The splendid coastline of westernNormandy will receive our attentionon this autumn birdwatching break -a 2-centre holiday based first inBricquebec and then in Avranches, in thenorth and south of the Cotentin Peninsularespectively. Not far from the latter lies thevast Mont St. Michel Bay, one of Europe'smost important bird habitats. We will divideour time between sea-watching, witnessingwhat is often a spectacular visiblemigration of landbirds, and searching forthe resident bird specialities that areabsent from the British Isles; these includethree species of woodpecker, Fan-tailedWarbler and Short-toed Treecreeper. Wewill also - of course! - enjoy theseafood, fruit, dairy products and otherlocal produce for which the area is famed,sampling such items at our traditional'gourmet' picnics as well as each eveningfrom the hotel's 'Menu du Terroir'. Our precise itinerary each day will dependon the weather, especially the winddirection which is an important factor whenfocusing on bird migration. The cliffs atCarolles, one of the best places in Europeto witness large numbers of landbirds ondiurnal migration, are a prime attraction .and particularly exciting when the windsare southerly. The first three hours afterdawn (from 8 a.m. at this time of year) arethe most productive and, when conditionsare good, the birds often pass through ateye level, the constant stream of largenumbers of birds providing some of themost exciting birdwatching Europe has tooffer. An average autumnal month mightsee the passage of 300,000 Chaffinches,75,000 Starlings, tens of thousands ofMeadow Pipits, several thousand Siskins,Linnets, Song Thrushes, Blackbirds,Bramblings, Swallows and House Martins,and hundreds of Woodlarks, Serins,Crossbills, Grey Wagtails, Pied Wagtails,Dunnocks, Stock Doves, Wood Pigeons,Corn Buntings, Turtle Doves, Chiffchaffs,Great Tits and Reed Buntings. Otherregular species at this time of year includeHawfinch, Lapland Bunting, Richard's Pipit,various waders, and birds of prey such asShort-eared Owl, Hobby and Marsh Harrier- all heading south, together with migrantinsects that may include hundreds of RedAdmiral butterflies and Common Darterdragonflies amongst other species.Carolles is also a good place from whichto watch for coastal birds. There areusually numerous Common Scoters out tosea, and there is a very good chance ofspotting Mediterranean Shearwater.Mediterranean Gulls and Little Egrets oftenfly past, whilst skuas regularly harass thefeeding groups of terns. The bay heresupports one of the largest coastalBottlenose Dolphin populations in north-west Europe, and we stand a good chanceof seeing them from Carolles. We may alsofind time to visit the magnificent cathedralat Mont St. Michel, one of Europe's greatcultural highlights.On the north-eastern corner of the CotentinPeninsula lies Gatteville, one of the bestsea-watching localities in northern Europe,not just on account of the diversity ofspecies observed here, but because manypass so close inshore, in stark contrast tomost of the British watchpoints! Infavourable conditions, species such asLittle and Sabine's Gulls, four species ofskua, terns (including Black), GreyPhalarope, petrels, divers, auks and bothSooty and Mediterranean Shearwaters mayall be seen. After sea-watching, we willsearch the surrounding marshes, pondsand coastline for wildfowl, waders(including regular Kentish Plover),grounded migrant passerines (recentrarities have included both Pallas's andYellow-browed Warblers, Red-breastedFlycatcher, Richard's Pipit, Wryneck andIcterine Warbler) and such residentspecialities as Marsh Harrier, Cirl Bunting,Fan-tailed Warbler and Mediterranean Gull. Cap de la Hague forms the north-west limitof the Cotentin Peninsula, the beautifulscenery being reminiscent of westCornwall. To the south of the Cap lierugged headlands, whilst to the east thereare small, cultivated fields and Bracken-covered grasslands which sweep down tothe sea. The range of seabirds likely to beseen is similar to Gatteville, although thereis an increased chance of Bay ofBiscay/mid-Atlantic species such as Greatand Cory's Shearwater. Again, the seabirds here pass much closer to theshore than they do at most British sea-watching headlands and the geographicalposition of Cap de la Hague (like westCornwall) also makes it a good locality formigrant birds. Whatever the weather conditions, we will tailor our birdwatching excursions toensure that we see as large a number of birds as possible amongst a mostpicturesque and tranquil countryside ... all just a short hop across the English Channel!Mediterranean GullBramblingMont St. Michel68Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryOutline itineraryDay 1Ferry Poole-Cherbourg;transfer to Bricquebec.Day 2Natural history walksand excursions fromBricquebec.Day 3/4Natural history walksand excursions fromAvranches.Day 5Drive Cherbourg; ferryto Poole.Accommodation Two charming family-run hotels withprivate facilities, serving excellentlocal food.Food All included in the price.GradingGrade A. Easy day walks only.Focus Birds (in particular autumn birdmigration), plus a little history andculture.LeaderTony Williams, Tom Brereton orJason Mitchell.Single room supplement£95.Web quick search: FRA17Normandy in AutumnA 5-day birdwatching break to enjoy the autumn bird migration amongst the rural delights -scenic, culinary, cultural and historical - of Normandy's Cotentin Peninsula.Thursday 6th October - Monday 10th October 2011 Cost: £745FRANCE Wednesday 26th September - Sunday 30th September 2012 Cost: £795BAIE DE LA SEINE ENGLISH CHANNEL BRITTANY NORMANDY CHERBOURG BRICQUEBECAVRANCHESGATTEVILLE CAP DE LA HAGUE CHANNEL ISLANDS

