Meilleurs Vœux to all for a very happy, healthy and hopeful New Year!
The Nouvelle Anneé signals a special foray for Ralph and me to the Camargue, the vast wetland about an hour from home where the Rhône River empties into the Med and, for at least part of the year, a magnificent variety of wildlife calls home.
celebratory note to our seashore picnic.
We commemorated finishing our 2019 big birding year here on 1 Jan 2020, and a tradition was born. Though Ralph and I visit regularly throughout the year, early each January, we make a point of paying tribute to area’s significance in our lives—this majestic nature park was a major draw for us settling in Provence over ten years ago.
I know, where did the decade go? Well, part of the answer is losing track of time spent in this magical place—cruising the boardwalk, people-watching from a place in the sand, taking a dip, watching the waves crash, munching a pique-nique, soaking up the sunshine (or feeling the freezing breeze, as the season dictates), witnessing traditional festivals, indulging in a fresh fish lunch in the quaint village of Sainte-Maries-de-Mer, or, of course, birding the extensive marshland.
Now that yours truly has flitted into the realm of “birderdom,” and still a fledgling (there is a ton to know), I am spending more time roaming the wetlands with Ralph.
This year the tradition continues, with the added objective of searching for a recently reported phalarope, like a miniature gull, which is rare for Provence. (It refused to be spotted by us, however.) The outing also provided an early boost to our 2024 bird list—no pressure, just easy-going and fun. This included seeing my first flamingos of the year—happy days!
Bises, Gayle
PS
Book Three update: The narrative about how our life in Provence is shaping up is taking shape, though not without substantial word wrestling. It feels like a mano-a-mano duel sometimes, but in a good way. (Mostly.)
Gayle Smith Padgett 