Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

Tag: wildlife

  • 6th June 2025 – Carry-le-Rouet, France

    6th June 2025 – Carry-le-Rouet, France

    Following our week’s nature trip to The Camargue we have spent the last week near to Carry-le-Rouet, a seaside resort 30 kilometres west of Marseille, on the Côte Bleue.

    View from the garden of our holiday let of the beach at Rouet plage which is set in a limestone calanque famous along this part of the Mediterranean coast.

    Rouet plage

    Mainly we have been relaxing in the local area but we have had a couple of trips out: one of a nature interest to Le Bassin de Réaltor near to Cabriès on the road to Aix-en-Provence and another to the nearby town of Martigues, nicknamed the “Provençale Venice” and which is a point of passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Martigues (now Etang de Berre), close to the Côte d’Azur.

    Our trip to the Bassin de Réaltor wasn’t a total success as, relying on a local source, we ended up high above the reservoir but, as it was extremely hot, we settled for a walk in the wood and an early return to Cabriès for lunch.

    We saw and heard very few birds (perhaps it was too hot for them too) but we did see a few different butterflies and enjoyed the flora in the wood.

    The beginning of our walk

    We caught glimpses of the Bassin de Réaltor down below

    Southern red admiral butterfly

    Southern red admiral butterfly

    Blue spot hairstreak butterfly

    Spanish gatekeeper butterfly

    And some beautiful flora:

    Grey-leaved cystus (Rockrose)

    Asteriscus aquaticus

    Royal knight’s spur

    Common viper’s bugloss

    Martigues was beautiful but didn’t give us much opportunity for nature watching (other than a wonderful display of swifts as we ate our lunch in the area know as “le mirror aux oiseaux”) and a yellow-legged gull attempting to steal a fish which looked very much like the merlan (whiting) I had had for lunch.

    The view from our table at the restaurant in “le mirror aux oiseaux – the swifts up above were too much for my phone camera!

    Yellow-legged gull and fish

    Le miroir aux oiseaux

    Apart from those two trips we have stayed locally and spent a lot of time sitting on the terrace with the wonderful view of the Mediterranean below. That didn’t stop me snapping a few pics of anything that came my way.

    Small-white butterfly

    Green-veined white butterfly

    Mylabris quadripunctata

    Meadow brown butterfly

    Longhorn beetle

    Terrible picture of black redstart

    Common brimstone

    Common brimstone

    Common brimstone

    Collared doves

    European paper wasp

    Red-legged cannibalfly (apparently)

    Red-legged cannibalfly (apparently) – certainly frightened me and so I put my camera away

  • 2nd June 2025 – Reflections on our trip to the Camargue

    2nd June 2025 – Reflections on our trip to the Camargue

    We really enjoyed our recent nature trip to the Camargue. We knew the region a little before this trip as we have visited here a number of times as tourists in the days when we had a motorhome; but this was our first trip here since we have become particularly interested in bird watching.

    White stork

    The week was organised by the speciality nature trip company “Naturetrek” and we have been very pleased with the “Go slow in the Camargue” programme. The administration before the tour was good, the accommodation and food at the hotel was more than adequate for such a trip and the two guides, Marcus John and Neil Murphy, were excellent: they were very knowledgeable, drove the minibuses with care and consideration, produced amazingly good picnic lunches with locally resourced food and drink , had a very good rapport with all the group and made sure everyone saw a fantastic number of birds. Above all they are clearly good chaps and were a pleasure to be with. As well as providing a suitable programme to achieve the programme title of “Go slow in the Camargue” they also offered regular optional early morning walks and late evening sorties. They were the main reasons for the success of the tour.

    We visited various local nature reserves, stopped often by the roadside in the marshes of the Camargue, had a trip to the coast to see different types of birds and see the salt works (le Salin de Giroud), did a number of other “touristy” visits to Arles, the Roman aqueduct of Barbegal near Fontvielle, Les Baux de Provence and Le Musée de Camargue – all whilst incorporating opportunities for more bird watching.

    Ruins of the Roman aqueduct of Barbegal

    Le salin de Giroud
    Le salin de Giroud

    Pelagic birding (?) at la plage de Piémanson.

