Spring Birding for Women in the Western Mediterranean
Tour dates: late March – early April 2025
Tour code: Custom tours available for pre-formed groups of 6-8
A small group trip for women birders to see key resident Mediterranean species and some early active migration.
Orchids and other wild flowers will be out too!
The tour leader and guide are two local women birders.
This tour can also be arranged for mixed groups.
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Price tbc
- Low carbon discount of €50 if you travel by train
- Expert local guide and English speaking tour leader
Join us for a short break with a small group of women birders to explore the lagoons, vineyards and upland garrigue habitats for resident species but also to see active migration and birds on migratory stopover. Main target species include: Great spotted cuckoo, Iberian grey shrike, Little bustard, Stone curlew, Bluethroat, Black-winged stilt, Slender-billed gull, Short-toed eagle, and many more (see detailed list of target species).
The programme may be modified to take advantage of weather and other variables.
MondayTransfer to accommodation Welcome drinks & early dinner before heading back out to a good local spot for Eagle owl
FridayDeparture after breakfast and transfer to departure points. (birding opportunities on the way time permitting!).
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TuesdayCoastal garrigue Coffee in Leucate Coastal dunes and lagoons Picnic at La Franqui while we look out over the lagoon for Greater flamingo, Slender billed gull, Black-winged stilt, Kentish plover, + other gulls and shore birds. A back road through the vineyards is always worth a stop… and might well turn up Black kite, Booted eagle or other raptors on migration And then on to the Salt pans
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WednesdayMarshes and reedbeds Also on migration: Coffee break in Capestang Picnic at Foncalvy Mixed agricultural land Marshes and reedbeds To finish the day we will have another look at these bird-rich marshes but from the western side. Species as for the morning.
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ThursdayNests, reed-beds, vineyards & migration After a coffee break at Gruissan we will picnic at a spot where we may well see an Ocellated lizard. The vineyards are good for Hoopoe, Rock sparrow and Sardinian warbler and we might be luckly with an early Woodchat shrike. If the prevailing NW wind is blowing, we will have a look at the spring migration spot on the Ayrolles lagoon where birds skim low over the lagoon on their way north.
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We will be looking for resident Mediterranean species, birds on active migration and birds on migratory stopover…
We will visit coastal lagoons and sea cliffs, vineyards and open agricultural land and scrubby Mediterranean garrigue (good for orchids too!)
Birds
Local resident species include: Blue rock thrush, Bonelli’s eagle, Crag martin, Crested lark, Eagle owl, Glossy ibis, Iberian grey shrike, Kentish plover, Moustached warbler, Purple swamphen, Rock sparrow, Sardinian warbler, Serin, Slender-billed gull, Spoonbill, Spotless starling, Thekla’s lark, Zitting cisticola…
Summer breeding species that should have arrived in March include: Black-winged stilt, Great spotted cuckoo, Hoopoe, Short-toed eagle…
On migration we will be looking for: Bee-eater, Black kite, Black stork, Bluethroat, Booted eagle, Common crane, Greater flamingo, various hirundines including Alpine swift and Red-rumped swallow, White stork
Flowers
This is a new trip so no reviews yet! But this day trip report in the News & Info section will give you a good idea!
Join us and help us launch this new trip 🙂
By train!
We are offering a 50€ discount to participants who choose the “low carbon birding” option and travel by train!
It’s really quite easy and you get to see more of the beautiful French countryside.
A number of our clients have come by train and there are various routes to choose from.
Travel south via Paris and Bordeaux and return north via Narbonne and Lille or vice-versa.
See the Getting here page in our DIY birding section, and do get in touch if you need any help.
See the links below for train times and bookings all the way through from London St Pancras to Narbonne.
We do recommend however, in order to avoid the stress of potential missed connections, that it is better to take the Eurostar to Paris the day before and then catch the TGV down to Narbonne the day the trip starts. We will pick you up at Narbonne train station. Timetables and tickets are available 3 months in advance. Or you can talk to your local travel agent to book your tickets through them!
By plane
Click on the links below for flight details and pricing (track the price to get the best deal!).
Other options may be available, please contact us with your preferred departure airport in the UK.
Transfers from/to Carcassonne are included in the price of the trip. Transfers from/to other airports may incur a small surcharge.
We recommend that you do NOT book flights until the trip is confirmed!
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NOT INCLUDED
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This short break explores the coastal lagoons and inland areas of the Narbonnaise
The team for this trip combines the local knowledge of a resident ornithologist and a resident British tour leader
Karline Martorell
Local Bird Guide - French, English & Esperanto
Drawn to wildlife conservation from a very young age, Karline studied Biodiversity Analysis and Surveying Techniques. She continues to be an active naturalist, with a particular interest in birds, reptiles and amphibians. Particularly passionate about birds, Karline volunteers for migration counting and bird ringing. A number of wildlife trips abroad have helped widen her knowledge base and she spent five years working for an environmental consultancy firm carrying out doing bird and reptile surveys.
Philippa Benson - Birding Languedoc
Co-founder/Tour Leader - English, French & Spanish
Like many Brits, Philippa has a keen interest in natural history and enjoys learning about the amazing birds and wildlife of the Languedoc. Resident in this lovely area for over 15 years, she now has a good working knowledge of where the best spots are for birds, flowers and other species and enjoys sharing these with interested visitors.
A background in project management and hospitality combined with a particular focus on customer service and being fully bilingual are all helpful skills for organising and hosting tours.
