The Camargue in southern France is not a great place for wildlife photography in the winter. It might be okay for the birdwatcher, but as a photographer close approaches are unusual here. I have never visited in the spring, but understand it to be much better then.
However, not for the first time I found myself here in December, if only to to thaw out the pipes in my caravan, which had been frozen for days further north. There are two places I can recommend for pictures.
About 5km north of Saintes Maries-De-La-Mer on the D570 is the Pont De Gau Parc Ornithologique. This is a small wildfowl collection where they feed the wild flamingos twice daily. There is a small fee to enter and in the winter the gates do not open until 1000 hours, which is a pity as they were feeding about 0930 hours. I did manage to get in early one morning and the flight opportunities are excellent. The birds come really close and after feeding they fly off in small groups. This goes on for about an hour and gives plenty of opportunities. By 1100 hours there is little activity until they are fed in the late afternoon.
Ideally the wind needs to be coming from the north east so the birds angle themselves sideways to the rising sun. If it is blowing from the west the birds will have their backs to you as they take off. I normally stand on the eastern side of the first large lake you come to.
If you can speak a little French I would expect it would be possible to get permission to enter early.
Other species you might get here include red crested pochard, ferruginous duck and coypu. The coypu are also very tame, but there are few natural perches for them to stand.
The only other site that I have found good for pictures is on the outskirts of Saintes Maries-De-La-Mer. Find the campsite called La Brise, which is well signposted throughout the town and make your way around the back of it by the beach. The sandy track here is drivable for several miles along the beach, but within 50 metres of leaving the campsite boundry fence walk out to the pair of breakwaters made of large boulders. Inbetween the two breakwaters are nearly always black necked grebes and if you climb down the rocks and sit quietly they swim very close from time to time.
In the spring they are probably already in their summer plumage before they depart, but I was happy to get them in winter plumage, which I had not done before. According to birdwatchers I met red necked, slavonian and great crested grebes also enter here to escape the waves when the wind is blowing strongly.
However, not for the first time I found myself here in December, if only to to thaw out the pipes in my caravan, which had been frozen for days further north. There are two places I can recommend for pictures.
About 5km north of Saintes Maries-De-La-Mer on the D570 is the Pont De Gau Parc Ornithologique. This is a small wildfowl collection where they feed the wild flamingos twice daily. There is a small fee to enter and in the winter the gates do not open until 1000 hours, which is a pity as they were feeding about 0930 hours. I did manage to get in early one morning and the flight opportunities are excellent. The birds come really close and after feeding they fly off in small groups. This goes on for about an hour and gives plenty of opportunities. By 1100 hours there is little activity until they are fed in the late afternoon.
Ideally the wind needs to be coming from the north east so the birds angle themselves sideways to the rising sun. If it is blowing from the west the birds will have their backs to you as they take off. I normally stand on the eastern side of the first large lake you come to.
If you can speak a little French I would expect it would be possible to get permission to enter early.
Other species you might get here include red crested pochard, ferruginous duck and coypu. The coypu are also very tame, but there are few natural perches for them to stand.
The only other site that I have found good for pictures is on the outskirts of Saintes Maries-De-La-Mer. Find the campsite called La Brise, which is well signposted throughout the town and make your way around the back of it by the beach. The sandy track here is drivable for several miles along the beach, but within 50 metres of leaving the campsite boundry fence walk out to the pair of breakwaters made of large boulders. Inbetween the two breakwaters are nearly always black necked grebes and if you climb down the rocks and sit quietly they swim very close from time to time.
In the spring they are probably already in their summer plumage before they depart, but I was happy to get them in winter plumage, which I had not done before. According to birdwatchers I met red necked, slavonian and great crested grebes also enter here to escape the waves when the wind is blowing strongly.
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Camargue December 2006
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Greater flamingo
Black-necked grebe
Red-crested pochard