    Gull-billed terns certainly rate high on any of my lists (if I had any)

    Probably my bird of the week – night heron

    One of my favourite reserves in the Camargue

    At the Maraiis du Vigueirat reserve we saw grey, purple and, here, squacco heron

    Another of the nature reserves we visited which I shall remember for a good sighting of a cuckoo

    Cuckoo – great to see as well as hear

    One of our picnic venues – beneath a mulberry bush

    One swallow doesn’t make a summer – but this one convinced me that we really were in summer

    Hôtel des Granges just outside Arles

    We often saw black kites close over our hotel and enjoyed the song of nightingales throughout the week

    View from our bedroom window of l’Abbaye de Montmajour

    Hobby on one of the optional early morning walks

    My favourite shot from beside the road – six spoonbills seen from le Chemin de Mas d”Agon

    Purple herons at the same place on the Chemin de Mas d’Agon

    Let’s hope that one day these beauties are regulars in our skies (but we will probably be in a lot of trouble in other ways!)

    Le Musée de Camargue

    I don’t like to see birds in cages but it is worth remembering what amazing things people do in rescuing such birds

    Les Arènes d’Arles

    Photographic exhibition in the streets of Arles

    European roller seen on one of our optional evening trips

    Our visit to Les Baux de Provence

    My favourite memory of les Baux de Provence – a swallowtail butterfly

    Our guide Marcus was relieved that I was able to get a shot of a bee eater, certainly after all the banter I gave him.

    Glossy ibis were regularly seen in the rice fields

    The rice fields brought us loads of beautiful birds and many interesting beers too

    Purple heron at the Marais de Mas d”Agon

    How can such big birds, such as this white stork, be so agile?

    It wasn’t all about the birds – Orange-tipped orange dropwing
    Flora and fauna

    White-tailed skimmer

    Terrapin at the Marais de Vigueirat

    Coypu

    It wouldn’t be the Camargue without greater flamingos

    Common tern was the most common of the terns we saw

    Black-winged stilts were seen at all the reserves

    Black-winged stilt

    So many of the glossy ibis, herons and storks with juveniles

    Grey herons

    White storks

    Spanish gatekeepers seemed much brighter than the gatekeepers we see in the UK
    Painted lady butterfly

    Large skipper butterfly

    False ilex hairstreak butterfly at Les Baux de Provence

    Did I mention the swallowtail?

    Oh and I nearly forgot … those wonderful wild horses of the Camargue:

  • 31st May 2025 – The Camargue, France

    31st May 2025 – The Camargue, France

    More amazing photo opportunities today at the Parc Ornithogique de Pont de Gau.

    Greater flamingo

    Greater flamingo

    Greater flamingo

    Greater flamingos

    Black-winged stilt

    Greater flamingos

    Grey heron

    Glossy ibis and hungry youngsters

    A rescue Eagle owl

    A rescue eagle owl

    Glossy ibis
    Greater flamingo

    Cattle egret

    Grey heron with juveniles

    Grey heron

    Grey heron

    Common tern

    Small white butterfly

    Great willow herb

    Not our transport for the day

    Bee eater on our way back to the hotel

    Now I’m wondering what to do with the remaining 1500 photos from today!

    Post script:and now for a week to recover on the coast near Marseille.

  • 30th May 2025 – Les Baux de Provence, France

    30th May 2025 – Les Baux de Provence, France

    This morning we visited Les Beaux de Provence, a rocky outcrop that is crowned with a ruined castle overlooking the plains to the south located in the foothills of the Alpilles mountains, northeast of Arles. We spent less than an hour and a half birding below the castle as it was very hot; then a similar period of time visiting the beautiful village and, along with many tourists, tasting its ice creams!

    There was one very special moment when I managed to track a swallowtail butterfly for just over a minute and took a huge number of shots of it, mainly in flight. I am happy to share just a few of them with you in this blog.

    At the foot of the historic village of Les Baux-de-Provence, le Chemin des Trémaïé

    The chapel and the Trémaïé Bas-relief

    The Trémaïé Bas-relief, carvings in the rock above the chapel

    Alpine swifts
    Blue rock thrush

    Blue rock thrush

    Female blue rock thrush

    Spanish gatekeeper butterfly

    Blue rock thrush

    Beautiful views at every turn

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Swallowtail

    Looking down from the terraces of the village

    Les Alpilles de Provence

  • 29th May 2025 – The Camargue, France

    29th May 2025 – The Camargue, France

    I am having such wonderful photographic opportunities on our trip to The Camargue that I am having limited time to edit photographs and record the narrative of our trip. So, just a few photos to give a taste of what a wonderful time we have been having in the last few days.

