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We enjoyed many wonderful views of Greater Flamingos, which somehow manage to be gangly and gorgeous at the same time. (Photo by guide Eric Hynes)

Charismatic birds, fabulous food and wine, comfortable accommodations, spectacular scenery, nearly perfect weather, great camaraderie... who could ask for anything more. Thanks so much for choosing Field Guides and for joining Jay and me on an avian adventure in France. We did the Camargue and the Pyrenees up right!

On-time arrivals (with everyone's baggage) expedited our departure from Montpellier and allowed for some leisurely birding as we made our way east to Arles. Our first taste of the vast wetlands of the Camargue region was just south of Aigues-Mortes. Our principal targets there were Mediterranean Gull, Common Shelduck, and a first good look at Greater Flamingo -- check, check, and check. Another birding stop to break up the drive at Mejanes yielded killer looks at Squacco Heron and a few responsive Spectacled Warblers. We settled in at Mas de la Feniere for the next four nights with a wonderful meal.

Our first full day of birding was focused on shorebirds and other waterbirds in the salt pans south of Salin de Giraud. We really did well with good looks at Curlew Sandpipers, Pied Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Kentish Plovers, and a Whimbrel. An immature Purple Heron was noteworthy and pulses quickened when a couple of Eurasian Hobbies flew by. Slender-billed Gulls by the Mediterranean Sea were also standouts. In the afternoon we padded the list with Sardinian Warbler and Purple Swamphen from the raised platform overlooking Marais de Grenouillet. European Rollers, Eurasian Kestrels, and Eurasian Marsh-Harriers kept the commute interesting.

Birding at La Crau steppe was centered around a hike in the Peau de Meau refuge. This stark landscape yielded trip birds including: Lesser Kestrel, Common Cuckoo, Tawny Pipit, Red-legged Partridge, Eurasian Thick-knee, and European Bee-eaters. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at Etang des Aulnes where migrating White Storks were spotted overhead. In the evening we wined and dined in the field before a successful pursuit of an enormous Eurasian Eagle-Owl.

Day three in the field was focused on wetland species once again around the Camargue. The infamous mistral winds were blowing hard, but it did not seem to hinder our birding too much. The marshes of Mas d'Agon yielded Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Northern Lapwing, Montagu's Harrier, Glossy Ibis, and a stellar scope look at Common Kingfisher. The area known as La Capeliere on the north shore of Etang des Vaccares in the Camargue was a migrant hotspot midday. We had European Honey-buzzards and Eurasian Sparrowhawks tracking into the wind while one drying pan held an incredible array of large shorebirds. We tallied Eurasian Curlew, Common Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, and Black-tailed Godwit. We almost reached the Mediterranean Sea again at Le Fangassier and were treated to Greater Flamingos by the thousands, plovers and sandpipers, and another flyby Eurasian Hobby. We ended the day with another sweep through the Salin de Giraud salt pans and found our only Sanderling and a Little Gull to pad our list.

Finally catching up to the Little Owl on the property predawn was a wonderful way to start our transfer day. We tracked west across southern France. A soaring Booted Eagle spiced up our picnic lunch stop overlooking Carcassonne. We passed through Toulouse and detoured up into the foothills to sample hardwood forests for the first time in Ausseing. Our side trip was worthwhile as we got looks at Short-toed Treecreeper and Eurasian Nuthatch. We stopped at Pic du Pibeste before continuing up to Gedre where we were welcomed by the gracious staff of the Breche de Roland Hotel for the next four nights.

Our streak of beautiful weather continued so we took the first day in the Pyrenees to head up for the hike to Cirque de Gavarnie. Mistle Thrush, Tree Pipit, Eurasian Griffon, Golden Eagle, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Firecrest, and Goldcrest enhanced our hike up. Once in the cirque, we caught up to a Rock Bunting and loads of Black Redstarts. During the descent we were mesmerized by the undulating flight display of a Golden Eagle and several dramatic passes from more than one Black Woodpecker.

Another hike the next day at Port de Boucharo found us working on our Spain lists after close encounters with Alpine Accentors and a Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush. The weather and views were simply spectacular. In the afternoon, we worked our way up the Vallee d'Ossoue to a glorious site for a picnic lunch. Bird highlights there included Short-toed Eagle, Lammergeier, Common Redstart, and White-throated Dipper.

Day three in the Pyrenees started on the wet side but by the time we were ready to start our walk around Lac des Gloriettes, the sky had cleared. We enjoyed fine views of Eurasian Bullfinch, Dunnock, Lammergeier, Eurasian Griffon, White-throated Dipper, Gray Wagtail, and our only Pyrenean Chamois or Isard of the tour.

On our final full day of the tour, we began at the little ski area of Le Lienz. The conifers there were full of finches. We had our best looks at European Serin and Common Chaffinch. Other species showing nicely included Yellowhammer, Firecrest, and another Black Woodpecker. It took some work but we finally tracked down Eurasian Treecreeper and Eurasian Wren. From Le Lienz, we followed the Tour de France route all the way up to Col du Tourmalet, where graceful Red Kites were soaring about. We looped back through the Ausseing forest to clean up Short-toed Treecreeper and added some great views of Middle Spotted Woodpecker. A Peregrine Falcon collapsing into a tremendous stoop was thrilling. Not to be forgotten was the little troop of Long-tailed Tits that Jay managed to find by ear while driving.

In the end we compiled a really fun list of birds. While 21 species received votes, the runaway winner for favorite bird of the tour was Black Woodpecker. Also perched on the medal podium were runners-up: Common Kingfisher and Red Kite. Some the dinners we savored might prove just as memorable with time.

Thanks again for choosing Field Guides, take care, and good birding.

--Eric a.k.a. Golden Eagle

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

For those interested in Herps, there were three species we noted during the tour:

Common Wall Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) - this was the heavy-bodied, spiky gecko we saw clinging to the cement wall of the bridge we walked under at our first birding stop near Aigues-Mortes.

Common Frog (Rana temporaria) - this was the species we encountered in two locations. Surprising given the elevation, we saw a large (likely female) individual acting sluggish in the cool morning up at the parking area for Port de Boucharo. During our hike up into Vallee d'Estaube, above Lac des Gloriettes, we saw many small individuals, which were likely just emerging to their terrestrial life having recently completed their metamorphism.

The small lizards we were seeing on our hike at Port de Boucharo are likely one of the wall lizards in the genus Podarcis. I am not certain which one but Common Wall Lizard seems likely.

Totals for the tour: 154 bird taxa and 5 mammal taxa