Ninth International Ornithological Congress



189



France, of which Monsieur Jean Delacour is the President of the

Ornithological Section.


All through the Camargue there are quite good roads between the

lakes so the charabancs were able to proceed without difficulty. After

travelling for about an hour a stop was made to see a herd of the bulls

which inhabit the Camargue. These are used for specialized bull

fights and are very fierce large black animals. They are looked after

by “ gardiens ” who ride on white horses and look very picturesque

in their large hats and white trousers, carrying long staves in their

hands to control the bulls.


Fortunately the weather cleared and at the next stop, which was

by a large lake, a magnificent flock of Flamingos was seen feeding

in the water. Later a whole lot of these birds rose and flew in a long

line one after each other, their dark pink and black wings and out¬

stretched legs and necks against the blue sky making an absolutely

unforgettable, picture. The Flamingos visit the Camargue every year

and the numbers seem to vary very much—sometimes it is as many

as ten thousand. A few hundreds stay for the winter, but the majority

go farther south. The nesting of the Flamingos in the Camargue

seems somewhat of a mystery—they sometimes nest and bring up their

young and then there are long periods of years during which no young

are observed at all, but all the same the birds lay eggs. They apparently

make no attempt at nest building but drop the eggs anywhere and

then, naturally, they come to grief.


Purple Herons rose from the reed beds, Calandra Larks were seen

occasionally, Cetti’s Warblers were singing on all sides and the Great

Reed Warbler was most in evidence of all. Avocets and Little Egrets

were feeding by the lake-side and a good number of Black Terns were

fishing. On the other side of the marsh a Marsh Harrier rose and

swung slowly into the distance ; the number of these birds in the

Camargue is remarkable. Montagu and Hen Harriers were also seen,

but in nothing approaching the numbers of the Marsh.


At midday when the watcher’s house was reached, a lorry appeared,

yet another example of the magnificent organization of the expedition,

with dozens and dozens of carrier-bags in each of which was a bottle

of wine and a large amount of food, which, as at ten o’clock everyone



