We don’t get them every year, but we do seem to get them fairly frequently….
Sometimes we have a pair but more often than not it’s just a singleton. Compared to the usual greys these little chaps stick out like a sore thumb.
Albino Squirrel
Category: Wildlife
Squirrel
Just barely into the new year and we had a gorgeous sunny morning. This guy was just sitting, enjoying the rays.
I’m In There … Somewhere
I took this, but I still struggle to work out what is where ….. lol.
African Spoonbill
Another photo from Birdworld, Farnham in Surrey.
Masked Plover
From a recent visit to Birdworld, Farnham in Surrey.
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
A frequent visitor to the lawns, around our gite in Serandon, was the Green Woodpecker.
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
A beautiful looking bird, usually arriving in pairs, very alert and very quick to take flight at the slightest noise or movement.
Kite Flying
Many of you will know that Gerry and I have just spent a month in France. The first three weeks of that time was at a gite in the Dordogne. Throughout that time we would hear the calls of various raptors. They would be soaring out over the gorges, sitting high up on the electricity pylons and occasionally we would see one stoop, plunging to the ground in a newly mown meadow. On a number of occasions I had disturbed a couple of kites sitting in a tree, so well camouflaged were they, I hadn’t even seen them until I was almost immediately below them as I walked the lanes. Throughout our stay I had attempted many photos of these fabulous birds but had pretty much only achieved interesting silhouettes.
During our last week at the gite, after a prolonged spell of wet weather, it was time for the grass in the meadow directly in front of the gite to be cut. I grabbed my camera, crossed the garden to stand at the fence bordering the field, my eyes scanning the skies in anticipation.
Went To Mow A Meadow
One Man Went To Mow
The farmer drove round and round, starting at the perimeter, steadily working his way into the centre of the field. Until his circumnavigations had reduced the potential hiding places, for any small creatures, to an island of tall grass in the centre.
Then they were there.
Well one bird had arrived to investigate. But it was soon joined by several more. There was still much of the grass to be cut. The birds wheeled and swooped over the field, as if taking a preliminary scan, then all disappeared over the tree tops and away.
A few minutes later and they were back.
There were five or six birds, although it was difficult to keep track of them as switched from soaring to low-level runs across the meadow.
I thought that the birds, once they were hunting or had potential prey in their sights, would largely ignore me. It became obvious that they were staying away from my side of the meadow. Unfortunately there was no where for me to get under cover and my lens wouldn’t allow me to be further back, I was already pushing its capabilities to the limits.
So I carried on , firing away. I ended up with many similar shots but not many keepers. I learnt that I need a better equipment. This time it was a spur of the moment when the opportunity presented itself. After all, I didn’t know the farmer was going to mow the meadow, but I could have been better prepared. The following photos were all over the course of an hour.
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
Raptor – Serandon, Dordogne, France
But, at a minimum, a better lens would have helped me maximise my use of this opportunity. I should state here that I accept operator error as a huge contributor. I was having problems keeping the lens focussed as I got over excited at all the action, jumping from bird to bird. I switched from auto to manual focus to try and make life simpler, so I could have more time to frame the shot. I obviously need more practice in this enviroment.
A case in point is this photo. I did actually capture the moment when one of the kites caught a rodent …..
….. better preparation, better lens, would have made this a better photo. Bottom line though, this is down to the operator, me.
And, while I’m mentioning equipment, perhaps, some kind of camouflage clothing and / or a collapsible hide. After all, I had plenty of room in the car for this holiday. Mind you that would then require me to be a better planner.
Ask me who didn’t pack his tripod, monopod or even his gorillapod for this holiday.
Slow Sunday In Serandon
Today, Sunday, was designated a no drive day. Not quite a duvet day as we were both up and dressed. Not even a pottering day since we are not in our own home.
A bit of toast with a cup, or two, of coffee. Meandering around the gite and grounds, a bit of blogging and a sunday roast.
Blogging and /or checking in via Facebook has proven to be problematical. We haven’t had any WiFi and mobile signals have been very much touch and go. Back home I am on Vodafone but here in France my mobi switches providers, seemingly by the hour. Randomly connecting to Orange F, F Bouygues and F SFR. All with very little signal strength.
Still, we chose to come to a remote gite, so no complaining from me.
Gerry was happy for us to be home based as she wanted to watch the tennis. Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic in the French Open Final. That left me to cook the dinner and potter around with my camera.
