French Wildlife

I put a posting in the Cheerful news thread (post no. 4023) when I said Stuart had seen some glow worms. We looked again for the next few days but didn’t see any more. But to me, they are magical :bug:

We used to have a few in the garden until the neighbour put up outdoor lights that he left on all the time, and I imagine the poor males could never glow brightly enough to overcome them and attract a mate.

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That’s sad !

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I find adult glow worms (vers luisants) all the time while gardening. Every time I left a piece of tarp, or some cardboard used for sheet mulching, I come across at least one. As well as many slow worms (orvets), couleuvres à colliers and toads.
For those unfamiliar, this is what the fairly common larvae look like (the black and orange one):

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And here a pair mating, which was a first for me, as I’d only ever found single insects in the garden previously. Even under the flash of the phone camera, the bioluminescence is still visible.


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To @Earthdave and @RicePudding - thank you for the super photos. :pink_heart:

Today, a small flock of Golden Oriels arrived and I suspect that they are already on their long migration back to central Africa from wherever they were breading this spring.

We have (had) quite a few old vines with ripe fruit scattered over various terraces and it would be nice to think that they, along with lots of other animals have been enjoying the :grapes:. All of the grapes are gone and in their tummies.

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Our local ones that came for the breeding season have left 2 weeks earlier than usual, and now we only occasionally hear the smaller groups as they pass through on their migration home.

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Not what I like to see in my garden

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Ooh. Is that a Colorado beetle?

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Yes, it looks as if it is - nasty little bugger :grinning_face:

Uh-oh. Birds left 3 weeks early last year and it was a cold winter. Looking like we’re in for the same at least, this year.

Not to be confused with perfectly proportioned ancient Greek lancers.

Yes. Doryphore in French. First one I’ve seen in yrs. :beetle:

We used to get them on potato plants when I lived in the Creuse. I used to let the chickens eat them. Not seen any in Normandy, thankfully as not got chickens here.

Ants Again.

Sitting comfortably relaxing in the bathroom I noticed a steady stream of the very tiny ants marching to and fro from under the door post into the kitchen the other day.

Once again I reached for the little bottle containing the cannelle pegs and placed one strategically across their direct route. Immediately they sniffed it and backed up but not to go round, and the ones emerging from the ‘nest’ turned and went back in.

So that stopped the intrusion but not the results of the invasion because those that were trapped outside were wandering around looking for elsewhere in the kitchen to roam so, using the small hand held hoover, I sucked them all up and released them outside.

Result, no more ants inside and my thanks again to @SuePJ for the original tip. :joy:

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