    European roller near to our hotel outside Arles

    Hobby

    Glossy ibis over rice field

    Little egret

    Spoonbill

    Six spoonbills in formation over le Chemin du Mas d’Argon in the Camargue

    Purple heron

    The same purple heron on its way back

    Western demoiselle

    Barn swallow

    Greater flamingo

    Black-winged stilt

    Les Arènes d”Arles – I just missed the opportunity of a shot of swifts as they screeched past as I (clearly) had the wrong lens attached.

    Les Arènes d”Arles

    Les Arènes d”Arles

    La Camargue

    Rice fields in the Camargue

    Les Alpilles de Provence where we saw Bonelli’s Eagle and Short-toed Snake Eagles

    Musée de la Camargue

    A visit to the Musée de la Camargue

    A visit to the Musée de la Camargue

  • 27th May 2025 – The Camargue, France

    27th May 2025 – The Camargue, France

    Another great day on our trip to the Camargue with plenty of photo opportunities. I am afraid the photos will have to speak for themselves.

    Montagu’s harrier (at some distance) en route to Les Salins de Giraud on the coast

    Montagu’s harrier

    Black kite

    Just what you would expect in this part of the world – a greater flamingo

    Greater flamingo

    A fresh breeze but still quite warm

    Slender-billed gull

    Pied avocet through the tinted windows of the minibus

    Les salins de Giraud

    Other activities were available

    Spoonbills and egrets

    Bee eater

    Great picnic spot under a mulberry bush

    Barn swallow

    White stork in a steep dive

    The star of the day: a cuckoo

    Common cuckoo

    A common cuckoo

    A common cuckoo

    A common cuckoo

    A common cuckoo

    Gull-billed tern

    A feathered footman moth

    Allium and snails

    Orange-winged dropwing back at the hotel

    Frog in the hotel pond

    Hotel pond

  • 26th May 2025 – The Camargue, France

    26th May 2025 – The Camargue, France

    A selection of photos from our first days in The Camargue in the south of France. What a start!

    Black kite over the hotel near Arles

    Griffon vulture near the hotel near Arles

    Griffon vulture near the hotel near Arles

    White stork with nesting material at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Glossy ibis at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Cattle egret at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Swallow at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Purple heron at the Marais du Vigueirat reserve

    Squacco heron at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Glossy ibis at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Coypu at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Painted lady butterfly at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Black-tailed skimmer at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Terrapin at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Common tern at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Black-winged Stilt at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Little egret and lunch at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Night heron at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Night heron at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    White stork and young at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    White-tailed skimmer at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Speckled wood butterfly at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Yellow wagtail at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Large skipper butterfly at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Female demoiselle of some sort at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Camargue horeses at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Gull-billed terns and red-crested pochard at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Grey heron at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Glossy ibis at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Squacco heron at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Camargue wild horses

    Bittersweet or nightshade at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

    Iris at the Marais du Vigueirat Reserve

  • 23rd May 2025 – Eastville Park, Bristol

    23rd May 2025 – Eastville Park, Bristol

    A walk around the park this morning brought a few surprises: the 14 goslings we had seen earlier in the week had all gone, presumably predated, and a grey heron, which we have not seen for a while, was back (presumably from the heronry to which they disappear at this time of the year).

    A grey wagtail leaping from one stone to another on the River Frome

    A wren, one of the noisiest birds but often the most difficult to see, beneath the tree canopy.

    The grey heron pretending to sleep

    The five cygnets were safe

    A cormorant gorging on the fish stocks in the park lake

    Lesser black-backed gull, surely no 1 suspect for the disappearance of the goslings

    Lesser black-backed gull

    Mute swan keeping a keen eye on its cygnets

    The grey heron perching on a fallen tree in the middle of the lake. There was an earlier attempt to remove the tree but coots had already started nesting there.

