Tuesday 28 April 2020

Wildlife of The Camargue.

A photo display of the birds and other wildlife found in The Camargue, south west France. Click on any photo to enlarge.
All slides will include text of species where appropriate. These photos were taken in May of last year over 4 days when I stayed at Saintes Maries de la Mer. Flight from Stansted to Nimes £85 return and a pleasant 3 star hotel for £60 per night b&b plus car hire of £125. Average spend per day on food, evening meal and drinks, around £30.00. Total cost without being frugal £600.
This is one of my most popular talks for RSPB groups, Natural History Societies and Ornithological groups. I also gave an edited version of this at the Bird Fair at Rutland Water last summer, so the trips do eventually pay for themselves.

Click on first photo and there should be a film roll come up underneath the enlarged version. Just continue to click on the next slide.
Map of The Camargue
Yellow legged gulls

Little egret


One of only 3 bird hides in the whole area. This at Parc Ornithologique 4km north of Saintes Maries de la Mer

Glossy Ibis

Squacco heron

A long hot walk to the lighthouse in the distance where there are good bushes for warblers. Temp 26C


Glossy ibis

The Camargue is famous for its bulls and horses. One reason why you stay on the paths!

Nightingale

Melodious warbler

Cattle egret in breeding plumage

Another cattle egret

Greater flamingoes


nesting little egrets

Grey heron

Little egret courtship

Juvenile little egret

Black winged stilt

Avocet chicks disobeying mum and not following!

Parc Ornithologique


Grey heron





Notre Dame church, Saintes Maries de la Mer at night



Egyptian locust

same insect

Hiding hoopoe

White stork



Great white egret


Crested lark


Tawny pipit


Roller


Bee eater

Too good to miss

Distant Whiskered tern

White winged black tern, a rarity



Pony trekking is very popular




Black redstart

Mute swan

Great reed warbler

Purple heron

Spoonbills



Great reed warbler

Reed warbler

Great white egret


Gull billed tern

Serin

female serin



Clouded buff moth

Glossy ibis


Green underside blue butterfly

Coypu



swallow

Red veined darter, juvenile or teneral as they are called

Goldfinch


Yellow wagtail sub species cinereocapilla



House martin


Bee eaters


4 spotted moth




Potter wasp species

Slender billed gull


a superb bee eater

Clouded yellow

roadside flamingos in soft morning light. One of my favourites.

Mediterranean gulls with Glossy ibis behind

Red footed falcon

sacred ibis

short toed eagle

Scarlet darter

Black crowned night heron

Common tern

Garden warbler

Sandwich tern

Spectacled warbler

Zitting cisticola, used to be called the more pleasant name of Fan tailed warbler

This is me

This is me
At the end of another Norfolk Coastal footpath walk. 47 miles, 3 days 99 species of bird. September 2009

Caley Wood view

Caley Wood view
sunshine through the canopy 29.05.08

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007

A walk along the Warta Valley, Poznan, Poland. Feb 2007
Best birds on this walk: black and middle spotted woodpecker and short toed treecreeper

About Me

My photo
A primary school teacher for 30 years, I retired from teaching in July 2009 to set up my own science enhancement and communication company. The Primary Works offers science clubs, workshops and staged science shows nationwide. I have always been interested in bird watching since my early years. Apparently my first tick was after inquiring about a chaffinch and then receiving the Observer book of birds. By the age of 9 I had moved on to Tory Peterson's collins guide and was now involved on YOC birding holidays to Northumbria, Essex coast, Slimbridge and Yorkshire. My twitching rule is that I will willingly travel 1km for each gram the bird weighs. However, I have had many rarities just by being in the right place. I have travelled widely throughout Europe and also visited Australia and Sri Lanka. In 2016 I spent time at Portland Bird Obs and two trips to Aviero, Portugal. 2017 found me back in Sri Lanka in Feb/March, then July and back for New Year's Eve celebrations in December. Also returned to The Camargue in May for a 4 day trip. Few plans for 2018, but nothing yet booked apart from a trip to the IOW.

