Ettie’s Log #2 – Early July

Ettie the canal barge (previous post 1, 2) continues to sail through the canals of France. Here are the latest pictures Richard and Julia have taken and sent me.

A Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) on the bank of the River Garone, in the centre of the City of Toulouse. This is a bird of the wetlands so it is unusual to see it in a city centre.

Oleanders (Nerium oleander) are flowering everywhere at the moment. All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Walnuts are growing next to the canal. The nut that is eaten is growing under the green skin.

Grass snake (Natrix natrix) swimming across the canal. [Peter’s note – I once picked up a grass snake resting on some water weed and it emitted a really strong smell of garlic!]

An Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca). These birds live naturally in Africa but have been introduced into France.

A grasshopper hitches a ride on Julia’s hat.

Yellow legged gulls (Larus michahellis) on canal du Rhône à Sète, la Maguelonne. These birds are also seen in Southern Britain.

A Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) on étang de Pierre Blanche, la Maguelonne. These birds are found in the warmer regions of the world across the globe.

Another Little Egret this time on étang de Pierre Blanche, la Maguelonne.

An Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) swooping through the étangs to Aigues-Mortes. These birds can be found around almost all the coasts of Britain and Ireland and inland in Northern England and Scotland in the breeding season.

European Bee Eater (Merops apiaster) near Aigues-Mortes. These birds breed in Europe in summer but migrate to topical climates in India, Sri lanka and Africa for the winter.