July 7th & 8th, 2013: Third day in the Camargue National Reserve and the Cirque de Gavarnie

                      The morning of July 7th was the morning of our final day in the Camargue National Reserve. My father and I had basically visited all the best spots of the reserve and we really didn't know where else to go. My dad then proposed we visit the town of Aigues-Mortes in the "Petite Camargue". As we drove through the small city (as it wasn't quite small enough to be called a "town"), I was discouraged because it didn't seem like there would be any suitable habitat to bird there. Then I noticed a large pond with several flamingos on it. I figured that birding this pond, lined with paths frequently used by joggers, dog-walkers and bikers, was better than driving around aimlessly and burning daylight. So we parked and began walking down. There weren't any birds of interest on the pond, just the regular stilts and gulls that abounded elsewhere. Suddenly this small white bird began bouncing over the small and dispersed flocks of the aforementioned. In noticed its black outer primaries and very stubby tail immediately and was able to determine that this was a Little Tern without even putting my binoculars up. This bird was fun because I had only seen it once before. But so far, that was the best bird. This pond was remarkably desolate. However, it wasn't that surprising when the surrounding highway, boisterous passersby and sound pollution were taken into account. As we approached the end of the trail, I was contented to find a few Common Shelducks sitting on a few islands, with their red-knobbed bills tucked into their wings. Suddenly I noticed a large gull movement in the sky above us. I immediately assumed these were some Yellow-legged Gulls, but they looked a little off. Curious as to what they were, I put my binoculars up and found myself looking at about 30 Mediterranean Gulls flying west. I read in my book that gulls and other shorebirds use some nearby ponds as feeding grounds, which must explain this relatively large movement.

One of the many Mediterranean Gulls flying over

                 Then I noticed this smaller, daintier gull flying in the other direction. As I looked at it, the only feature that really stood out was its trailing white edge to its wings, which indicated that this was a Croicocephalus. I then tilted its head into my direction, and utter joy coursed through every vein in my body. It had a white head and a thin, all-black bill. It was my lifer Slender-billed Gull! This is a very localized species and breeder in Europe, and the Camargue National Reserve is one of their strongholds. Unfortunately, I wasn't ever really able to find out where their breeding grounds were, and they aren't reliable anywhere away from their breeding grounds, so I was ecstatic when I found this bird. This was one of my top-targets for my trip, and I was extremely happy to have found one.

                 This gull was the last notable bird I found at this location, so we decided to drive back to location visited the previous day: the marsh along the side of the road near the "Etang de Scamandre".

                Once we arrived there, we found the usual crowd. There were fewer Whiskered Terns there that day, but there were more Gull-billed Terns than the previous day. It was quite amusing to see the plunge into the shallow ponds in this marsh. What several would do is dive headfirst towards the water, but right before hitting the water, they made a 90º switch and grazed the water with their bill, hoping to snatch a small fish. This technique did indeed prove fruitful as several did end up with their quarry.

Gull-billed Tern
(notice the stubby black bill,
and the black tip to the primaries)

                       Another interesting bird to circle over us was a Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, a fairly common bird found throughout the marshlands of this reserve.

Eurasian Marsh-Harrier
(notice the very broad wings and long tail,
 and the pale face and shoulders)

                        As I scanned this area with my scope, I came across a very dark shorebird. At first I was puzzled, but then it faced me and I knew immediately what it is. Part of the reason why I was so confused by this bird is because usually they aren't present the first week of July in this location, not in high numbers anyways. This bird was a Spotted Redshank in alternate plumage, a gorgeous bird and a lifer. This bird was rather far away, so the only way to get identifiable shots was by digiscoping.

Spotted Redshank
(notice the thin black bill with red at the base,
and the overall dark brown plumage)

                          The only other notable bird of that day was a European Roller that I spotted perched atop a lone tree along the side of the road.

