Photos from France - August 2016

A family holiday in France, visiting our friends in Limoges for a few days then heading down to Vendoire on the Dordogne -Charente border for a week. We've been here before (2013 and 2014), staying at a friend's place again.

I took it easy this time - very easy, especially after overdoing the partying in Limoges... Here are a few photos from the trip.

Birds

  Black Redstart - Solignac, Limoges, France, 12th August 2016

  Black Redstart - Vendoire, Charente, France, 16th August 2016

  Common Buzzard - Vendoire, Charente, France, 17th August 2016

 Cirl Bunting - Vendoire, Charente, France, 16th August 2016

  Common Kestrel - Vendoire, Charente, France, 20th August 2016

  Kingfisher - Vendoire, Charente, France, 17th August 2016

Despite several visits to Des Tourbières de Vendoire over the last four years, this is the first Kingfisher I've seen there. It's not a brilliant site for birds (the Moorhen and Nuthatch below, plus Spotted Flycatcher and the commoner warblers being just about the best - or most obvious - birds).

  Juvenile Moorhen - Vendoire, Charente, France, 20th August 2016

  Nuthatch - Vendoire, Charente, France, 20th August 2016

  Rock Sparrow - Solignac, Limoges, France, 12th August 2016

  Turtle Dove - Vendoire, Charente, France, 19th August 2016

There certainly seemed to be fewer Turtle Doves around this year. I found them easier to find in previous years...

Butterflies

 

  Swallowtail - Vendoire, Charente, France, 16th August 2016

  Scarce Swallowtail - Solignac, Limoges, France, 11th August 2016

  Meadow Brown - Vendoire, Charente, France, 17th August 2016

  Map Butterfly - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne, 17th August 2016

  Great Banded Grayling - Vendoire, Charente, France, 20th August 2016

  Gatekeeper - Vendoire, Charente, France, 19th August 2016

  Gatekeeper - Vendoire, Charente, France, 17th August 2016

  Dryad - Vendoire, Charente, France, 17th August 2016

  Brimstone - Vendoire, Charente, France, 20th August 2016

Moths

  Hummingbird Hawk-moth - Vendoire, Charente, France, 16th August 2016

  Passenger Moth - Solignac, Limoges, France, 11th August 2016

  Latticed Heath - Vendoire, Charente, France, 16th August 2016

Dragon and Damselflies

Banded Demoiselle - Gurat, Charente, 19th August 2016

Blue-tailed Damselfly - Vendoire, Charente, 17th August 2016

White-legged Damselfly - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne, 17th August 2016 

Common Spreadwing - Les Tourbières de la Chapelle-Grésignac, Dordogne, 17th August 2016

Broad Scarlet Dragonlfly - Vendoire, Charente, 17th August 2016

Yellow Clubtail - Vendoire, Charente, 17th August 2016

 Black-tailed Skimmer - Vendoire, Charente, 17th August 2016

Other insects

 Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) - Vendoire, Charente, 19th August 2016

 

European Mantis (Mantis religiosa) - Vendoire, Charente, 19th August 2016

Meadow Grasshopper (Chorthippus parallelus) - Vendoire, Charente, 20th August 2016
 

Striped Shieldbug (Graphosoma lineatum - Vendoire, Charente, 19th August 2016

Mammals

Coypu - Vendoire, Charente, 20th August 2016

 Amphibians

  Marsh Frog - Solignac, Limoges, France, 11th August 2016