Monday 2nd May (A Lifer for Mr. Kite)


Mr. Kite looked out of The Joint window into the tall trees and watched a Spotless Starling carry a leaf into a hole in the tree. This shiny Starling looked unusual without it's Starling coloured spots.

Soon Mr. Kite and His Lady were traveling along the road to The Camargue. They arrived at Le Crin Blanc (white horse hair) and settled down listening to the Nightingale sing. Now this is a noisy place with crickets 'cricketing' and frogs 'croaking'.

Being in The Camargue Mr. Kite rode into St. Gilles to buy some Camargue rice noticing Tree Sparrows, House Sparrows, Swallows and a Carrion Crow on the way. Mr. Kite then cycled along the D37 towards Mejanes. In a field Mr. Kite noticed six black curlew shaped birds feeding in the grass. When they moved their black plumage changed to a bronze-brown neck with subtle green wings. Mr. Kite was very impressed with his first sighting of a Glossy Ibis. In birder terms this was 'a lifer'.

On a flooded field Mr. Kite watched Meditteranean Gulls squabbling and being gull like. Although similar in appearance to the Black-headed Gull their call is different.

After a pleasant few hours in The Camargue Mr. Kite returned to The Joint to cook a Red Rice Camargue Risotto with red onion, red peppers and red tomatoes and enjoy a tipple of local Cote du Rhone and a traditional Belgian Monastique Abbaye de Oudkerken beer.

Cheers from Mr. Kite having a good time in The Camargue.