Prompted to start this post by the nonchalant visit of one these this morning just a few metres from the front of the house.
L'epervier d'Europe - a sparrowhawk
(not my picture btw...I couldn't find the camera quick enough 
)It flew low (about 1/2 metre off the ground) for about 50 metres across the garden with full wingspan before sitting on the railway for couple of minutes.
First time we've had one so close.
....And it seems we are getting an increasing amount of wildlife paying visits or resident since we moved in.
Apart from the domestic animals our goats and common wild birds.
We have scores of rabbits (lapin) a few hares (lievre) , at least 2 families of voles (campagnol) close to the house, rats, mice (souris), ducks (canards), moorhens (poule d'eau), quail (cail), owls (choutte/hibou) and sparrowhawks, several families of swallows (hirondel) nesting, bats (chauve souris), frogs (grenouille), toads (crapaud), lizards (lézard), a few slow worms (orvet) but no snakes (serpent).
We don't have any moles (taupe) and most strange, no snails (escargot)or slugs (limace) at all despite it being damp.
I will keep the camera ready and record some of this.
May open the house up as a wildlife park soon....
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