European Roller
(notice the brown back,
and the light blue head and underparts)

                      The following day, we were headed towards the Basque Country where we would spend the rest of our time in Europe. However, rather than driving straight there, I proposed we stop at this scenic location that is known to yield some highly sought-after alpine species: the "Cirque de Gavarnie", an amphitheater-like valley in the Pyrenees, that is known for its fantastic skiing in winter and its scenic hikes during the summer. We began walking up, and I was once again discouraged because of the myriad rowdy hikers that had clearly never seen a birder at hard work on his craft. We then noticed a smaller trail aside from the main trail that led to the forest. Though it didn't provide optimal viewing of the sky, which is what I wanted to pay attention to the most, it was nonetheless a thrilling walk, through a pine forest and over waterfalls, that yielded fantastic views of the typically higher-elevation Coal Tit, one the members of the ever-present European Paridaes.

Coal Tit
(notice the the black bib and head, the white cheek,
and grayish-black back with wing bars)

           Aside from the tit, this forest didn't yield very many species. So when we reached the main trail and could see the sky, I rejoiced. Yellow-billed Choughs became obvious, flying in remarkably large flocks and approaching the other hikers and picnickers at amazing proximity, probably in hopes of snagging a quick snack. Suddenly, I noticed this dark figure slowly soar above me. I put my binoculars up, and my heart skipped a beat. I immediately set up my scope at it and got an even better view at this awe-inspiring bird. It was a Lammergeier, every birder's dream sighting. This bird occurs throughout all the mountainous regions in Eurasia, from western Europe, to the Himalayas. However, in all of Europe and northern Africa, there are only an estimated 500 or so pairs that breed there. So this means that the European population is dispersed and sparsely populated, making it a very difficult species to see (which increases the excitement factor). I knew what this bird was immediately when I saw it, they have a very distinctive shape when soaring. The have very long and angled wings, and a very long, broad, wedge-shaped tail. In the right light, the buffy-beige underbelly was noticed, along with the darker shoulder parts on the underwings. Seeing this majestic bird was truly incredible experience that I know I won't be forgetting any time soon.

Lammergeier
(notice the distinctive shape, the long and angled wings,
and the buffy-beige underparts_

                  This concluded my brief visit to the "Cirque de Gavarnie", and despite the briefness, it was enough to really enjoy and appreciate the raw beauty of this pristine environment. There wasn't another place like this Cirque that I birded during my European vacation, so I was happy to make this little detour before heading off to the Basque Country, where I would spend the rest of my vacation.

July 6th, 2013: Second day in the Camargue National Reserve

                 After a well-deserved, good night's sleep, we awoke at the same time as the previous day to head on out early enough to avoid the heat, the crowds and to be able to see the birds fully active. We spent the previous day in the middle and eastern parts of the reserve, so we decided to visit the western part, colloquially called "La Petite Camargue". We drove towards "L'Etang de Scamandre", not surprisingly a vast marsh with designated trails and boardwalks, some leading to some bird blinds. As we drove, we came across a tall tower with a White Stork's nest built at the top. This fascinating structure was at least 4 feet across and 5 feet tall. It was so enormous that there were even little House Sparrows that had built their own nests within that nest, veritable commensalism (one-way symbiosis).

White Stork on nest.
Look at its massive size!

White Stork
(notice the white on its body, the red bill,
and the black primaries)

              Unfortunately, the "Etang de Scamandre" didn't open for another hour. So we kept on driving, hoping to perhaps come across a different marsh we could check out. To our luck, along the side of the road was a marsh that seemed to host many different species. Every 10 meters or so (I was in Europe so it's the metric system), there were gaps in the reeds and they would substitute as blinds. I also sat on the roof of car if I wanted a better vantage point, but I had to do so carefully because the birds were skittish and would flee if they saw me. Anyways, the first bird I noticed was actually one of the best birds of the trip! It was a Little Bittern, a very cryptic and secretive species that isn't seen all that often. Most experiences that birders have with this species either involve hair-tearing, binocular-tossing or just plain rage. This is because this bird is most often heard calling deep in the reeds. Already seeing a brightly colored bird in reeds is difficult, so imagine trying to find a bird with a plumage adapted to render it nearly invisible in this environment. That is this species's best defense, and best offense. It'll use its brown-yellow streaks on its throat and breast to mimic the tall reeds to escape the sight of any possible predator. However, this camouflage also serves as a means of sneaking up onto an unwary fish or invertebrate, that it'll then devour quickly after a quick snap of the neck.

