The New French Forum

For the first time this year here we heard them, but it was cloudy so didn't see them.

Here is the border of 46 and 24.

Anyone else seen or heard them?

I know they're a pain and make good pâté but my goodness aren't they cute... IMG_20210218_093807.jpg IMG_20210218_093843.jpg IMG_20210218_093835.jpg

I know they are not wildlife but thought this the best section to post the photo in. We only have one farmer with sheep by us but it’s a good reminder what to look for when walking past.

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For me that is, I have never seen one and now have just by our roaring river.

It is interesting this time of year Primroses , daffodils Mimosas catkins and Brimstone butterflies are yellow Spring is coming closer :D

The French version of the garden bird watch is next weekend:
...

Walking the dog this morning I discovered a meal-sized Carp laying on the path a good 2 metres from the lake. I picked it up and popped it back into the lake where it immediately swam away. There were no signs of injury and it seems that it was none the worse for its excursion - a proper little mystery! Tiddley-squat (aka Frodo) was licking his...

We usually use a good quality bird seed and mix it with lard, then freeze until ready.

But, even after freezing it breaks apart when I am trying to put it into the bird feeders. Bought fat balls are very solid so I'm thinking we're doing something wrong.

A few weeks ago we were aware of what we thought was a small, developing wasp nest high up under the roof of our hangar. Recently we'd both noticed the fast increasing size of the nest. The other day I mentioned to Biggles that the wasps looked rather large............. Today he was concerned about how large the nest now is (a bit smaller than a...

Although I am not in France, my French neighbour is taking great glee in sending me photos of my lawn covered in mole hills, the 1 acre lawn that I brought back from being a field in the summer and by my last visit in October looked fantastic but now resembles a a rugby pitch after a hard game !

In our village in Worcestershire, the soil is very...

I've just come in from the garden where I came across a dead snake lying across the stump of a tree which had recently been felled. I'm pretty sure it is a dead grass snake, about a metre long and it was full length across the stump. The head is missing and it seems a bit chewed up, but I don't understand how it could have been killed and left...

Did you know that they were present in France? - I certainly didn't.

There was a photo of the mother of a litter in a tree taken in l'Oise so there must be at least one mating pair.

A new word learned for me and a charming description Raton Laveur :D

First time ever a female mantis. I had to be careful getting the photo in case she ate me.

We have at least two resident hedgehogs here which is great for the garden, they seem to do a grand job of keeping the slugs under control.
We also have a couple of toads who live in the cellar but come up to the door at night and wind Spot up.
Last night when I let Spot out for his last pee one of the hedgehogs was eating a huge toad. Apparently...

I have seen a blue flash of a supersonic Kingfisher only a few times on our river, but today, one has decided to retire from fishing and go farming. I found him as the proverbial monty python parrot quite prone in my tractor.
How on earth (sky) did he get there

Oops caption is the wrong way around

Found by the cat, dead can anyone identify please

but not an edible one. I spotted this little chap when I took the dogs out yesterday afternoon and he/she is still there now and doesn't panic when touched. I thought that possibly it is waiting for passing flies, but am coming round to thinking that it is stuck. I loosened the soil around it with my finger but it made no difference. It is in an...

Anyone noticed at night that a small species of Bumblebee stay the night in flowerheads

France condemned by the European commission for using glue traps for catching birds.
Barbaric hunters.

Does anyone have any ideas for deterring snakes?
We have a beautiful whip snake who lives in the barn outside the garden, he is more than welcome to stay but his viper cousin who I spotted in the enclosed garden can bu**er off. I'm paranoid that the dog will meet him and come off worst. Yesterday the dog dived into the hedge and reappeared with a...

More squatters

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This lady must have a very clean chimney...

:) There is an exceptional number of butterflies this year. Is this something local or is it the same elsewhere? Could it be the mild winter or perhaps less use of pesticides? Whatever the reason, it's delightful to see them all.

They are driving me mad.

We have fly screens on all windows and doors that we open but what the very clever nasty things are doing, is clinging to the door net so when you go in and out, so do they!

We can't sit out on our terrace as we are tortured and nipped by the small black flies. We do have cows in the opposite field so that doesn't help....

I saw my first Pied Flycatcher the other day. What a handsome little bird! According to the book they're quite common but they don't seem to be round here.