Last minute trip to the Camargue

Day two started early again. I left the camping in Saintes Maries at 4.30 am to try my luck at Mas d’Agon, but when I arrived it felt as if World War 3 had just begun.  Apparently hunt season in France started that day so photography at Mas d’Agon was pointless, there were no birds to be seen.
But, fortunately, on my way back to Saintes Maries, an approachable Black Kite made up for the waste of effort that morning.
Later that day I decided to take a walk along the “Digue” sea wall, starting at the car park east of town. This walk appeared to be a good choice and it kept me busy until sunset, photographing Terns, gulls and Flamingos in the Lagoons.

The third day was already my last in the Camargue and after another night of only a few hours of sleep, I drove back to Mas d’Agon. Everything looked promising, the wind had lain down and there was no hunting today. It was still dark and accompanied by hundreds of mosquitoes, I laid myself down at the edge of the marsh, covered under camouflage nets and waited for Egrets or Waders to come close.
It turned out to be a perfect morning; the sun broke through the clouds and Great and Little Egrets and Gulls were soon feeding only a few meters away from me, allowing me to take great shots.
Later that morning a little Egret was resting so close to me that only a close-up shot of his head was possible. It is on moments like these that you feel a close connection with nature and it is all made worth the effort.

Even though my stay at the Camargue was quite unprepared, I soon came to realize that it really is a fantastic place for ornithologists. There is a good amount of birds of different species to be found and although spring must be even better than late summer, I was pleased with the results. It is definitely not the easiest place to photograph birds, but once you find your way around, great photographic opportunities will show up.  I found that the small marshes and creeks outside the main nature reserve are generally more suited for photography, allowing you to get closer to the birds.
But actually, since there are birds everywhere, the Camargue in general is a great place for bird photography and that is exactly why I intend to return here in the near future with a bit more time on my hands.