Little Bittern
(notice the brownish streaks on the neck,
and the gray-blue cap)

                This was quite the find and was a great way to kickstart my day! After perusing the marsh thoroughly with my scope, I learned that there were many species to be found, from Black-winged Stilts, to Squacco Herons, to an immobile Purple Heron on the prowl.

Purple Heron
(notice the orange neck with the purple streaks,
and the dark colored wings)

                   Overhead were small flocks of Glossy Ibis. This species was a lifer for me, but I never thought that my lifer Glossy Ibis would be in Europe. This species is found on the eastern side of the United States and the Caribbean. It's thought that this species was originally from the Old World and naturally spread to South America in the 19th century, and from there extended north to North America.

                  As a huge flock of Black-headed Gulls took off, I noticed some smaller terns amongst them. To my great pleasure, these darker colored terns ended up being my lifer Whiskered Terns! This tern belongs to the unofficial complex known as the "marsh-terns", along with other species like the Black Tern and the White-winged Tern.

Whiskered Tern
(notice the gray underbelly, the black cap,
and the white cheek)

                  Finally it was 9:00 AM, so we headed towards the entrance of the "Etang de Scamandre". It was a great little reserve. The trails were well-maintained and well-indicated, it was overall remarkably pristine, and birds were singing from everywhere. Unfortunately, the foliage and the reeds were extremely dense and thick, so it was extremely difficult to see any birds. As we walked towards the blind, the only interesting birds were some flyover Purple and Squacco Herons. We finally arrived at the blind, and we had a view of the entire marsh. Thanks to my scope, I was able to find my lifer Great Reed Warbler. This bird was extremely loud and could be heard from a great distance, but it was crouched deep in a bush while singing, which made it difficult to snap a shot. So I digiscoped it with my trusty iPhone.

Great Reed Warbler
(notice the relatively large beak)

               As I watched this little guy, two large white birds landed on a branch further back in the marsh. These birds ended up being Eurasian Spoonbills, another lifer! These fun birds have a rather bizarre-looking bill, but that goofy bill is extremely utile. The spoon-shaped base helps capture more grasses or invertebrates as it swishes its bill left and right in the water. A peculiar bird, but an undeniably beautiful one at that.

Eurasian Spoonbills
(notice the all-white body,
and the spoon-shaped bill)

                  These birds were quite exciting to see, and my excitement only grew as my lifer Little Grebe paddled out of the reeds into view. This species in breeding plumage is extremely pretty, what with its rufescent and black body, or its yellow-green skin-like gape. It was a stunning little bird to see.
                 Once we left the blind, we were greeted by three small juvenile Bearded Reedlings that were remarkably showy. When these birds reach their adult plumage, they develop these black feathers that extend from their eyes, down their cheeks, to the bottom of their head (which is how they earn their name "Bearded" Reedling). However, as these were juveniles they lacked these mustaches. They were nonetheless pretty and pert little birds.

Juvenile Bearded Reedling
(notice the pattern on its back,
and the dark lores)

                 We continued down the trail and reached an elevated platform, that gave a broader view of the marsh and neighboring fields. In the fields I noticed Western Yellow Wagtails flying from shrub to shrub, Zitting Cisticolas squabbling and a surprise male Reed Bunting! A lifer for me, and the only one I saw on the trip!

Reed Bunting
(notice the black head, the white malar
and nape, and the brown back)

                   Along with the myriad herons and egrets that flew, of every species (Gray, Purple, Squacco, Great, Little & Cattle), there were also many ibis that flew over. It turned out that "l'Etang de Scamandre" is one of the few areas where this species breeds in all of southern France. 