Grey heron

Grey heron
Over the allotment 28.09.08

Southern Hawker

Southern Hawker
Ridge footpath 27.08.08

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)

Juvenile green woodpecker (17.08.08)
Note the stripes, denoting a bird fledged this year.

common blue

common blue
Ash Valley G.C. 15.08.08

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)

Indian balsam (impatiens glandulifera)
River Ash

azure damselfly

azure damselfly
River Ash 28.07.08

marbled white

marbled white
Discovered at Westland Green 22.07.08

ruddy darter

ruddy darter
Bush Wood 21.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08

honeysuckle 19.07.08
growing in hedgerow in Chapel Lane

cinnabar moth caterpillar

cinnabar moth caterpillar
Photographed on ragwort 19.07.08

Bittersweet

Bittersweet
Study of petals 11.06.08

male yellowhammer

male yellowhammer
08.06.08

common blue butterfly

common blue butterfly
06.06.08

River Ash

River Ash
looking south from the bridge at Hadham Ford

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)

Common poppy (papaver rhoeas)
in rape field 29.05.08

Caley Wood sunshine

Caley Wood sunshine
29.05.08

Millenium Wood fox

Millenium Wood fox
24.05.08

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)

common comfrey (symphytum officinale)
06.05.08 banks of the River Ash

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)

Garlic Mustard or Jack by the Hedge,(Alliara petiolata)
flowers, leaves and fruit edible . Good in salad and pesto

April showers

April showers
Double rainbow 30.04.08

Caley Wood bluebells

Caley Wood bluebells
22.04.08

Yellow Archangel

Yellow Archangel
Chapel Lane (20.04.08)

sunlight 16.04.08

sunlight 16.04.08
looking south west from Bush Wood

snowy buds

snowy buds
06.04.08 in Bush Wood

Looking north west

Looking north west
05.04.08 evening shower approaching

Back Garden

Back Garden
Easter Sunday (23.03.08)

Brick Kiln Hill

Brick Kiln Hill
Looking east (23.03.08)

No play today

No play today
The 2nd hole at Ash Valley golf course

Teasel head

Teasel head
Bush Wood (21.03.08)

Reflections

Reflections
daffodils at Bush Wood pond (21.03.08)

Swollen River Ash

Swollen River Ash
The river at the bottom of Winding Hill 16.03.08

Daybreak over the chapel

Daybreak over the chapel
Thursday 13th March

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)

Wild daffodils (narcissus pseudonarcissus)
growing in Bush Wood

January snowdrops

January snowdrops
Banks of River Ash, north of Much Hadham

Good Moon

Good Moon
From garden 24.01.08

Village Green

Village Green
Looking east towards Acremore Street

Looking south before Hadham Ford

Looking south before Hadham Ford
rare January blue sky

Useful sites

The following are some useful websites that may interest readers of this blog.
Firstly, Bishop's Stortford Natural History Society http://bsnhs.webplus.net/

Fellow birder, Gary Whelan's blog. Gives reports from our trips out together plus reports from his trips abroad. http://hairybirders.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.hertsbirdclub.org.uk/ The official herts bird club website. Frequently updated, listing bird sightings around the county. Offers links to many other websites. Both of these sites also offer links to yahoo discussion groups.
http://www.birdforum.net/ An international site. You can enter as a guest but become a member( free) to post comments, bird sightings and just about anything to do with wild birds. Good news updates, classified section for binoculars, cameras etc.
http://www.guidedbirdwatching.com/ A new site set up where you can contact people worldwide who will help you find good birds in their country. UK section being set up presently.
http://www.britainsbirder.co.uk/
Fellow birders blog. Strtford resident, Graeme Smith regulary birds the area south of Stortford as well as around Spellbrook and the River Stort from Spellbrook to Twyford Locks. Some superb bird photography: Graeme uses a digital camera attached to his powerful telescope to get detailled images of the birds he sees. Well worth a browse.
Two local sites that may be of interest can be found at
http://www.thehadhams.com/ www.thepelhams.net/content/section/12/139/

South Easterly walk

South Easterly walk
black, normal, red extended walk

South Westerly route.

South Westerly route.
Black usual, red extended

North Easterly walk

North Easterly walk
black short, walk. Red, extended

North West Patch

North West Patch
black route regular. Red route the extended wander