Nature Notes and other curious sightings

This springtime has been exciting as we seem to have been living in our own Nature reserve.  The birdlife has been particularly active; we have Kestrels nesting in a hole in the house wall … as far as we know the female is sitting and we see the male periodically arrive with a catch.  In the meantime we have watched a pair of Magpies in trees near the house raise 4 youngsters and another pair a little further off raise at least 2.  We have had Great Tits, Sparrows and Black Redstarts nesting in other smaller holes in the wall, and I've seen at least 2 pairs of Swifts using very small holes near the top of the house wall for their nests.  We regularly see Hoopoes in the garden.  The most amusing incident occurred when Redstarts were raising a brood in the roof of our Porcherie.  We could hear the chicks from inside, and when we were working outside creating the new 'Exotic' bed we would have to stop and move away to allow a parent to go into the nest with food.  We would then wait till the parent had left before we could resume.  However, one afternoon I went into the porcherie to discover 2 youngsters on the windowsill, with Dad fluttering on the outside of the window.  I was able to grab the chicks and take them outside where they flew off into the trees with a relieved parent!

Out in the garden we have been battling with somebody who persists in digging through the nice soft earth of the newly planted flowerbeds.  We believe it is a badger and he does create havoc!

One particularly curious incident occurred when I was mowing the front grass and I came upon a dead snake.  It was a Couleuvre (a non-venomous grass snake) but something had just removed (eaten?) the head.  I continued mowing, only to find a second dead headless snake!!!

What would take the head and leave the rest?

On a more mundane note, we are involved with other villagers planting flowers to provide a bit of colour in the streets.  Yesterday Sue and I were planting a couple of boxes I had made to go under the village signs on the entrances to St Germain du Bel Air.

This job took longer than anticipated as we kept having to wave at passing cars (whether we knew them or not) or having to chat to friends who would stop to find out what we were doing.

At one of the signs we were working near a young lad on a vegetable patch.  He came over to us and we realised that it was Vincent, the son of the Pharmacist.  He was helping an old boy by looking after his allotment for him and Vincent asked if we wanted any lettuces.  Evidently, in the past, lettuces were allowed to go to seed and now, every Spring, the plot is full of lettuces growing everywhere. 

Sue gathered an armful and when we arrived home she distributed them amongst our neighbours.  Such is rural life !