Natrix natrixSquamata -Natricidae I will never stress enough that not all snakes are dangerous. This one is perfectly harmless; It can live up to 25 to 28 years of age and lives close to water dams and swamps where it finds small fish, frogs and small mammals. I found this one on the 27th of […]
Tag: France
The Song Thrush
Turdus philomelos Passeriformes – Turdidae From the same family as the Blackbird its flutters in the same way. Its diet: worms, insects and their larvae, snails, berries and small fruits. The northern populations in Europe migrate southward but in France it is sedentary. This species is not endangered but it is unfortunately still hunted. This […]
The Bluethroat
Luscinia svecica – Passeriformes – Muscicapidae – not an easy bird to see nor photograph. These pictures were taken in Spain in the region of Lerida. These lovely birds remain there year round where in France they nest only along the Atlantic coast.Here is a young male presenting a white spot in its blue “bib”. […]
The Greater Flamingo
Pont de Gau is a 60 hectares bird sanctuary set in Camargue, south of France, where a breeding colony of several thousands of these flamingos remain year round, among which about 200 hundred individuals have rings. Close to the american version, it is the largest. They have a very long lifespan easily reaching over 60 […]
The Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceusPasseriformes – Acrocephalidae The Reed Warbler is a small bird, as dull but smaller than the nightingale. It lives in paludal vegetation; It isinsectivorous but will eventually eat berries. This species is one of which the Common Cuckoo parasites as it lays an egg in other birds nests. The species is monogamous even though […]
Large marsh grasshopper
Stethophyma grossum – Orthoptera – Acrididae. This species occurs in wet lands and peatbogs and is in fast decline. Usually vivid greenish yellow or olive brown, it can show a wide variety of colors but mostly females show this superb pink coloring. The size is quite variable: Males measure between 12 and 25mm and females […]
Male Hoopoe
Upupa epops – Bucerotiformes (Coraciformes) – Upupidae – C’est la seconde couvée de l’été! Ces photos datent de la mi juillet; le mâle continue d’apporter des insectes à sa femelle qui couve seule. Ces affûts ont l’air faciles mais détrompez-vous, certaines fois il va directement au nid dans le mur en terre battue de l’appentis, […]
Common Hawker or Sedge Darner emergences
Emergences d’Aeschnes des joncs – Aeshna junceaOdonata – Aeshnidae – Il n’y a rien de plus beau qu’une libellule qui émerge de son exuvie mais rien n’est jamais gagné à aucun stade de la vie de ces insectes extraordinaires.J’ai trouvé cette larve mourante sur la mousse de la tourbière que je scrutais pour trouver des […]