The Night(s) of the Owl - A loud report...

Perhaps more of a damp squib....

This last weekend... centred on Saturday the 23rd.... was designed to focus peoples attention on the Owls of France....
and especially the plight of the Barn Owl and the Chevêche d'Athéna [or Little Owl]... both of which are in steep decline...
from destruction of habitat, especially the "bocage" [see below]...
and the modernisation of old buildings, without thought for former inhabitants [or because of a dislike of them]...
and on the roads from our "need for speed"!

There was almost no mention of either at the events we attended...
but there most probably was at Tony Williams' talk on the Friday...
which we we were too late in booking...
"Desolé, complét!"

Saturday, we drove over to Benais, in fine, sunny weather, for their afternoon/evening event...
but we weren't intending to stay for the evening walks.

It started at 3.15...
and we were there...
to be welcomed through the door with another couple...
and a gran with three "kids for the afternoon"....

and as things were still being set up...
we watched a lot of these arrive at 3.05!....

for the time we were there... about an hour...
we were outnumbered by the volunteers!
A great shame really as there was some very good stuff...
as usual at these events, aimed squarely at the kids.
But there was also a film which was showing, "Les Nuits de la Dame Blanche"...
one of five short natural history films by Laurent Charbonnier ...
somewhat old now, but excellent as it showed the life cycle of the owl and ancient beliefs...
[like nailing a corpse to your barn door to ward off evil]...
and the bocage habitat that it likes to hunt.

There was also "Owl Pellet Dissection" for the kids...
and a booklet [ for this event, reference only... nothing for sale]...
from the CPN's collection of Cahiers Techniques... "Pelotes! Décortiquer et déterminer"...
an excellent booklet [available from the LPO Boutique at 8€]...
the key for identification of remains was simple and well illustrated...
and knocked all previous keys I've come across into a cocked hat.

 

 

And includes full instructions on methods of sterilising the pellets...
Pauline's not to pleased!!

There were three kids... gran's bunch... well occupied at this...
and a couple of brave volunteers had had their faces painted... as owls.
As well as a wonderful display of photographs of owls... each of the main species.

The event at Benais was well publicised in the Nouvelle Republique, our local paper...
with a more than quarter-page colour article in the Weekend section...
but... possibly too late?

We headed back after about an hour,  via Bourgueil and a vintner we buy from... 

Degustation... Chez Bourdin.

then back across country to Saint-Maure to try and find Hercules l'Ognion... but found him not...
but the Bricomarché was selling Turbo, another onion that we like. [A very good keeper!]...
it was here that I discovered my hat missing...
it was late, we'd had a gentle drive looking at the country...
change up a gear..
a hell for leather drive via the A10 and A85 back to Bourgueil ensued...
good for the Gaspode...
it will have blown the cobwebs out [and I discovered that the tyres need balancing]...
Pauline telephoned the Vinter en-route...
hat not there!

Arrived back at Benais...
lots more cars... probably for the walks...
but still not many.
Yes... my hat was there...

Hat Found!

but when I looked at it, it was minus one badge...

Badge missing!!

a difficult badge to remove, too.

The missing badge was my RSPB members badge...
[there was no YOC in those days... you were a member!]...
a present, along with membership, a secondhand but good pair of binos and my first bird book, from my parents in 1958...
there were other badges on the hat that were more "attractive" and easier to remove...
no...
leaving rather a sour taste in my mouth, it had to have been an LPO member!
Someone who knew the significance of RSPB!
Apologies to the LPO... the badge had not gone missing... it was on another hat!!


Shame really...
we are, or should be, aiming at the same thing...
it will be replaced by an LPO badge.
I'd worn it on something...
mainly hats... I've had many...
since '58.
Impossible to obtain a real replacement...
in 1960, they changed the design to a blue one with the avocet on it...
and mine was prior to that, when there were still relatively few members...
the 10,000 barrier was passed in 1960 and the Avocet symbol only started being used in late 1955.

---oooOOO000@000OOOooo---

Bocage describes a region where small fields and meadows are enclosed by earth banks carrying hedges or rows of trees and where the habitation is generally dispersed in farms and hamlets.

or

Bocage refers to a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture, with fields and winding country lanes sunken between narrow low ridges and banks surmounted by tall thick hedgerows that break the wind but also limit visibility, like parts of Surrey.
It is a word of Norman origin and is used in both the English and French language.

or

Bocage....go to Loire Valley Nature's full page description