What a
difference a day makes, The sun came out
and the colours and wildlife came to life.
This morning while Heather and Linda went in on the campsite bus to
Millau Market, Peter and I went once more up the hairpins at Les Vignes and up
onto the Causses Meyjean to revisit the ladies slipper orchid site. Without much optimism I have to say, but to
our surprise they had come into flower during the week, despite the weather and
we counted 40 blooms. These beautiful
exotic flowers are incredibly rare; this is the only location in the whole of
the Cevennes and in England flowers are in single figures in a couple of
sites. All around the orchids were lilly
of the valley in flower. Having nearly
broken our necks getting down to them we had to climb back out and I was in a
lather of sweat when I reached the top.
Worth the effort though. On the
drive to the site we saw roe dear, red squirrel and black kite with a possible
eagle sighting as well as a merlin, a small low flying bird of prey, being
mobbed by a small song bird. On the way
home we stopped to photograph views, butterflies and humming bird
hawkmoths. After regrouping and enjoying
a lovely salad lunch in the sun Heather and I went out to explore a local
medieval village set high on the hillside.
It was beautiful if somewhat deserted, perhaps because a significant number of the properties were holiday lets.
I was fascinated by the custom of nailing dried carline thistle flower
heads, a speciality of the Causses, to their doors. We also found several pairs of breeding black
redstarts in the village. The day
finished with an excellent meal at the local restaurant and then watching
beavers on the river.
To view large, please click on an image.
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| Ascalaphid |
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| Ascalaphid |
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| Ascalaphid |
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| Alpine Aster |
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| Beech Bark |
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| Ladies Slipper Orchid |
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| Ladies Slipper Orchid |
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| Ladies Slipper Orchid |
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| Ladies Slipper Orchid |
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| Aqueligia |
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| Ladies Slipper Orchid |
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| Fly Orchid. |
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| Rockrose |
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| Fragrant Orchid |
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| Fragrant Orchid |
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| Pulsitilla - Pasque Flower |
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| Milkwort |
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| Scarce Swallowtail |
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| Humming Bird Hawkmoth |
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| Ladies Slipper Orchid |
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| Ladies Slipper Orchid |
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