whoopwhoop

This is back-tracking.  I’ve got really behind with my posts, and some of the things I want to write about will have to be for another time – I keep jotting down things and they have now become a very long list, but I’ll get there.  The garden now calls – making vegetable strips for Barry and an island bed for me, back to back visitors, loads of Vide Greniers visited, a chalk painting beginners and advance techniques workshop or me, classic cars and new clubs for Barry, our first visit to a French vet for Shima and that thing called life………..

So, this will be a short blog (what for me haha!) about the garden and things in it.  First excitement back in April was the sound of a bird I didn’t know, and then I saw it – oh my gosh we had Hoopoe’s arrive.  I get excited every time I see one of them and I can now pin point where they are in the area according to their hoop-hoop-hoop noise.  I always thought they were bigger than they are, but no, about the size of a thrush, bit leaner. rosy coloured chest and the most amazing end of wing and tail feathers – black and white – truly stunning when it flies away.  There are another pair in the next village – Ligney and others around – they spread themselves about, but not many of them.

I was in the bedroom that overlooks the big Magnolia (Grandiflora) when B walked in an there was one of them sitting on a branch looking towards the bedroom window –      a really  close up look.  He took this picture – enlarge it, it’s worth it.  People in the village say we get Golden Oriel’s sometimes as well, but not quite yet apparently – I’m swatting with my bird books so I know one when I see it or hear it.  Here’s another photo of my Hoopoe (yes it’s mine!)

The donkey has returned to the field at the back of the house, but with her (Bonnie) she has brought the older donkey, the lady that lived here before told me about.  Her name is Celestine, the donkey not the lady that lived here before!, and then there’s a baby (‘ish).  The grass is long now and they love it.  I try to resist giving them carrots, don’t want to start the habit, but they do run down to the fence when I call which is more than Barry does.

                      Get me my carrot NOW!

Last Monday arriving back from the UK there had been big storms out here on the Sunday and loads of rain.  Walking through to the back in the afternoon, quite happily trotting across the grass getting out his bugs was a big green Woodpecker.  I’ve heard it or them in the big trees at the back since we’ve been here, but never seen any, and now I have. Quote from Barry ‘there’s a big green bird walking across the back grass’ – Barry & birds is a no go area, and quite hopeless asking for a description i.e. it was big and black – yes…and!

We inherited a bird table just across the first lot of decking, and a tin of wild bird seed. I wasn’t going to start feeding because of the cat getting the youngsters, but the garden is so spread out that she hasn’t – head count for the cat is one live mouse in the house that she brought in! We had a lot of really hard frosts January/February so I weakened and I’m really glad I did – the bird count goes Mr & Mrs Robins, Blue Tits and Black capped tits, Hedge and Field Sparrows, Chaffinch and I think a Bullfinch. Chaffinch are lean and taller and this one is shorter and fatter and one or two other finches as yet to be identified. Owls roost in the Magnolia for a while come Sept/Oct and I’ve had a Redstart – I know this because it posed for me near the kitchen window while I consulted my two bid books.  I keep the books in the kitchen now and shout ‘Don’t Move’ at any bird that I’m not sure about.And I’m getting blase now about Birds of Prey – seen everywhere hovering over the fields etc.  There are several species including a Honey Buzzard – that’s the only one I remember after someone rattled off a list.

The little Lizards – Mr Scuttle – are really coming out now, and Barry walked into a bigger Green Lizard warming itself just inside the garden barn store.  He is quite large as we saw him walking across the far garden wall the day before and we were quite a distance away.  I’m told Stick insects will be seen – ah the bain of my Mother’s life when I was a school kid.  We all kept Stick Insects in  a jam jar with a piece of privet in the jar.  and who didn’t open the jar up to inspect before going off to school.  I would quite frequently be met with ‘I spent ages removing YOUR stick insects from the bedroom curtains this morning’ – whoops.  I’m told that we stand a good chance of getting Praying Mantis as well – can you get tablets for it.  Not of the stick insect family I think I’ve read, although you would think so……and to end, deep joy.  Barry walked in to the log store about 3/4 weeks ago and found a grass snake warming up. Long with a yellow band around its neck.  We didn’t know it was a grass snake at the time, but the local that came and did some digging for us and a couple of people who have lived here a long time confirmed it also – in French – Coulevre – it can grow up to 2 metres in length, but in any language I shall NEVER go into the wood store ever ever ever again!  Feel it should be a ‘she’, so I’ve christened her Ssssssssybil.