Glossy Ibis
(notice the blue-green face,
and the iridescent green wings)

                   As I was about to descend the platform, a medium-sized bird with white wings bars caught my attention. When I put my binoculars up, I noticed it had an upturned bill. I immediately knew what it was: a Black-tailed Godwit! The only other option would've been a Bar-tailed Godwit, but those are only rare migrants in the area, whereas Black-taileds regularly migrate through and even winter in the region.

                   The trail soon led to a forested area right at the edge of an open pasture. This ecotone (where various habitats meet) boasted many European Goldfinches, Common Nightingales, a European Bee-Eater, and my lifer Melodious Warbler. The trail meandered through this zone until it brought us back to the entrance. Before leaving the reserve, we decided to stop for lunch and eat at one of the picnic tables (as it was 12:30 PM by then). As we were eating I noticed many numbered birds boxes under the eaves of the roofs, and banded House Sparrows would fly in and out of the boxes. This was a funny sight for me because in North America, House Sparrows are an introduced species and are considered a nuisance, so nobody would ever bother studying them. But in Europe, they're a native species, so studying them would make sense. It was somewhat of a culture shock for me. Among the House Sparrows foraging in a nearby tree, I also spotted a single Eurasian Tree Sparrow, my second during the entire trip.

                      Not knowing where to go next, we decided to wander and see if we could come across a field or a marsh worth scoping out. As we drove, I noticed a large field with a large number of Cattle Egrets. Enticed, we pulled over and I scoped it. As far as shorebirds went, this was the place to be. I saw 4-5 Northern Lapwings, about 3 Wood Sandpipers, and over 45 Black-winged Stilts. However, the shorebird that truly blew me away was a European Golden-Plover, a very early arrival! In my guide for birding the Camargue National Reserve, the abundance of the golden-plovers in the month of July is a 0 over 5. This was an exceptional and unexpected find that really made my day.

European Golden-Plover
(notice the black on face and belly,
the white lining, and the gold cap and black)

                  Unfortunately, that's about as far as the birding here went. So we decided to venture further east than we had the previous day. We began arriving in this area that didn't resemble the Camargue that we were used to whatsoever. It was remarkably arid, open and windy. There were very few people, and the birds were nonetheless present. Several Greater Flamingos congregated in the middle of a pond, and a few Yellow-legged Gulls reposed on the ground, incapable of escaping the afternoon heat. The shorebirds were interesting here as well. My dad pulled over, and I rolled down the window to bird from the car. A few feet away from me was a Little Ringed Plover, a lifer for me on this trip (I saw one during our brief stint in Nice), but this was a much better view.

Little Ringed Plover
(notice the yellow eyering,
the white collar and front,
and the brown head and back)

                    Right in front of the plover was an equally exciting shorebird, a Common Sandpiper. Not a lifer, but the best view I've had of this bird to date.

Common Sandpiper
(notice the relatively stout bill,
 the white underbelly,
and the brown-gray head and back)

                    But the most exciting shorebird to see was the Kentish Plover! This species was once lumped with our Snowy Plover, which is understandable when you take a look at both of them. These plovers are more often in open and arid areas. In my experience with Snowy Plovers, they tend to stay away from the direct shore, and will stay in the middle of the beach, away from the water, which was evident when seeing these guys.

Kentish Plover
(notice the overall light colors,
the plover bill, and the dark collar)

                       Once I had viewed all the shorebirds in this area, we kept on driving. We then reached a more touristic area, which was actually a place where salt is cultivated. The Camargue is known for three things: Flamingos, White Horses, and their Salt. My dad decided to buy a jar of salt as a souvenir, so I decided to bird the nearby shrubs, hoping to find something interesting. But as I started walking, I saw a shimmering pink hue in front of me. This piqued my curiosity, and I walked towards it. From a designated promontory, I was looking at these massive pink ponds. The water was literally pink! It was the wildest thing I had ever seen. I learned later that this color is only present during a certain time of year. The water earns this color when the shrimp that reside in these waters die. The combination of the shrimp corpses and the chemicals in the water grant the water with this pink hue. It was extremely fascinating.

