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FLORA and FAUNA
Last June we got
company from Henk Baptist and Vera van Nispen, 2 naturalists to the
backbone. On our request they put their findings of this beautiful area on
paper.
The valley of Nightingales
La Libaudié is situated in a mixed sloping seepage forest with agricultural activity on top
and below the river Tarn which eroded a deep valley in the area. The forest is
a so called seepage forest, which means that the ground water surfaces here.
Unfortunately with some minor manuring caused by the farmers. The soil seems
dry, but on small depth there's always water. This brings along a special
vegetation.
Plants like Large Bitter-cress,
Alternate-leaved golden saxifrage,
Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage , Pendulous Sedge en Great Horsetail are
the typical species for well woods.
On several spots sprout little brooklets with a wide variety of several
kinds of ferns,
Greater Water-parsnip
and
Water Figwort.
At night you might spot the rare fire salamander.
 The
continuing presence of water is also responsible for the rich insect life
and thus the broad variety of
birds. The most clamorous without any doubt are the many Nightingales which
compete for the highest song during night and daytime; at night conducted by
the Tawny Owl. Interesting other species are the many woodpeckers,
Golden Oriole,
Hoopoe,
Common
Buzzard and
Honey-buzzard.
Very special is also the breading of the
Booted Eagle
in the
forest. Next to it you will spot many birds of prey like the
Griffon Vulture,
Black and Red Kite, Hobby and Peregrine Falcon. Nightingale (Lucinia
magarhynchos)
Serotine (Eptesicus
serotinus)
Henk and Vera |
The house itself lodges
a colony of bats (>100) like the
common pipistrelle,
serotine
and
greater noctule.
Ocellated lizard
and
Common wall lizard live in the garden and numerous
singing-birds hatch in and around the buildings. The farm and camp site
are, ecological seen an edge of woods, rich of flowers among which many
honeysuckles and thus the presence of the Southern White Admiral.
In brief, for the lover of nature there is lots to explore.
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Southern White Admiral
(Limenitis reducta) |
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Stripeless tree frog
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Swallow |
Saturnia pyri
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Argiope bruennichi |
Anthurus archeri |
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Young wrens |
Matingdance of 2 snakes |
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