I made a pair of stops last weekend to the Embouchure du Var, the wetland and marsh area where the Var River meets the Mediterranean in Nice. I spent about an hour and a half there on Saturday, from about 2:30 in the afternoon, and made a brief 15-minutes stop on Sunday just before sunset on the way back from the Vaugrenier Departmental Natural Park in Villeneuve-Loubet, about 10km west.

I observed 13 species on Saturday (6 Dec) and seven on Sunday (7 Dec). There were no new lifers to report but I did up my Embouchure tally up to 23 to continue inching (centimetering?) my way towards the 260 that have been reported in this river delta. I spotted a Eurasian Kestrel here for the first time and several Eurasian Crag-Martins darting, ducking and dashing. I regularly see them in Monaco, mostly darting, ducking and dashing on the cliffs around the Oceanographic Museum.

[For the Embouchure du Var-curious, Here is report 1; and here is report 2.]

Photo-wise, I was happiest with these five shots of a Common Chiffchaff – the four below and lead photo above. I’d like to think that those yellowish tones visible on the bird in the second photo down could mean this is actually a Willow Warbler, but not likely, I know. (I’d be happy to be proven wrong.)

A number of Eurasian Magpies made an appearance including this one that landed briefly on what I’ve dubbed the portrait sitting log. Unfortunately, he turned his head in every direction except towards me.

Here’s the Eurasian Kestrel that swooped by just as I began packing up. He spun around long enough for me to grab my camera and snap off a few shots.

And a few more.

Here are a pair of Great Cormorants keeping watch on Cormorant Island on Saturday. There were 14 resting there just before sunset on Sunday.

One of the dozens of Black-headed Gulls milling about.

There were dozens of Mallards. Here are a few on parade on Saturday afternoon. Sunday’s sunset departure of several dozen over just a few minutes was a sensational sight.

And finally, here’s a Eurasian Moorhen squawking loudly at a nearby Eurasian Coot. I still haven’t managed a good shot of a Moorhen – oddly I always seem to spot them when they’re backlit. And when they’re not, the contrasts between the red of their beaks and black bodies often confounds the camera’s autofocus. I can’t get enough of those hilariously large out-of-scale feet.

There was a lone Gray Heron each day. On Saturday, one sat motionless for nearly two hours on the western bank. On Sunday one was at the farthest reaches of the river, just where it meets the sea, staring at Corsica.

I’m aiming to make at least one more visit before the end of the month. (Note 7 Jan 2026: Unfortunately, this didn’t happen.)

Personal report tally at the Embouchure du Var as of 7 December 2025:

23 species in four visits; 15 species photographed. (And one Emirates A380.) Links to personal internal galleries.

• Black-headed Gull – 07 Dec 2025; 06 Dec 2025; 22 Nov 2025
• Carrion Crow – 22 Nov 2025
• Common Buzzard – 22 Nov 2025
• Common Chiffchaff – 07 Dec 2025; 06 Dec 2025; 22 Nov 2025
• Eurasian Coot – 06 Dec 2025; 22 Nov 2025; 23 Aug 2025
• Eurasian Crag-Martin – 07 Dec 2025
• Eurasian Kestrel – 06 Dec 2025
• Eurasian Magpie – 07 Dec 2025; 06 Dec 2025; 22 Nov 2025; 23 Aug 2025
• Eurasian Moorhen – 06 Dec 2025; 22 Nov 2025; 23 Aug 2025
• European Robin – 06 Dec 2025
• European Shag – 22 Nov 2025
• European Starling – 22 Nov 2025
• Gray Heron – 06 Dec 2025; 22 Nov 2025; 23 Aug 2025
• Great Cormorant – 07 Dec 2025; 06 Dec 2025; 22 Nov 2025; 23 Aug 2025
• House Sparrow – 06 Dec 2025
• Little Egret – 22 Nov 2025; 23 Aug 2025
• Mallard – 07 Dec 2025; 06 Dec 2025; 22 Nov 2025; 23 Aug 2025
• Marsh Sandpiper- 23 Aug 2025
• Meadow Pipit – 22 Nov 2025
• Mute Swan – 22 Nov 2025
• Sardinian Warbler – 22 Nov 2025; 23 Aug 2025
• White Wagtail – 06 Dec 2025
• Yellow-legged Gull – 07 Dec 2025; 06 Dec 2025; 22 Nov 2025; 23 Aug 2025