    Close up of the grey heron

    Red horse chestnut, popular in large gardens and parks in Britain

    The lake in the park

    Yellow flags on the park lake

    A beautiful hornbeam between the park lake and the River Frome

    We sat opposite the kingfishers nest on the River Frome for a while but there was no action this morning

    Beautiful demoiselle

    Female beautiful demoiselle

    Beautiful demoiselle in flight
  • 20th May 2025 – RSPB Ham Wall, Avalon Marshes, Somerset

    20th May 2025 – RSPB Ham Wall, Avalon Marshes, Somerset

    If you have followed my blog through the winter I generally have something to complain about on my visits here: too cold, too wet, poor light, wrong lens, wrong settings, my incompetence etc. Not today: it was just a joy to be here. I’ll let you judge for yourself …

    Scarce chaser

    Four spotted chaser

    Speckled wood

    Blackcap

    Four spotted chaser

    Great diving beetle

    Grey heron

    Great crested grebes

    Great white egret

    Great white egret

    Great white egret

    Great white egret

    Great white egret

    Great crested grebe

    Azure damselfly

    Red admiral

    Four spotted chaser

    Robin

    Marsh harrier

    Marsh harriers

    Marsh harrier

    Marsh harrier

    Little egret

    Scarce chaser

    Common brimstone

  • 18th May 2025 – Eastville Park, Bristol

    18th May 2025 – Eastville Park, Bristol

    We saw our first mute swan cygnets on our Sunday morning walk around Eastville Park. There were goslings, ducklings and moorhen and coot chicks everywhere. However, our walk was really enlivened by the late appearance of a kingfisher which announced itself very noisily (as they do) so that we couldn’t miss it.

    Cygnets

    Mute swans and cygnets

    Canada geese and goslings

    Canada geese and goslings

    Very strangely – a pink-footed goose

    Kingfisher
    Kingfisher

    Kingfisher

    Speckled wood butterfly

  • 15th May 2025 – Stoke Park, Bristol

    15th May 2025 – Stoke Park, Bristol

    We are very lucky that we have two parks very close to where we live in the middle of the city of Bristol: Eastville Park, a Victorian city park with children’s playgrounds, green spaces and a lake and a river where we regularly see common kingfishers and dippers; and Stoke Park Estate which is a local Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) covering over 100 hectares. Stoke Park Estate is also designated as a Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Site (RIGS): an important place for geology and geomorphology. The site has species-rich grasslands, woodland, scrub, and ponds. It is home to wildlife like great crested newts, dragonflies and glow worms.

    I spent the afternoon wandering around the fishing lake which is also known as Duchess Pond.

    This is the annexe to the main fishing lake (Duchess Pond) with a view of the yellow Dower House, built in 1563 as a private stately home, but now converted to private flats.

    The main fishing lake (Duchess Pond)

    3 swifts passed over briefly but sadly didn’t reappear. However I was pleased to get some shots with the one chance I had.

    Common swift

    Common swift

    Common swift

    Common swift

    A kestrel appeared briefly but stayed in line with the sun (I’m sure to stop me photographing it).

    I caught a glimpse of a chiffchaff and was pleased to get some shots as they are quite elusive at this time.

    Chiffchaff

    Chiffchaff
    Chiffchaff

    There were plenty of carrion crows too (not so elusive!).

    Carrion crow

    Starling – don’t they look splendid with the sun on their plumage?

    There were lots of(Canada Goose) goslings, ducklings and coot and moorhen chicks.

    Coot and chick

    Ducklings

    Canada geese and gosling
    Moorhen

    Coot – look at the size of their feet

    Coot chick

    Black-headed gull (probably looking for ducklings or chicks)

    All around the lake there were dragonflies and damselflies which always prove a great challenge to photograph. I am not very knowledgeable with these and am only hazarding a guess at what was what.

    Scarce chaser

    Scarce chaser in flight

    Scarce chaser looking straight at me.

    Azure damselfly

    Large red damselfly

    Blue-tailed damselfly

    A common carder bee for good measure

    Stoke Park Estate and the Dower House

  • 14th May 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    14th May 2025 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire

    It’s the first time we have seen the new ‘Estuary Shoreline’ landscape at Slimbridge. It’s situated in front of the Kingfisher café and, although we had our doubts as we saw it being developed through the winter, we were very impressed with what the talented Grounds Team have achieved in designing it and building it in-house.

    The new ‘Estuary Shoreline’ landscape

    Wonderful wild flowers enhanced the new landscape

    The bees (early nesting bumblebee) were loving the new plantings at the “Estuary Shoreline landscape”
    Common carder bee

    Shelduck looked magnificent in their breeding plumage

    The avocets probably stole the show

    A very handsome shoveler duck

    It was a joy to walk out to the estuary and, although the white spotted bluethroat which has returned here for the fifth year in a row evaded us, we did enjoy the display by a short-eared owl.

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    Short-eared owl

    There were plenty of these azure damselflies to see

    Avocets

    Avocet flying over shelduck

    Avocet

    Black-headed gull with nesting material

    Avocet on its nest