Welcome Back

We are now into the heart of the tourist season. Children's school holidays have begun, and everyone sems to be flocking to the South of France. At Domaine des Rochers we shall be welcoming visitors to our gîte, and perhaps making new friends. But we already know this year's first guests to arrive. Martin and Claire, have been coming to stay here over the past fourteen years. At first they brought their young sons with them. We always smiled to hear the sound of leather on willow, as they practised cricket on our disused tennis court. Now one of their grown up sons has returned, bringing his partner along too. Welcome back!

Readers of my past blogs may well remember some of Claire's photographs, for she is a wildlife photographer supreme. This holiday has been no different for her, for she has tried to capture some of her old favourites, and new sightings too. Here a few of them, birds and insects that I love to see as well.

When I hear a mewling cry, I know that the snake eagle is hunting in the skies above us.

The échasse blanche(or black-winged stilt) breeds in the marshes and lagoons around our coast. It arrives here in April from Africa, and is perhaps my most favourite bird of all. With its tall spindly legs, and gentle persona , it reminds me of a gentle ballerina.

These damsel flies are of the darkest greeny blue. I have never seen this kind at Domaine des Rochers, but last week I spotted them hovering over our river at Gourgas which was still flowing merrily.

Sometimes we moor our boat where large sea lagoons abut the canal. I love to watch the flights of flamingos which pass overhead in the evening, as they relocate to a different lagoon. It is then that the setting sun shows off their magnificent colouring.

But of all the creatures that Claire has photographed during this holiday, one reigns supreme. It is a bird that we first saw during our very first summer here, but we have not seen it here again since. Some hoopoes came that year to grub around the 'lawn' above our house . This was very special for us, for B. was born in Africa where hoopoes are a very common sight, and their haunting hooping call is frequently heard. Although we have seen a few hoopoes in Southern France over the years, and heard their calls as we travelled in our boat along the Canal du Midi, they have never revisited us here. That is until this year when Claire spotted one here on our drive . She photographed it over a number of days, and it even came close to their door. Does she have special bird charming powers? Try as I might, I could not spot it. Eventually B. tracked it down, but sadly I have yet to see him. Thank you Claire for these and all your other photographs.