Provence, and especially the region ofthe Camargue, is best known as aspring destination for naturalists.However, there is also much to see inwinter; indeed some birds are more readilyseen at this season. Blue Rock Thrush,Black Redstart, Penduline Tit, RockBunting, Citril Finch, Snow Finch andAlpine Chough are amongst the interestingpasserines that we should find, and aregular highlight of our previous visits hasbeen that most prized of European birds,the enigmatic Wallcreeper. At a time whenonly the occasional Chiffchaff relieves thegloom of a British winter, it is possible tofind up to seven species of warbler inProvence, including Cetti's, Sardinian,Subalpine and Dartford, and even moreexciting is the presence of numerousraptors patrolling the Camargue marshesand surrounding hills, a variety whichcould include Imperial, Spotted, Bootedand Bonelli's Eagles. Best of all, we will beable to enjoy our birdwatching in a climatethat is warmer, and during daylight hoursthat are longer than those at home!Provence is also rich in architectural andhistorical features, a number of which canbe viewed during the course of our birdingactivities. The name itself reminds us thatthe region was a Roman provincia and itcontains a wealth of Roman antiquities. Inthe western part of the Rhône Delta wefind the fully walled medieval city of Aigues-Mortes, founded in 1241 by LouisIX to compete with other Mediterraneanports and to act as base for Crusades. Itnow lies eight kilometres inland as a resultof natural silting. Less grand, butnonetheless interesting, buildings includeshepherds' refuges in exposed parts of thedelta, with characteristic rounded endsplaced towards the prevailing wind.The Camargue itself, covering about 750square kilometres, is the marshy area of theRhône Delta, and we will spend three daysexploring this legendary region of wildhorses and fighting bulls. The GreaterFlamingo is probably its best known denizenbut other wetland birds abound. Flocks of 3-4,000 Red-crested Pochard can be seen,together with Black-necked Grebes, KentishPlovers, Avocets, considerable numbers ofMediterranean Gulls, Cetti's Warblers, andboth Penduline and Bearded Tits. Numerousraptors are attracted by this abundance ofprey and Common Buzzards are aconspicuous feature of the Provencelandscape whilst scores of Marsh Harriersand Hen Harriers patrol the reedbeds. Otherrarer birds of prey also occur on occasions,adding the exciting possibility of seeingSpotted, Imperial, Bonelli's or BootedEagles to each excursion in the field.The ancient delta of the Durance - now atributary of the Rhône - forms the areaknown as the Crau, covering some 50,000hectares. This dry stony habitat has beenextensively irrigated and grows crops suchas melons and the famous Crau hay. Thislatter crop, which provides three cuts ayear, is especially prized for feeding racehorses. The surviving areas of originalhabitat support good numbers of LittleBustard and France's only population ofPin-tailed Sandgrouse. Other noteworthyresidents include Calandra Lark,Dartford Warbler and Great Grey Shrike.North-east of our base in Arles is a rangeof hills rising to 387 metres called LesAlpilles, a limestone extension of theLubéron range. Here we will look forWallcreeper, and may also see AlpineAccentor, Rock Sparrow, Blue Rock Thrushand Bonelli's Eagle. A little further away isMont Ventoux (1,909 metres), which we willplan to visit on our final day. The Italianpoet and scholar, Petrarch, ascendedVentoux with his brother in 1336 andinitially revelled in the view. Later, however,he read St. Augustine's admonition that '...men should not take pleasure inmountains or scenery...' and regretted hisfrivolity. Hopefully, we can enjoy thissplendid mountain without pangs of guilt!On its lower, wooded slopes we will lookfor the beautiful Citril Finch, and here wemay also see Crested Tit. At higherelevations, above the treeline, we will hopeto find two species characteristic of thisinhospitable terrain, Alpine Accentor andthat hardy alpine sparrow, the Snowfinch.Journeying to and from Mont Ventoux, wepass the great aqueduct known as thePont du Gard. This aqueduct wasconstructed by Agrippa in about 19 BC tocarry the water of the Eure (near Uzés), toNîmes, some 40 kilometres away. It isgenerally regarded as one of the mostremarkable feats of Roman engineering,and provides another chance ofencountering the elusive Wallcreeper thatwould provide such a fitting finale to thiswinter break.Citril FinchesCrested TitGreater Flamingoes69Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Marseille andtransfer to Arles.Day 2/7Arles.Day 8Fly London.AccommodationComfortable hotel serving goodlocal food, all rooms with privatefacilities.FoodAll included in the price.GradingA. Day walks only.FocusMainly birds, a few mammals, plusRoman and medieval antiquities.LeadersJames Bray and Simon Tonkin. Single room supplement£150.Web quick search: FRA18Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationProvence at ChristmasAn 8-day holiday featuring the best of the birdlife of southern France in winter.Thursday 22nd December - Thursday 29th December 2011 Cost: £1,295Saturday 22nd December - Saturday 29th December 2012 Cost: £1,295SPAIN ITALY SWITZERLAND GERMANY BELGIUM PARIS CAMARGUEARLESTOULOUSE BORDEAUX FRENCH ALPS STRASBOURG ENGLISH CHANNEL ATLANTIC OCEAN MEDITERRANEAN SEA FRANCE MARSEILLE