Eldorado

 This mornings' news programme called the Aude l'Eldorado - because we don't have a curfew. Too few Covid cases. No doubt our time will come but for the moment we seem to be the safest place in France.

If you study this picture carefully - assuming you have nothing better to do - you will see the imprint of the collared dove that flew into the window in an attempt to join our parrots. He was fine, tried the other door too, then flew away. 

Saturday night saw me, Michael and Barbara at the Espace Louis Alibert (over the footbridge) for a conference on raptors. A real, live conference. There was distancing and masks were worn but there were people in front of a screen talking and taking questions. Turns out that where we live has the greatest biodiversity of Europe and is therefore host to many vast birds whose job it is to keep it tidy. Most of us were probably familiar with most of the birds, though the snake-eating Jean le Blanc was new to me. Had never heard their calls though. How many of us can tell the sound of a vulture? FYI, it sounds like mad laughter....

This is Lise, one of the presenters. She seems to be building a nest. She wasn't.

See more at their site https://aude.lpo.fr/  

Here is the lesser spotted Trebha, from Rennes-les-Bains. Not often in these parts but here he was, looking and sounding very well. Coming up for 70 and flourishing :)