a fond farewell

After a lot of thought Spot and I have decided to call a close to this blog. We have been blogging for almost three years now and there are over a 1000 pages of photographs in the blog. We are finding it difficult to find new things to photograph, or to find anything interesting to say, so rather than blog for the sake of it we will call it a day now. We will leave the blog up for anyone who wants to look at photographs of local flora and fauna (eg through the links to local sites). We will add the occasional page if anything really interesting crosses our path. Thanks to the many people who have visited the blog since November 2005 and left comments; you all feel like friends.

Love

Spot and Co

centaury

common centaury growing in the meadows. This is a very variable plant, and these robust florid specimens look very different from their more slender cousins in the woods

red admiral

a red admiral feeding on hemp agrimony in the early morning sun. It is hot and humid, and thunderstorms are on their way here. Knowing England this is the end of summer.

silver washed fritillary

a silver washed fritillary (female), the largest of our native fritillary butterflies, feeding on brambles. It is called silver washed because unlike other fritillaries which have spotted underwings, the underwings have a streaked or washed appearance.

despondency

Spot and I are feeling very despondent for reasons that can be understood by studying the difference between these two meadows. The bottom meadow is in France and is full of wild flowers, the top meadow is nearby and has little in it other than thistles and trefoil. The total lack of species diversity in our home meadows makes them a biological desert. Why oh why is the agricultural pound valued so much more than the life pound? Just a little bit of husbandry (care) creates an environment where wild life and flora can flourish without detracting from our ability to feed ourselves. The French appear much more sympathetic to the rhythm and demands of Nature and practice a traditional agriculture that sustains the wild. We try to be optimistic and open and to share the joy of life here but the land is being suffocated by greed and idleness.

fast jets of the avian world

like the Red Arrows, a group of swifts hurtle past, screaming at each other. I saw plenty of swifts in France but these are the first I have seen here this year. Where have they been? Notice team leader at top left. This bird maintained the same relative position as the group flew across and around the sky.