Red Kites

Our garden ends in a sheer cliff over the River Ouvèze, some 12 meters below. The Ouvèze is unusually high, as we had some 5 days of rain, hailstones, thunder & lightning, only relenting 2 days ago.

The far bank is much lower, so we have a splendid vantage point to watch Red Kites nesting in the tops of the tall trees opposite.

It's all a bit confusing, as at times there are 4 or 5 kites swooping around, but there seems to be a nucleus of 3! With their forked tails acting as a very flexible rudder, they have an easy mastery of the air, whether performing just over the trees, or as this afternoon, the second of two lovely sunny days, up so high as to be difficult to see.

Red Kites were common birds in Kenya, still scavenging around Nairobi in large flocks as they did, by all accounts, around London in the time of Elizabeth 1st. We lived on the outskirts of Nairobi and a game we would often play was to throw small pieces of meat in the air and in no time there would be 20 or more kites swooping down. Our children both went to school in Nairobi, where kites would dive and steal food from the children's hands if they were careless.

We were delighted to find that when we eventually returned to the UK in 1996, Red Kites had been re-introduced. Groups of over 12 could be seen on the Chiltern ridge when using the M40 and we've seen them further north-east in south Northamptonshire.

It's reassuring to know that there is now a large breeding population in Britain, as numbers have fallen steeply in France & Germany.

A fortnight of problems

Phew! I suspect that we all have periods when at some time during the day we ask ourselves why on earth we had bothered to get up in the morning? With some exceptions, this seems to have gone on for a fortnight!

First the birds; no problems there. About two weeks ago I saw the first party of house martins hawking above the river. Many nest in Mollans, usually in the narrow streets so that they are out of the direct sun for most of the day. To the French they are the "Hirondelle de fenêtre" to distinguish them from the swallow, which are "Hirondelle rustique or hirondelle de cheminée".

We still have two pairs of hawfinch coming to the bird table; the male's beak is now a striking blue. Also a pair of blackcap have arrived, very striking when together, he with his black and her with her brown cap.

An old friend from Nigeria, Pat Downes, was staying and we went to the Pont du Gard near Nîmes. We've both been times before, but never tire of the bridge itself and the fascinating museum. The swallows had arrived and were swooping around & through the arches of the bridge.

As to the problems?

Jo's mother was taken to hospital so Jo is in the UK, our dog was ill, caused by processionary moth caterpillars, the spring broke in the car luggage cover, our satellite television receiver doesn't, my electric razor has stopped, Pat & my attempts to fix the automatic gate opening failed, it took 4 days to dig out the concrete to repair the pool filler and 2 days after opening the pool for the summer, the circulation pump stopped - oh, the heron has revisited the pond to take the few remaining gold fish!

Ah well, Jo's mother is better so Jo is coming back on the 14th bringing a new electric razor, the dog is better, the pool pump has been repaired, we can open the gates by hand, I've refurbished the scarecrow to keep the heron off, the sun still mostly shines, the wine is great and the food tasty.