                          As I birded the nearby shrubs, I didn't notice any birds. The area was actually devoid of any sort of life. But just as I thought this, I flushed a fairly long bird with white outertail feathers. This indicated that it was most likely a pipit. But there were so many possibilities that I couldn't confidently identify it. After twenty minutes of searching I finally rediscovered it, and to my great pleasure, it was my lifer Tawny Pipit! This is a species that breeds throughout much of Europe, but it sticks primarily to the more arid areas. Seeing how we were in a very arid area, that should've been enough of a clue.

Tawny Pipit
(notice the overall tan-brown color,
and the black lores)

               Just as I was about to leave, another bird catches my eye. However, this wasn't a pipit. From a distance, I was able to tell from its overall structure that it was a Sylvia warbler. Using the same logic that I realized I should've used for the pipit, I was able to deduce that it was actually Spectacled Warbler! A range-restricted species, the Camargue is definitely one of its strongholds. This was definitely a wonderful way to end the day. By then it was 5:00 PM, so we decided to head back home. That concluded our second day in the Camargue National Reserve, and what a day it was. What really made that day special was the diversity of habitats we visited, from the marshes, to flooded fields, to open and arid salt plains. This diversity of habitats yielded a vast diversity of species, which made for a great day of birding!

July 5th, 2013: First day in the Camargue National Reserve

             We finally made it! To the renowned Camargue National Reserve. This reserve is a vast stretch of marshland, woodland, farmland, coastal habitat and salt plains. Hundreds of species migrate here to breed or winter. What makes this reserve so enticing is the number of interesting and threatened species that breed here. I had so many target species that I really wanted to see, so I was going to work really hard to try and see the majority of them. I worked harder for some species than I did for some others, but that was all part of the adventure.

            We woke up at a quarter to seven, quickly ate, and headed out by 7:30. But before leaving, I couldn't help but notice the bevy of Common House Martins flying to and fro their nests constructed underneath the eaves of the roofs. Like most swallows, this species underwent a fantastic migration to reach their breeding grounds. They spend the winter in Africa, beneath the Sahara, where insects, their food-source, abound. However, when summer approaches, the number of insects dwindle, and they are forced to fly elsewhere to find more nutritious bugs. This then brings them to Europe and parts of western Asia, where the insects once again abound. These birds greatly resemble their North American cousins, the Tree Swallows. However, Tree Swallows lack the forked tail and white rump of the Common House Martin.

Common House Martins on nest
(notice the blue on head and back,
and the white underparts and rump)

                     To begin our birding in the Camargue National Reserve, we decided to head to the "Parc Ornithologique du Pont de Gau", a preserved marshland where there is one main trail that goes around the entire marsh. Along the trail, there were various blinds that offered great opportunities to view the birds fairly closely, all while not disturbing them. 

  

                     The first wildlife we saw actually wasn't a bird, but an introduced mammal: a Nutria, known in French as the notorious "Ragondin". This is a non-native rodent species introduced from South America. This surprisingly tame animal was just feeding on the side of the trail, perhaps oblivious to our presence, which would however be surprising. 

Nutria

                      As we walked down the trail, the marsh seemed astonishingly devoid of any birdlife. This worried me because my time in the Camargue National Reserve was limited, and I didn't want to waste it walking around aimlessly and hopelessly looking for birds that weren't there. Fortunately my luck turned around when I noticed a Eurasian Hoopoe fly across a field behind some of the reeds. This is definitely one of my all-time favorite birds, because it's just such an interesting looking species! Whether it's its crest, its heavy black-and-white barring on its back, or its sharply decurved bill, it simply fascinates me. Finally, I got to see my first lifer of the day. Two Mediterranean Gulls nonchalantly flew over the marsh, aided by the strong winds present that day. Similar to the ever-present Black-headed Gull, they're distinguished from one another because of the former's darker colored head, thicker red bill, and differently patterned mantle and wings.

