Autumn leaves

Raking the leaves is a philosophical occupation. The town has the latest technology as we saw today - a Stihl leafblower/sucker/broyeur. With one of these you can reduce a pile of leaves to a handful of instant leafmould, at the cost of the earth's precious resources. We have a rake (Dutch, plastic) and Big Hans (Bettawear, also plastic) and a couple of pop-up bags. You rake the leaves into piles, put on Big Hands and hoist the piles into the bags. The leaves are going in the traditional small chickenwire enclosure to become leafmould eventually, or alternatively to blow all over the field - we shall have to see! Today's rakings half-filled the enclosure, and are less than a tenth of what's on our handsome Small-Leaved Lime (Tilleul). There are both Large- and Small-leaved Limes in this area as we noticed today in Chambon.
While raking the leaves, you can think of all sorts of things. How many crows are there in that big roost up the valley? As night fell, the numbers sounded positively Hitchcockian. Was that our resident Stone Curlews calling, or a migrant? Will the bats come out for me, as they did for Tim last night? How can I stop myself singing 'Les Feuilles Mortes"?

2009 March

2nd  
Brambling with flock of Chaffinches - front garden
10th
Cranes flying ENE 5.45 PM [Approx 60 Common Cranes].
 After rainy day quite mild. Wind almost due West, quite strong.
11th
Stone Curlew night call flying over field opposite.
At same time: Little Owl at Bezuard, Tawny Owl in the Lime or Spruce.
Earlier, territorial dispute between two Buzzard pairs over meadow.
Weather sunny, no wind.
12th
Sunny, warm, still day.
Chiffchaffs calling, swifts?, Montague's over field, Black Redstarts, White and Grey Wagtails.
Woodpeckers hammering.

14th & 15th May 2005 - Observations in Nature Diary

14th
Possible Corncrake calling from over the road, called three times.
Oriole singing in poplar plantation. Hen Harrier [male] over woods.

15th
Did a walk from the LPO book 'Voir les Oiseaux en Touraine' [Walk 13 - Etableau, Grand Pressigny] -  
Orchids, Scarce and normal Swallowtails, further on [just beyond the set-aside that lies behind the wood behind Gatault] Stone Curlews.
Came down past la Duranderie onto the Etableau to Preuilly road [D42].
Walked back through Etableau past a marvelous potager to our car.
Good walk, well marked in the book and not tiring despite the heat.
Then went up above La Jarrie... orchids all way up the hill...  
Autumn crocus seed pods visible in the ditches towards la Celle Geunand.

Swallowtail

16 April 2003 - Listing from round the house

This was our first visit to the house after purchase... hence the single day [we were too busy getting used to the area and measuring up, making wild plans, etc.]

Birds seen:

Raptors:

• Kestrel
• Buzzard
• Hen Harrier [although now we think these records may actually be the Montagues - we tend to see Hen Harriers over by Barrou and along the Claise valley]

Tits:

• Blue Tit
• Great Tit

LBJs: [Little Brown Jobs]

• Linnet
• Chaffinch
• House Sparrow

MIJs: [More Interesting Jobs]

• Black Redstart  >>>
  
• White Wagtail
• Whinchat
• Stonechat
• Goldfinch
• Green Woodpecker [or Grey?]
• Blackbird
• Starling
• Robin
• Wren
• Swallow
• House Martin [don't know where these are nesting... not at ours... although they are often in large number with the swallows]

BJs [Big Jobs]

• Jay
• Carrion Crow
• Wood Pigeon
• Collared Dove
• Mallard

Birds heard:

• Nightingale 
• Turtle Dove
  

19/12/2009    New material added from the Nature Diary in the house:

17 May 2003   

• Stone Curlews nesting in the field opposite.  
• Montagu's Harrier quartering the field when M.Sallais was turning the hay.