Arriving in Toulouse it was sunny, but with a very fresh southerly breeze. These conditions stayed with us through out the day,a nd allowed us the opportunity to explore the village of Beaulieu, which as you may have gathered from the full name was located on the River Dordogne.
The Dordogne region is a land of fields, forests and valleys, the river itself meanders from its source in the Auvernge region to meet the Gironde at Bordeaux and finally the Atlantic ocean. Near its source it has created deep gorges and has several tributaries that join it, including the Cere, one river we will walk along. These rivers, navigable in parts, formed an important trade route in times past. After the French Revolution, Napoleon I created the 96 modern departments of France, and Dordogne was one of the original departments. The area where we would be walking is the old region of France known as Quercy, possibly derived from the latin name quercus for oak, and due to the wooded nature of the landscape. Quercy is situated on a limestone plateau, and this has been cut through by the many rivers and streams.
Beaulieu is a lovely medieval village, with a very picturesque old part of the village. From the river Dordogne, there is a little maze of 14th and 15th century houses. Our hotel was situated opposite the main church, L'Eglise St-Peter which was built on the foundations of an old Benedictine Abbey. The hotel looked out to the river, and after settling in we set out to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine, and to explore the village streets.
Walking inland from the river we were greeted by tiny lanes and arches that led to even smaller lanes lined with old houses, and looked over by street lamps.
Looking down the tiny lanes you could see the bell towers of the churches.
We walked through the village centre and then took one of the main roads out of town that crossed the River Dordogne. Crag Martins flew from below the bridge where they possibly had nests.
From the bridge we turned back and explored some more of the little streets and alleyways. I am always attracted to the windows, shutters and lamps, I don't know why they just have an aesthetic that I can't resist when I have a camera. In this case i turned the picture into black and white which emphases the bracket holding the lamp.
While with this one it was the richness of the red paint on the shutter that drew me in!
We stopped for a drink in a cafe on the main square, before making our way back to the hotel, where we were told our table was booked for 19:15 which meant a quick change. We ate on the terrace that looked out at the church, and the river. Swifts were plentiful, and their screams could constantly be heard as parties raced around the church facade. For me their screams are as much a part of summer as flowers and insects. With a very early start that morning we were not late into bed, in the morning we would start the first of our walks.
With an open window a necessity due to the warm air this meant we could hear the birds singing well before dawn. It seemed as if we had a Black Redstart sitting on the window sill due to the volume of its song. We finally got up to find that it was a lovely sunny morning, and that the Black Redstart was in fact singing from the house across the narrow street.
After breakfast we walked down to the river. the water was very still, with mirror like reflections.
Swifts and House Martins were whirling around swooping low over the water to drink and bathe.
With Swifts flying around and close over our heads it was difficult o track them, but every so often one would provide the better opportunity as it glided overhead.
We then experienced the first indication of what the day was likely to be like as a few drops of rain forced to change our clothes. All set, we left the hotel and crossed the river over a small bridge by the weir. Looking back the houses alongside the river were reflected in the still calm water.
On the far side we walked along the bank upstream to get a better view of where we had come from.
The walk took us back down stream and through a holiday camp, then out onto a road and from there a footpath that took us through Walnut groves and then through a farm. Here House Martins were collecting mud or something else for nest building.
The first part of the walk was through open country, with more walnut groves and farmland, and by the side of the path Helen found a lizard hiding between some deadwood.
This is a Viviparous Lizard, or Common Lizard, and is so called because it can give birth to live young, rather than lay eggs. live birth has allowed this lizard to expand into more northern territories, those found in more southerly locations may though lay eggs.
The appearance of these lizards varies, the females being found with three different colourations ranging from pale yellow to bright orange and a mixture of the two. this though is a male lizard.
As we passed through open meadow we began to see butterflies, the first an orange fritillary that was a fast flyer, bit once settled identified as a Meadow Fritillary.
This species was to become quite common, finding them in many meadows and open pasture on our walks.
We began to climb steadily through mixed woodland. In one clearing though a Honey Buzzard flew over.
In the clearings the fields were full of grass and lots of wild flowers such as this field of lovely pink Scabious.
The walk now was going through woodland, and there was only a little bit of dappled sunlight. In these clearings Speckled Wood could be found taking in the sunshine.
Hornets were also seen regularly, single insects exploring and searching anything that resembled a hole in either the ground or dead wood.
In the woodland there was very little bird song, but as you came into clearings there was a little bit more. It was in one of these clearings that I heard a flutey song that belonged to a Golden Oriole. I managed to get closer to the song, but as I did so the bird flew off, leaving me with just a dark silhouette shape of the bird as it headed away, and no sign of the yellow and black plumage.
In another open area I found another Fritillary, this time very different from the Meadows that we had seen in the fields. It sat on the ground in a bright patch, my first Glanville Fritillary.
It was just after this find that things started to go wrong. there had been rumbles of thunder around us, but now the rumbles were preceded by the sight of a lightning flash some of which could be seen jagging across the sky. Then much worse came the rain. Walkking through the woodland afforded some shelter, but very soon the trees became overload and water began to fall heavily. To make matters worse we lost the tack for a short time and had to back track only to find out that the suggested path ran almost across the road we had been walking on.
Fortunately the path was descending, and finally we reached the river. Here we had to walk along the bank, but the path was overgrown with grass that was at least waist high, and extremely wet. It did not take long before we were thoroughly soaked, even into the boots, there were though others worse off than us as we watched a couple capsize their canoe and end up in the river. As we approached the hotel by crossing the river bridge we had taken earlier that morning, the rain eased, and we were able to take some of the wet clothes off before entering the hotel.
It didn't take long for the sun to come out, and this helped to dry out our boots and clothes. It also meant that I could pop out, and explore a little more on my own, but first I stooped by the river to photograph the Swifts once again.
They were still whizzing past the church and out over the water, I concentrated on the birds against the white sky, over exposing to try and get the detail.
From this you get a sense of the speed with which they were flying around.
The swift spends all it life outside breeding and raising young on the wing. This means that they have to perform the normal duties other birds do on land, like preening, on the wing. Here, while not being a sharp picture you can see this bird preening its tail feather.
Here you get a sense of the size of the eyes, something I have never seen before.
I found it easier to catch the birds as they glided overhead with their wings spread.
And finally one flying past me
I dragged myself away from the Swifts and walked alongside the river, as side stream had plenty of boulders and small rapids that looked ideal Dipper habitat, but there was little about. The path took me back into the village where Black Redstarts were singing, and difficult to photograph as they are always on a TV aerial.
I made my way back to the river bridge we had been on yesterday, and continued to follow the side stream. I stopped for a while to watch the water and a White Wagtail was catching insects for a brood somewhere.
I turned around to head back, and heard a Serin singing. In trying to find the Serin I came across a smart male Redstart. As I watched it it started to sing, and I was in the situation where I was watching a Common Redstart singing, while a Black Redstart was also singing behind me.
The Redstart flew to a house roof nearby and continued to sing.
I made my way back to the hotel, and just as I reached the car park another Viviparous Lizard scuttled across in front of me.
We had another walk around the village in the sunshine, and stopped once again for a drink in the village square before dinner. The forecast for tomorrow was similar to the weather we had experienced today. We could but hope the rain would not be so heavy if it came at all!
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