We organised the trip ourselves using the internet, booking the accommodation and car hire prior to our departure. We flew out by Easyjet from Edinburgh to Nice. We decided to spend the first three days near Hyeres, where we stayed at Hotel Sables d’Or, then we had two nights based at the comfortable Le Clos des Medievales in Le Thoronet. Finally we had two nights in Nice at the Ibis Budget Hotel, near the airport. Car hire was arranged through Auto Europe before we left.
11th April. Arrived Nice about 10am local time. Collected the car and drove north up D6202 to Carros and then west along D2210 towards Vence. Just before Vence drove down a side road towards a footbridge over Avenue de Provence. Followed a track down to the avenue and then walked along it to the far end. This is a site for red-billed leothrix. We played a tape around the tunnel, but had no response. Saw lots of other birds including Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Blackbird, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and a pair of Western Bonelli’s Warbler. Walked slowly back up avenue playing tape at various locations. Other woodland birds seen included Nuthatch, Great-spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, with Common Buzzard and a Short-toed Eagle overhead. It was getting a lot cloudier and windier so we decided to move on. Returned to Nice and then took the A8 – a toll motorway west to Hyeres and then south to La Capte where our hotel was located.
12th April. Up for a pre-breakfast stroll along the road overlooking the Hyeres salines. It was a nice sunny, though rather windy, day. The pools contained lots of Greater Flamingos, Slender-billed Gulls, pairs of Shelduck and pairs of displaying Common Terns. Waders were mainly Avocets and Black-winged Stilts, plus 25+ Common Redshank, a few Curlew, Greenshank, a Whimbrel and a Common Sandpiper. Along the edges were a few Grey Heron, Little Egrets, a Cattle Egret and a Great White Egret.
After breakfast drove down to Tour Fondue to suss out car parking and ferry times. Took a walk along the coastal path. We were sheltered to begin with but as we got round the headland were exposed to a fairly strong westerly wind. Birds seen included Chaffinch, Sardinian Warbler and two Common Redstart, plus lots of Yellow-legged Gulls offshore.
Returned north and decided to check out the west side of salines. A small group of waders was composed of Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover and Dunlin, with two Sanderling and a Little Stint. Good views of 500+ Greater Flamingo. Further out into the lagoon were three Great-crested Grebes and a few Mallard and had excellent views of two summer plumage Mediterranean Gulls. Overhead noted Common Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk, whilst along the edges had Carrion Crow and Linnet.
After returning to the hotel to drop Dora off drove up to lake by main road at north end of salines. Out on the water were 5 pairs Shoveler, a few Mute Swan and Coot. The small islands held displaying Common Terns and Black-headed Gulls, whilst a Whiskered Tern was also flying about. Zitting Cisticolas were displaying around the lake margins.
13th April. My pre-breakfast stroll revealed a nice male Pied Flycatcher just outside the hotel. After breakfast we drove northeast to Les Salins D’Hyeres. Walked along the path following the shore and overlooking the salines. The pools held a few Greater Flamingo, Shelduck, and two Great White Egrets. Swallows and House Martins fed over the pools. In the coastal pinewood we located Crested Tits and Short-toed Treecreeper. Spent much of the afternoon exploring Hyeres, an old medieval town.
In the late afternoon I rechecked the western salines seeing little new bar a Yellow Wagtail. I then drove to Tour Fondue, parked in a side street and got the ferry over to Isle Porquerolles. Walked out of the village following the signs to the lighthouse (Phare) to the sewage pools. On the pools were lots of Moorhen, a few Mallard and a Grey Heron. Walked through the adjacent fields finding lots of Common Pheasants and a few migrants such as Common Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Northern Wheatear, Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and a Woodchat Shrike. I then walked through the pinewood towards the lighthouse. A quick sea watch revealed a few Gannets offshore and a large raft of 500+ Cory’s Shearwaters. Walked back towards the sewage pools and waited by track till dusk. A large flock of noisy Jackdaws came in to roost, then a Scop’s Owl began calling quite close by, which I eventually got good views of. Found a sheltered clearing, got out my bivvy bag and settled down for the night.