Mediterranean Gull
(notice the black, the thick red bill,
and the light gray mantle and wings)

                   As we continued down the trail, a medium-sized bird hopped onto the trail. It was rather erect as it scuttled on the ground. It hopped a few times and would pause as I approached it. It repeated this several times. I was able to take a mediocre picture of it. This bird was the Common Nightingale, a bird that has captivated the minds of authors, poets and playwrights for centuries thanks to its magnificently melodic voice. Unfortunately, this bird was too preoccupied with its little game to sing us a quick tune.

Common Nightingale
(notice the all brown body, its relatively upright posture,
and long legs)

                   Another interesting sight that we noticed along the trail were 5 white horses. These were the emblematic "Chevaux Camarguais". These ungulates used to roam free in the extensive and pristine marshlands, that once extended across much of southern France. Once the settlers arrived, they domesticated the horses because of their utility. These horses are different from other horses because they are much smaller in size, but have much wider hooves. This helps them maneuver through the muddy waters without sinking. So to get across the marshes, they settlers rode horseback.

Chevaux Camarguais

                  Shortly after, we arrived at the first blind. It was basically a small room with several openings to view the birds on the adjacent marsh. It was a very pleasant way to bird because there were benches where we sat down, and small platforms where we could rest our arms as we peered through our binoculars. The marsh was booming with bird activity! There were so many new, colorful and lovely birds to watch, I didn't know where to start. So I thought I would just pan from right to left. To the right of the blind was a flock of Common Shelducks and Black-winged Stilts foraging in the shallow water. The shelducks were especially interesting to see because of how colorful they were. I had never such a bird. It was just a fantastic sight. Then as I panned to the left, I began noticing the Greater Flamingos. I had seen these birds the previous day when we drove through the reserve to a town where we had dinner, and was enthralled when I first saw them. However, I began to realize how abundant these birds were in the reserve, and they started losing their "pizzazz". I was nonetheless happy to see them, because they are undeniably beautiful birds.  

Greater Flamingo and Common Shelduck

Greater Flamingo
(notice the distinctive bill, the long neck,
and red-pink secondaries)

               Then, on one the islands in the middle of the marsh, I noticed a small yellow speck hopping around. After I put my binoculars on it, I learned this was my lifer Western Yellow Wagtail, my last European wagtail species. 

Western Yellow Wagtail
(notice the yellow underparts, the olive green back,
the gray head and the white throat)

                  Suddenly, a small gray sandpiper-like bird flew onto a nearby island. This quickly caught my attention, because I was under the impression that I was in the region a little too early to be seeing any shorebird migrants. But I was wrong because this sandpiper-like bird turned out to be a Wood Sandpiper, another lifer for me!

Wood Sandpiper
(notice the slight supercilium, and the light streaking on its breast)

                 As most of you know, shorebirds are world-class migration champions that undergo an incredible migration twice a year. During the breeding season, they fly all the way up to the Arctic (this individual most likely bred in Scandinavia, or in nearby Russia). Once the breeding season is over (or if breeding fails), this bird will migrate all the way to southern Africa to spend its fall and winter. All this from a bird less than two feet long and that barely has a three foot long wingspan. A real globetrotter!

                 What I found especially fun about this marsh is how close all the birds were. Through my scope, it wasn't uncommon to have 3-4 species in one view. On one of the islands I even came across five resting birds in a single view. 

Top to bottom: Mute Swan, Graylag Goose,
Little Egret and 2 Black-winged Stilts

                  Another fun aspect of birding from the blinds is that the birds would get remarkably close to you, without knowing it. This offered fantastic intimate and up-close views of interesting species. This one Black-winged Stilt was foraging only a few feet away from where I was sitting.

Black-winged Stilt
(notice the white head and black wings)

                  On the other side of the blind was a family of Eurasian Moorhens foraging, not quite as close as the previous stilt, but closer than I had seen them in the past.

Family of Eurasian Moorhens

                 As I observed the moorhen family, I noticed a white winged ardeid land a little further back. It was buffy on the back and neck, which I knew immediately indicated Squacco Heron, an African migrant that breeds in southern Europe. What made this lifer even more interesting was that fact that in its bill, it held a large frog that it then swallowed whole!

