Had a week looking from the Pyrenees
to the Alp's & the south coast of France
over 30+ lifers for me.
Driving was fun only once around a aroundabout
the wrong way. As my first time driving abroad
Day 1
first new bird was a Black Kite on the motorway
to the Pyrenees.
Then Serin & Griffon Vulture first stop
we saw Alpine Chough & Chough Snowfinch
more Griffon Vulture's Marmot's.Snow closed that road
so back down the mountian.
sleeped in the car woke to rain for the next day.
Day 2
we walked looking for woodpeckers found a
Fire Salamander on the path then in the afternoon
we went over a mountian in to Spain & saw
Rock Thrush Alpine Chough Water pipit's.
Headed to the coast for the nite wind was up.
Day 3
But sunny in the morning.Saw Crested Lark Serin
Red-footed Falcon walked the area near the light house.
In the evening we found a reed area with most Herons
Purple,grey Squacco,Night, little Egret Cattle Egret Great White Egret
White Stork Glossy Ibis,Black-winged stilt, Beaver
Whiskered Tern Bittern (heard),Little Bittern.
Then we moved on to a B+B for the nite in the morning.
Day 4
At the next reserve we saw Little Bustards Matt got pin-tailed sandgrouse
& Short-toed Lark l headed to the Bee-Eaters.
we moved to a area in the mountians for Bonelli's Eagle
but we got a Short-Toed Eagle and Alpine swifts then
got back to the car as thunder and lightening started
we then moved to the Alp's first mountian road was blocked with snow
so back down to look for Rock partridge we found Rock Bunting
and a Wild Boar Wow it ran from us.Sleeped in the car
Day 5
Woke to a frost we Headed up to look for the Partridge
Matt went high l ran out of steam and sat and watched
we found Citril finch & Nutcracker.
Ofter the morning we moved on to Col de Lizard and meet
a snow blizzard at the top after going over it 4 time to bad to get out the car
we headed for a B+B
Day 6
We woke to sun shine but the pass was closed with a foot of snow over nite
as we drove up we found birds heading down away from the snow
so we found them and got some photo's as the snow started to fall again
we went to the next mountain area & found NUTCRAKERS for the second time
Dipper. Had a hairy 3 point turn up a single track as the road had tree's and snow
across it.We then went back to the south coast for the nite and our last day.
Day 7
I got to catch up on some birds Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Short-toed lark
we saw more Roller's Bee Eaters Little Busard's Stone Curlew Lesser Kestrel's
moved to a area with 10,000 Flamingo's & Spectacled Warbler Sardinian Warbler
Zitting Cistcola Slender-Billed Gull Gull-Billed Tern.
as the Camera went away in the evening back to a B+B for the nite.
Then to the Airport in the morning ......
Fire Salamander
Wow Mick, sounds like a cracking trip and some great photos to boot. Just got from France myself. Saw a few of the same birds as you but not as many! Will post report soon.
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