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When we first moved in we saw quite a bit of wildlife: chevreuil, pine martens, red squirrels, foxes, pheasants and a bat who used our barn as a summer roost. Of course as winter set in we saw them all less and less; although the squirrels and the cock pheasant did continue to make appearances.
From November we've put out birdfood and as a result we've been visited by hordes of greedy blue, great and longtailed tits with a supporting cast of chaff and green finches. There's also greater spotted and green woodpeckers who drop in and blue jays; and once we saw a hawfinch. One bird we've not seen so much has been the wood pigeon; yet this morning there was a gaggle roosting in one of our oak trees. In Suffolk we were overrun by them. Yesterday I spent some time watching, through the binoculars, a buzzard in Eric's field. He'd sit for a bit looking round, hop and glide to another spot close by and again sit and look round. He repeated this over and over obviously quartering an area looking for food.
We have been wondering however how 'our' wildlife has fared during the hunting season. We have woods to the right and to the left of the house and between these 2, right on the border of our land with Eric's field is a wildlife 'highway'. They do shoot in both woods fairly regularly.
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| chevreuil photo: britishdeersociety.co.uk |
Happily it seems rather well! Yesterday while making an early morning cuppa Niall saw 3 chevreuil (roe deer) nibbling the odd blade in Erics field while they ambled from right to left and the day before, again in the early morning, he saw first a dog fox and then a vixen moving left to right. As he smugly remarked when handing me my tea: "foxes 2 French hunters 0". Hopefully we'll see the pine martens again soon too.
This morning it was the pheasants--Mr and Mrs circling each other on our drive. We tried to inform them that anywhere round here is not a 'des res'; what with its usual predators and our 2 cats as an added bonus.
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11 comments:
£re you sure that they are Pine Martens? They are more probably Beech Martens... especially near human habitation... we've got them here at La Forge.
And you are lucky with the Long-tailed Tits... we've just got the Great and Blue... but we've now got a couple of Cirl Bunting that are coming regularly and the Goldfinches have discovered the sunflower seed feeder... Pauline's called one of them Mr Creosotte after the diner who explodes in Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life"... it sits there hogging the feeder and keeping everyone else [including the Blue Tits] away and stuffing itself! It is noticeably larger in girth than its companions!!
Hi Tim, Pretty sure, saw one clearly in pine tree near kitchen v early one morning last autumn, also seen them at more of a distance. They're dark, don't have the light bib and we do have a lot of pine tress and we're sandwiched between 2 woods--again with pine trees. Spoke with local farmer Eric and he says they're martre not fouine.
We've got one great tit who makes a total mess around the feeder --throwing everything out in a huge shower just so that he can dig out the sunflowers in the mix! We keep having to sweep up after him. We also get 1 solitary Willow tit who is pretty bossy.
Oh...lovely! I didn't know that there were Pine Martens this close...you lucky ****'s... we're jealous!
Our fouine makes a hell of a mess... but less now since I counter marked the latrines upstairs with some of the cat clearings from the litter tray. Oh, yes... our big, bold hunter still wants to come in to use the litter tray! Well he might learn to go outside evntually....?!
Nice that you've Willow Tits too, any Coal Tits? And with the type of woods you've got near, keep an eye out for the Crested Tit... have you got the Birds of Touraine du Sud book from the 'usually closed' environmental shop next to the boulanger in Grand Pressigny.... very good... and sightings in each canton are indicated on clear maps.
If you haven't, I can pop in and get you a copy. Around 10€s,
Not seen any coal tits but did see the crested tits in the Autumn -- they came and did 'sweeps' through the trees and then flew off to the next place. Haven't seen any at the feeders. And it is just the single willow tit....
I'd love a copy of the bird book-- when is the shop open -- it isn't that far for us.
If it is a case of pot luck re opening times then yes please if you could pick one up for me, that would be lovely.
Shame on your bold hunter :-) Ours have a cat flap...
I'll get you one... it is total pot luck! There are opening hours posted... but I think they don't have a watch [or a calendar for that matter!]... As it is meant to be part of the Museum, I personally don't think it is very good publicity!! Or PR!!
We cannot put a cat-flap in yet, it would spoil our nice doors... and we haven't worked out yet where to cut a cat-tunnel in the wall... an open shutter covers the most obvious place!! And all the other walls have furniture in front! It may have to come down to the door....?
Tim: thanks! let me know when you've been able to get a copy of the book and I'll come and pick it up/reimburse you.
Beware your door :-)....
ours is in our (expensive! bespoke LaPayre affair) kitchen door. Nothing is ever standard size in these old houses.
Qurs would be in our also expensive Chabboison door... hence the reluctance.
Standard size? France is a bespoke country, donchaknow!
Shop was fermé ce matin.... I'll take a look tomorrow before going to the Foire au Saffran at Prooly.
Got the book... the shop was closed as usual! But Pauline remembered that it was one we have two of!!We'd got one to keep here and one for the UK.... so there is a very slightly used one here for you to come and collect!!
We had the meal at the Foire.... superb!!
Thanks ever so much, that's very kind! Ok if I drop round some time tomorrow for the book? We went to the Foire in the morning to avoid being 'tempted' by lunch :-).
Yes, great... you might have to yell into the field if we're mowing! Or stand on the bridge and wave when we can see you.
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