Shades of France

Well, I've been in a France for four weeks over the last month.  Unfortunately I cannot post too often whilst in France as my Mum and Dads I.T. kit is not quite up to it!

Had a cracking time visiting my Parents who are both battling on and doing well under the circumstances.  Had the fortune to spot some good wildlife whilst out there including Fallow, Roe and Red deer, my second only Red Squirrel, both Male and Female Hen Harriers, Wild Boar and even Adder!

To put the Hen Harrier sighting into context, Wikipedia states that there are only 4 breeding pairs currently in England though summer visitors swell the population to 600 - so quite rare indeed.

I also managed to capture on film 5 Great White Egrets together, another quite rare sighting.

Anyway - heres some pics...

Vines near my mum and dads - these have red grapes

Less than 5 mins walk from my mum and dads, great countryside

An avenue of trees leading to more vines - next to my friends house 

A rare sight - 5 Great White Egrets together on the ground

A pair of Red Legged Partridge

An even rarer sight - a female Hen Harrier.
To put it into context there are only 4 breeding pairs in the UK
I have more pictures of this bird and also saw the male too

The delightful Chateau at Saint Loup
Jo and myself enjoyed an unforgettable night here and dined in the private dining room of the chateau. we were hosted by the owner and his wife who both served us a wonderful five course dinner with wine.  The owner is related to the Sun King,  Louis XIV! Dinner with nobility!

The Chateau has a 13th century keep in which King John (the Black Prince) imprisoned the French king after the battle of Poitiers in 1365.

After a walk around the grounds i noticed the reflection of the chateau in the moat...

Our room...70 square metres of it! 

Part of the grounds..enjoying some late afternoon sun

Mum and Dad enjoying a stroll around Saint Loup

Walking in some local woods ...I spotted one of it's inhabitants...

Yet to be positively confirmed..i think this is a water rat?

Always worth having a camera handy, i spotted this deer next to me on a local drive.

An amazing find.  I came across this fellow strolling through some local woods..an Adder!

The Adder is venomous though fatalities are rare with only 15 known deaths this century.

the five Great White Egrets from earlier...taken off and possibly migrating..
(Quite a rare shot as in the UK there has never been more than 8 photographed together and that was only once and was this summer)

well it wouldn't be right not to include this!