Friday, 12 June 2015

Le Teich

I made my 'regular visit' to the Ornithological Park at Le Teich, Bay of Arcachon, in SW France.  The images that follow are presented in the order in which they were taken as I walked round.  I failed this year to capture any images of a Nightingale.  After an hour without success I gave up.  Other humans were disturbing it and it never perched for a clear image long enough.  It did plenty singing though.  ♫ ♫ ☺



White Stork


Treading carefully

Black-winged Stilt


Shelduck

Black-winged Stilt

Greylag Goose


Spotted Redshank


Grey Heron


Where are the others?

Black-winged Stilt








Rich pickings








Common Redshank



Little Stint

Black-winged Stilt


Dunlin



Black-winged Stilt


Four-poster nest!  (Great Crested Grebe)

Eurasian Spoonbill


Advancing


In action




Black-winged Stilt

A portrait



It was two years since my previous visit and I got the impression that Black-winged Stilt were trying to take over the reserve!

Next week is for the monkeys ... !

Friday, 5 June 2015

My (brief) encounter with George Sand

Whilst travelling between two of my centres in France I took the opportunity to make a detour and look at some connections with Mme Amantine Lucile Aurore DUPIN, the well-known author.  She is probably better known by her pseudnym, George Sand, and for her relationship with the Polish-born composer, Frédéric CHOPIN.  Her family home is at Nohant-Vic, Indre, but my journey was on a Sunday and the large house was inaccessible.  I didn't find much else to see in the commune and continued to the nearby town of La Châtre.

These are my images from La Châtre:



The church


Hôtel de Ville

Plaque on church wall

A rear street

The church


(Sunday) Morning Service



I continued to the tiny commune of Gargilesse-Dampierre to the southwest.  It was there that George Sand had her little, rural retreat where she drew inspiration for her work.

Here are my images:


A property in the village

The river running by (tributary of the Creuse)

Rear of GS hideaway (which is on the left)

Front of GS hideaway (on the right)

Plaque mounted on wall

A property

The river valley

House / castle


The church
 
Someone's 'Pride and Joy'

A property viewed through trees on riverbank

The church