14th April. Woke at 0543, having been serenaded by the Scop’s Owl for much of the night. Moved back down to the track and waited for pheasants to emerge. A few Common but disappointingly no sign of Reeve’s. Then checked woods and surrounding fields with still no luck. Eventually left 0900 to head for ferry, seeing a Tree Pipit, 2 Hoopoes and a pair of Raven enroute.
After arriving back at hotel, packed and headed back up to Les Salines D’Hyeres to the Espace Nature Reserve. Walked up the track to the visitor centre. In the pools a nice summer plumage Spotted Redshank, a Green Sandpiper, a flighty flock of 10 Wood Sandpipers and an Egyptian Goose. Passing overhead we had a Red-rumped Swallow and then a Red Kite. We then drove north up towards Le Luc and on to Le Thoronet, where we checked in to Los Clos de Medievals. Took a walk round the surrounding fields finding a few Serin, Greenfinch, flocks of House Sparrows and a pair of Cirl Bunting.
15th April. After a good breakfast we headed north towards Abbaye de Thoronet and on to Cabasse. Stopped at various locations, mainly in good looking woodland. Had many singing Nightingales, several Jays, Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper, Wren, lots of Blackcaps, a Green Woodpecker and a couple of calling Cuckoos. In more open areas had a pair, then a single Woodlark.
Stopped for lunch by Lac de Carces. A few Grey Heron, a Great White Egret and a pair of Black Kite. Returned east on minor roads through small vineyards owned by different chateaux. In weedier fields flocks of Goldfinch, Linnet and Serin, with the occasional Cirl Buntng. In one large ‘alfalfa’ field had two singing Corn Bunting and a Whinchat, whilst a Tawny Owl called from the wooded hillside. In the evening as we enjoyed a glass or two of wine in the hotel garden a Black Redstart sang from a neighbouring building as Common Swifts flew overhead.
16th April. After breakfast and packing up we drove up to Carces, then north to Aups. Just north of Aups stopped by a nice area of scrub, then woodland. Had singing Sub-alpine Warblers, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Nightingale, Cuckoo as well as another Pied Flycatcher. Continued north to Les Salles sur Vrdon and then headed east along the south edge of the spectacular Gorges du Verdon. Stopped at various viewpoints to scan and admire the gorge. There was a high density of singing Western Bonelli’w Warblers. At the east end of the gorge by a spectacular bridge we had Crag Martins, a singing Mistle Thrush and overhead an adult Golden Eagle. Continued further east and came to an area of open pasture land. Walked out through it, immediately flushing a Wryneck from an old tree. Out on the pasture came across many Northern Wheatear, Whinchats, a group of Skylark, a Tawny Pipit, White Wagtail and a few Starling. In the scrubbier bits found Sub-alpine Warblers, a Spectacled Warbler, Common Redstarts and Cirl Bunting, whilst above us a Griffon Vulture drifted over. This was a very nice area. We then continued on our way south down onto the A8 then east back to Nice.
17th April. Got up early and headed back to St Jeannet for a dawn visit. Little new bar a Firecrest and no sign of the leothrix. Returned the hire car having done 700km then returned to the hotel – Nice Ibis Budget and found a Ring-necked Parakeet close by. After breakfast we got a bus into central Nice and then took the train to Beaulie-sur-Mer. From here we walked down to Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. Just above the beach we had tremendous views of three Fischer’s Lovebirds in the palm trees. Flying round the resort were Crag Martins, Common Swifts and an Alpine Swift.
18th April. After breakfast got free shuttle bus to airport. Checked in and then I walked down from the terminal 2 building to the mouth of the River Var. An island on the river held a large colony of Common Tern. Cetti’s Warblers sang from the reedbeds and a Common Redstart flitted along the riverside trees. Returned to the terminal building where we watched the local Crag Martins before heading back in to go through security.
This was quite a relaxed holiday. We saw 110 species, but I only saw one of the three category C species I was looking for.
Bob Swann
Robert.swann@homecall.co.uk