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From: deby@cs.utwente.nl (Rolf de By)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Birds in Southern France
Message-ID: <1991Mar22.165233@cs.utwente.nl>
Date: 22 Mar 91 15:52:33 GMT
References: <d6XJ015242c600@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>
Sender: deby@cs (Rolf de By)
Organization: University of Twente, Dept. of Computer Science
Lines: 55
Originator: deby@utis98


In addition to what Annika Forsten mentions, if you have the time, you should
try to obtain a recent birders trip report on the Camargue.

No doubt, you will be meeting many birders in the area, as it is the right time
of year.

I was there in the summer of 1980 (I believe) and recall the following good
sites:

1. Bords of Etang du Vaccares (a lake), good for pratincole, egrets, flamingo
   and larks;

2. La Crau, the only stone desert of France (tiny to American standards), lying
   along the main route from Arles to the SE (E of that road actually). You
   shouldn't miss this area as it holds Little Bustard, Sandgrouse, Stone Curlew
   larks again, Montague's Harrier and lots of Hoopoe

3. there is also a small road from Arles to la Crau (lying west of the main road)
   which is very productive: egrets, Roller, Moustached and Cetti's Warbler,
   Golden Oriole, and many more like the ubiquitous Fan-tailed Warbler, and a few
   species of Sylvia warblers

4. Along the road from Arles to Ste. Marie-de-la-Mer (about a third from Arles)
   there is a nice heronry that holds all herons of the area (especially good
   to get Squacco and Purple Heron). I forgot the name of the nearby village
   but it may have been Albaron (it's 11 years ago, you see)

5. Straight to the south from site 4 (about 4 miles) there are some old pastures
   that held pratincole in the past, may still be good.

6. To the NE of Arles (at a bikable distance, so approx. 15 miles) there is a
   hilly range called les Alpilles, with a village that I donot remember the name
   of.  The gorges around the vilage hold one or two pairs of Eagle Owl. Your best
   bet used to be a hairpin just north of the village (about a mile). Look up
   at the cliffs just when its getting dark. You may hear them also.

7. There is also a television station on top of one of the Alpilles, that's called
   la Caume (again if my memory serves me well) There used to be a pair of
   Egyptian Vultures in its immediate vicinity. There have also been reports
   of Bonelli's Eagle. The hillsides are the typical Mediterranean `maquis'
   that holds lots of the southern Sylvia warblers. They are somewhat difficult
   to see, but found rather easily by their nervous `teck-teck' calls. Be patient
   and sit down. Wear long trousers because maquis hurts.

This is not complete, but the best I can do for you at the moment.

Rolf
-- 
Rolf A. de By
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