Squacco Heron with its prey
(notice the white wings, the buffy neck,
and the blue-green bill)

                    We left this blind right after to go to another. This blind offered a view of the same marsh but at a different angle, so there were therefore different birds. The first bird I noticed was a tern species sitting near an island. Unfortunately, it had its head tucked in so I couldn't confirm an identification. So I focused on the nearby birds in the meantime. What surprised me the most was the high number of Northern Lapwings present. This bird was already a lifer for me, so this was exciting for me. But I believe that I counted a total of 15 lapwings, a bird I wasn't even sure of seeing on this trip.

Northern Lapwing
(notice the iridescent green-purple wings, the black chest,
and the white underparts)

Northern Lapwing
(notice the extensive white axillaries,
and the white tips on the outer primaries)

                     These plovers were really charismatic and fun to watch. I decided to check back on my mystery tern, and to my luck, it took its head out! This tern ended up being my lifer Gull-billed Tern! This is a species also found in North America, but mostly in the Gulf of Mexico region, parts of the east, and even in southern California.

Gull-billed Tern
(notice the black stubby bill,
the black hood, and the dark gray primaries)

                       We finally left our final blind, a finished walking down the remainder of the trail. I didn't think I was going to see any new species walking down the rest of the trail, because it seemed rather dry and deserted. But once again, the Camargue National Reserve didn't disappoint. Directly in front of me, a Zitting Cisticola flew into a bush. This tiny little bird is found throughout Europe and Africa, residing mainly in reedbeds in marshes, but will venture out into the more dry parts near a marsh.

Zitting Cisticola
(notice the brownish cap,
and shortly decurved bill)

                  The final bird we saw as we were exiting the "Parc Ornithologique" wasn't a lifer, but an interesting species nonetheless. It was a female European Pied Flycatcher in molt. What surprised me about this bird though was that I wasn't expecting to see this species on my trip. In the Camargue National Reserve, these birds are merely transient passersby. Songbirds don't generally begin their migration until the end of August and beginning of September. It is possible that this is a post-breeding dispersant, or perhaps its second clutch may have failed, and it gave up. Whatever the reason, it was an exciting find.

Female European Pied Flycatcher
(notice the overall light brown color,
and the white patch on the secondaries)

          This concludes my morning in the "Parc Ornithologique du Pont de Gau". This was the only actual "park" we visited that day. The rest of the day was just birding from the car, which proved to be just as fruitful as walking down a trail. For example, on a seldom used road in the middle of the reserve, I came across my lifer Crested Lark, only the second species of lark I've ever seen.

Crested Lark
(notice the dull-colored plumage,
and the namesake crest)

                It was only at the end of the day where we saw the most exciting birds of the day, and perhaps the trip. These two species are emblematic of the Camargue National Reserve. Both African migrants, they only come up to Europe to breed, spending the rest of the time in southern Africa. The first was my lifer European Bee-Eater, a very colorful bird that feeds mainly on insects, but has quite an affinity for bees.

European Bee-Eater
(notice the yellow throat, blue-green belly,
russet-colored back, and the long plume
in the middle of the tail)

                 The second was perhaps a tad more exciting, only because it's much harder to come by in the region and throughout its range. This is the only bird in its family that frequents Europe, which makes its unmistakable (not that that it looks like its kin). It was my lifer European Roller, a crow-sized bird that's difficult to miss when you drive by it. But despite its egregious colors, people can miss this species when visiting the region because of the low numbers that breed in Europe. I would say they were uncommon in the Camargue National Reserve, because I only saw a total of 4 individuals during my three-day visit.

European Roller
(notice the rusty-colored back,
the sky blue color on head and underparts,
and the big bill)

                 This concludes my first day in the Camargue National Reserve. It was a very successful day, and the Coraciiformes certainly helped with making it a success. I couldn't wait until the next day, and see what else the reserve had in store for me!