamingos in the wind

Moving on to the Gruissan area there a few more Greater Flamingos about and a couple of Water Rails scuttled across the road.  At Mandirac we counted 18 White Storks and  a single male Penduline Tit.  Two Marsh Harriers quartered the marsh with a ring-tail Hen Harrier and 2 more Great White Egrets were sitting in the road.

Norfolk Boys in the Carmargue

The Carmargue complete with bulls.

Despite visiting many of the best birding spots in the World up until yesterday I had never been to the Camargue,  I had been told by many others that it is difficult to to see birds because so much is private land. So early yesterday morning the 8 Norfolk Boys, Paul Williams, Ron Bennett, Alan McBride and myself  set off for this mythical place.  First stop was at the top of the canal by the D779 in the Petite Carmargue.  Walking along a wall of reeds Alan McBride's squeaking produced about a dozen Penduline Tits, 2 Bearded Tits, Cetti's Warbler and plenty of Reed Buntings.

Penduline Tit photographed elsewhere in Languedoc

Moving on down the same road we started to see and hear Common Cranes and soon we could see up to 3,000 feeding in roadside fields.  They were quite nervous and kept their distance.

Common Cranes in roadside fields

Our next plan was to drive down the eastern side of the Etang de Vaccares and stop at the visitor centre at La Capeliere. Enroute we soon realised that most of the open areas of water were totally frozen and therefore duck were scarce.  The Etang Vaccares was unfrozen but we only initially came across rafts of Mallards and Coots.  Eventually we came across significant numbers of Great Crested Grebes with smaller numbers of Black-necked Grebes,

Black-necked Grebe.

There were also a few Shelduck and Shoveler and a single Pochard.  Arriving at La Capeliere we walked the trails but found little except Great White Egrets, Long-tailed Tits , Meadow Pipits and a few Water Rails desperately looking for food along the frozen ditches.

Water Rail on the ice.

Further exploration of this area added Kingfisher and Hen Harrier.  We headed north and then drove the western side of the Etang.  Here birds were difficult to find but we located a few Curlews, Dunlin, Grey Plovers, Avocets, Snipe and one each of Redshank,Spotted Redshank and Green Sandpiper.  We did stop and admire the special Camargue horses and the impressive black fighting bulls.

Carmargue Fighting Bull.

We headed back to have a last look at the Cranes before leaving for home.  We also added another Hen Harrier and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.  We looked carefully at dozens of Common Buzzards but failed to find a Spotted Eagle.  I think I need to visit this area again in Spring before I am convinced it is worthwhile making the effort.

Norfolk Boys in the Snow

Blue Rock Thrush

This morning's plan was to go looking for the Snow Finch on Pic de Nore.  Low cloud and persistent sleet meant we could only walk around the historical village of Minerve.  We were immediately lucky to find 2 male Blue Rock Thrushes on the Gorge Brian walls.  Moving down into the gorge there were lots of Blackcaps as usual and a superb view of a Firecrest.  The highlight for me was a Dipper the first I have seen in this area.

White-out in my garden.

We finally gave up as the weather got worse and the Norfolk Boys departed to the coast in the hope of better weather and more birds.  After that the weather got worse and worse with heavy snow laying everywhere.  Quite a rare event around here.

Birding with the Norfolk Boys

My pal Paul Williams also an East Anglian asked Malcolm Raines from West Norfolk and 7 mates over to do some French Birding. We began after they left the Ryanair flight at Beziers Airport and looked for Little Bustards.  We found plenty of Buzzards, a couple of Sparrowhawks and 4 Lapwings but no bustards.  A quick decision was needed.  We hurried to a site near Bessan and after a short wait 5 Little Bustards flew around in a circle giving excellent views and gasps of approval from the Norfolk boys.

Little Bustards in flight

We also noted a ringtail Hen Harrier, Cattle Egret and Zitting Cisticola before we departed.  I went to pick up Ron Bennett and we all headed for the wonderful village of Moreze.  This site is traditional for seeing that most spectacular bird Wallcreeper the birds winter here probably coming from the Alps.

Moreze - good Wallcreeper habitat

When Ron and I arrived our friends were 20 minutes ahead of us and when we met they were all beaming as they had enjoyed superb views of a Wallcreepr just after arriving.  It was a lifer for most of them.  It was another hour before Ron and I caught up and we enjoyed fabulous views as this jewel of a bird busily circumvented a cliff flashing its scarlet wings.

Wallcreeper - photographed on a previous occasion

Heading back to base we stopped off to look for a Southern Grey Shrike.  In a freezing gale we duly found the bird and enjoyed good view and discussion on the taxonomy of the "Great Grey" shrikes.

Southern Grey Shrike

Finally we headed for a site to listen for and perhaps see an Eagle Owl.  Sadly the wind was so strong we gave that up for another day.

Much Colder

A much colder day and I did a quick check of Lac de Jouarres.  Not much change just 50 Mallard, a Grey Heron, 3 Yellow-legged Gulls but 40 Cormorants most of which were fishing feverishly.

Cormorant fishing

Driving through local vineyards there are many sizeable flocks of passerines.  Chaffinches seem to be the commonest species but flocks of mixed species are also common.  Today a mixed flock of c200 birds was equally made up of Goldfinches, Linnets and Serins.

Goldfinch

Linnet

Serin

With all this potential prey it is no wonder that these areas are good for raptors in winter.  Today I saw Buzzards, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks all patiently waiting for their turn.

South Along The Coast

Looking towards the Pyrenees from Port Leucate

A bright day with no wind so we headed south to the lagoon just alongside Port Leucate.  There were a lot of birds.  At least 30 Great White Egrets and a group of waders containing a Common Sandpiper, 6 Ringed Plovers, 8 Kentish Plovers and 15 Dunlin.  Moving on to Franqui there were more waders.  A single Redshank, 20 Dunlin and 5 Grey Plovers.

Grey Plover

We walked up to the little sewerage ponds where we flushed 5 Snipe and watched a superb Water Pipit.  We ate our lunch on the beach south of Port Nouvelle but added nothing there.  We pushed on to the harbour at Port Nouvelle where there we 4 Black-necked and 12 Great Crested Grebes.  Cormorants were also feeding and Yellow-legged Gulls were providing some great photo opportunities in the splendid light.

Yellow-legged Gull

We found another Black-necked Grebe at Peyriac a second Common Sandpiper and lots of Greater Flamingos some of which were engaging in display. Leaving Peyriac there were 8 White Storks feeding on a shallow lagoon.  Finally we called in at a small marsh on the edge of Narbonne.  A male Marsh Harrier and a Chiffchaff were the only species of note.

A Look Around in the Wind

The Splendid Gate at the old farm at Le Buoys

Bright sunshine today but with a very strong wind which made things feel cold.  At breakfast a beautiful male Hen Harrier hunted small birds over the lucerne fields.  After lunch we drove around the back of Minerve and La Caunette in a search for birds. We stopped at Le Buoys where a Hawfinch had been seen earlier in the week but nothing doing.  Our first bit of luck was we pulled on to the St.Pons road heading south to La Caunette.  A male Goshawk soared overhead being mobbed by 3 Jackdaws.

Mistle Thrush

We moved on and drove down the track by the gorge behind the village of La Caunette.  A group of Mistle Thrushes was very obvious as was another male Hen Harrier.  Further on a flock of 40 Fieldfares moved through a vineyard.  Lastly we stopped looking over Minerve hoping for a glimpse of a Blue Rock Thrush.  No luck with that one but to my surprise a super Hawfinch flew from one group of bushes to another right underneath us.  There are always surprises here.