 CAMARGUE
Wonderful European winter birding
Saturday 6 March - Saturday 13 March 2010 - FULL
Price: £1145 pp
Single Supplement: £105 pp
Deposit: £300 pp
 
Price includes: return scheduled flight from London – Nimes, airport
taxes, ground transportation, accommodation and all meals, incidental
tips, and the services of Leader John Poyner, who will be joined by another
from our main guiding team with more than 7 clients. Max. 14 clients.
Where can you enjoy great winter birding before migration begins? Join
Heatherlea in the Camargue, one of Europe’s premier winter birding
destinations. Winter birds usually include Wallcreeper, Bonelli’s
Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Little Bustard, Pin-Tailed
Sandgrouse, Citril Finch, Snow Finch,
Eagle Owl, Black Woodpecker, Alpine Accentor, Bluethroat, Moustached Warbler, Penduline Tit, and of course
flocks of Greater Flamingo which can be usually measured in thousands.
From the sweeping marshes of the Camargue reserve and the surrounding
plains of La Crau to the limestone cliffs of Les Alpilles and, weather permitting, the snow-clad mountain
slopes of Mont Ventoux, we explore all the special places and key sites,
returning in the evening to a lovely cosy hotel and traditional food including
local cheese and wine; Heatherlea aficionados will feel right at home!
Other birds of note may include Black-necked Grebe, Little, Cattle and
Great White Egret, Little Stint, Spotted Redshank, Long-Legged Buzzard,
Golden Eagle, Red Kite, Yellow-legged Gull, Slender Billed Gull, Little Owl, Crag Martin, Water Pipit, Richard’s Pipit,
Kingfisher, Blue Rock Thrush, Southern Grey Shrike, Crested Tit, Sardinian
Warbler, Firecrest, Serin, Hawfinch, Brambling, Common Crossbill, Cirl
Bunting and Rock Bunting. A tremendous start to the overseas birding year!
Watch out also for Coypu in ditches or blundering Wild Boar crashing through
vegetation.
This holiday originally ran for five days, but there is so much to see that we extended the itinerary to a whole week for 2007 and enjoyed such good birding that we have retained this format for 2010. Why not join Heatherlea for seven days in the south of France?
IITINERARY
Day 1 Saturday 6 March: Fly London – Nimes, transfer and dinner. Our hotel sits in a rural location, and offers comfortable en-suite rooms, Provencal-style dishes and local wines. Cheese is a local favourite, and Heatherlea aficionados will feel right at home as we take charge of the small, cosy dining room!
Day 2 - Day 7 Sunday 7 March —Friday 12 March: Over the week we will thoroughly explore the Camargue Reserve with its vast lagoons and wetlands, exploring the network of roads and dykes which criss-cross this vast landscape, home of the legendary wild white Camargue horses and huge flocks of Greater Flamingo. We use viewing platforms and our transport to search the fence posts, lakes and lagoons. Here Black-necked, Great Crested and Little Grebe might be found, perhaps with Scaup amongst wintering flocks of commoner ducks. Waders might include Little Stint and Spotted Redshank, and we watch out for wintering Water Pipit and Yellow-legged Gull by the waters’s edge. Marsh Harrier hunt the vast reedbeds, which hide Moustached Warbler, Penduline and Bearded Tit as well as wintering Bluethroat and Stonechat in the surrounding scrub. Several majestic Greater Spotted Eagle have wintered in the area for some years, and we have good chances to see this magnificent raptor at the roost. We may even be lucky enough to separate a Long-Legged Buzzard, another regular wintering vagrant, from the plentiful local Common Buzzard. Little, Cattle and Great White Egret are all found around the reserve, and we see them as we travel, together with Corn Bunting and perhaps a briefly flashing Kingfisher. Watch out also for Coypu in ditches or blundering Wild Boar crashing through vegetation.
Another day we make a short drive to the magical limestone cliffs of Les Alpilles and the hill top Roman village of Les Baux. Here Wallcreeper winter, small flocks of Alpine Accentor gather around the village and resident Blue Rock Thrush are found on the rock faces. Sardinian Warbler chatter from the scrub, and a few Serin twitter from the trees. Small flocks of Crag Martin swirl around the cliffs.
We walk around La Caume, where resident Bonelli’s Eagle are the key target. We have a regular site, and usually see the birds. The track takes us through pines and towards cliffs where Crested Tit and Firecrest can be found. Citril Finch is also here in some years. Later we wait at a secluded location at dusk for good views of magnificent Eagle Owl.
A complete contrast is in store as we drive to the plains of La Crau, where Little Bustard gather in wintering flocks, and Pin-Tailed Sandgrouse can also be seen. We also enjoy sightings of Southern Grey Shrike, Little Owl, flocks of mixed finches including Serin and Cirl Bunting, and possibly wintering Richard’s Pipit. Early Ortolan Bunting were seen here in 2006.
A nearby landfill site offers the chance to see Red Kite soaring. Masses of Yellow-legged Gull scavenge the rubbish and we scan through them before moving on to another area good for Pin-tailed Sandgrouse.
Another change of habitat as we drive north to Mont Ventoux, taking the road to the small ski resort. We pass through forest where elusive Black Woodpecker are our target, before searching the higher slopes and treeline for Citril Finch and possible Snow Finch. Success with this bird is very much weather dependent. Brambling, Common Crossbill, Greenfinch and tits may be visited by a hungry Sparrowhawk. Golden Eagle and Raven are also sometimes seen soaring over the high tops. Mont Ventoux or “Windy Mountain” is well named, so we spend time in the ‘Alpine’ cafe for a warm cup of Hot Chocolate.
Time towards the end of the week will be spent searching the areas surrounding the Etang du Vaccares and Tour du Valat within the Camargue National Nature Reserve, searching again for species we might have missed, and hunting for our own rarities, such as Pine Bunting, with Hawfinch and Rock Bunting also possible.
Day 8 Saturday 13 March: Our final day, and we will have a little time to round-up anything missed or look for new birds landing at the Camargue Reserve, where Penduline Tit may be calling. Specialities might include Slender-billed Gull or Little Bunting. Then on to the airport to stock up with local fromage et vin!
Please note: all itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual
holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and
elements beyond our control (eg weather).
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