So,first of all, here is the gite ……
It is perfect for our needs.Bedroom, bathroom and kitchen on the ground floor. Two steps up from the kitchen to the living / dining space. There is also a second bedroom and lounge area, up on the mezzanine, which we are using to store our suitcases.
On the other side of the gite there is a nice terrace with table and chairs and a stone built BBQ. The terrace has a triangular canvas wing to provide shade along with the grape vines and the Wisteria.
The gite is surrounded by fields and forest. The photo above shows the view to the east, where the sun rises and also where a storm was rolling in from on Saturday afternoon. Although the thunder rumbled we only received a few spots of rain.
There are some lovely flowers around the grounds. These lilies greet us by the door to the lounge. There are some beautiful roses under the kitchen window with a lovely scent.
Of course, lovely scents attract flies and bees and other beasties. This fellow decided to take up residence. Unfortunately, for him, I was prepared.
He was like a British Wasp on steroids and I have since discovered that there are many more like him around here.
After our roast dinner I left Gerry watching the tennis and went for a walk down the lanes in front of the gite.
The following were all encountered on my gentle stroll down from the gite into the forest.
Of course I forgot that what walks down has to eventually walk back up. The route into the forest got steadily steeper. When I eventually turned about, I had a twenty-minute steady climb back up to level ground. It was very nice, what with the birds singing away, their calls echoing though the trees.
Even better was the glass of Pelforth Blonde waiting for me in the fridge. A fitting end to a good day.
Unfortunately not so good for Gerry. Andy Murray lost !!
Summer Fayre
On Sunday we made our annual pilgrimage to my great granddaughters school, for the Summer Fayre. It’s always well attended and this year was no exception. There is always plenty going on to keep you entertained and it seemed that this year the school had excelled themselves.
Scattered throughout the school rooms, and around the grounds, were many stalls offering you the opportunity to win a prize. There were tombola stalls where you could try to win a teddy, some chocolate or perhaps a bottle of something alcoholic. Other stalls tempted you to guess the weight of the cake, or the number of sweets in the jar. Alternatively you could try your hand at the more traditional hoopla and hook-a-duck games. For those of a more sadistic nature there was Splat the Rat.
I found it quite interesting, the number of opportunities there were to win bottles of booze. Most surprising, since many of the purchasers of tickets were well below the minimum age required to carry off their prizes, needing to go and find an appropriate adult to carry off their booty.
Early on we were entertained by the rousing sounds of bagpipes and drums courtesy of Harbour Pipes & Drums, a locally based marching band.
They came back for a second performance later in the day.
There were some truly dubious characters roaming around the school grounds, one of which my granddaughter claims is her dinner lady. My dinner ladies, when I was at school, never looked like either of these folks. I’ll let you decide which one is her dinner lady.
Mermaid
Spiderman
As usual there was a brilliant demonstration of birds of prey, despite a certain amount of truculence from one of the owls which decided she didn’t want to play anymore and flew up onto the school roof.
Earlier in the day the handlers had apparently lost a bird to the lure of the tree tops.
Barn Owl
Harris Hawk
White Faced Scops Owl
White Faced Scops Owl
Gyrfalcon
Spectacled Owl
Gyrfalcon
White Faced Scops Owl
In the gallery above is a photo of a juvenile Spectacled Owl. Actually, this specimen is one year old. Last year he was just a little bundle of white fluff in the palm of the handlers cupped hands. Apparently this species takes four years to attain its final plumage colour.
I am disappointed that I missed the Dog Agility Show. I’m sure it would have been highly entertaining. I was busy visiting my granddaughters classroom, viewing her art. I include a couple of examples below.
I’ll let you decide if she is a budding Picasso, or perhaps Gainsborough, as I can’t make an objective comment, biased as I am.
The weather was kind too, making this a very enjoyable afternoon.
Nature
Over the last few days I have been trawling through my photo archives and thought I’d share a few.
The swallowtail was fluttering around the village of Collonges la Rouge in France. It led me a merry dance from flower bed to flower bed before settling long enough for this photo.
Loved these little fellows long before they became stars of a certain advert series.
One of several residing at Marwell, this little guy didn’t want to share his fish.
More Marwell Otters.
Another resident at Marwell and my favourite of the big cats.
WrAnTz 