The Aude river flood plain and International Vulture Day

Aude River Flood Plain

We're going back to the 6th August here and we learned of this birding site through the Birding Languedoc group who organised a small outing here after lockdown was lifted. We were due to go but eventually didn't as Keith had a bad cough that developed not long after lockdown (eeeeks!!!) and just got worse and worse; it did turn chesty as well as being dry, but even so was a bit of a worry. Thankfully it turned out to be bronchitis but before he knew for sure we had to cancel, as we didn't want to worry other people or take the risk of infecting them. Sadly there were two outings that we missed - the other we need a 4 wheel drive to do but will visit next spring as it will be too muddy from all the rain we've had and are due to get. This place however we were able to do in a regular car, just a few months later than planned.

As usual we picked a hot day, but every day was hot back then and temps were in the low 30s so manageable! Interesting birds seen down here near where the Aude river runs out to the sea are Bee-eaters, Rollers and Golden Orioles. We managed two out of the three although the Golden Orioles were juveniles flying overhead so it was a brief sighting, though we did hear an adult singing/calling in the direction where they were flying. We also saw several Woodchat Shrikes which was pretty cool, however the star of the day were the Bee-eaters.

There are two Bee-eaters in this photo - my eye is always drawn to the bottom one, perhaps as it shows more blue?

Keith's photos were better than mine as his Nikon bridge camera has a massive zoom lens and he is also extremely steady on his feet.

There were lots of Bee-eaters all flying around in groups. One thing we learned about them which is great for photographers and bird watchers alike, is that they seem to love perching in dead trees!

We walked downhill from where we parked down along beside two overgrown  paddocks with occasional trees in the fields, as well as low trees and shrubs edging them, which is where the Bee-eaters and Shrikes were flying and perching.

Woodchat Shrike

The above is my pic of a Woodchat Shrike, but the bird was quite distant so I was quite pleased with it.

Me chilling in the lovely cool wind blowing from the Aude river, sorry my vaper is in the picture, I try to avoid that as much as I used to avoid being photographed with a cigarette in my hand when they became antisocial..... but I didn't know my photograph was being taken!

The above and next photos show where we went - above are the vines on the flat land (flood plain) running from the river to this hill, which is the very edge of the limestone ridge known as La Clape, which starts one end near Narbonne and ends here where the Aude river hits the sea. In the photo below which was taken from the road leading down to river level, shows the two horizontal paddocks in the foreground where the Bee-eaters were flying up and down, with the vinyards behind in perfectly straight fields with occasional roads or irrigation channels running in between. We didn't see any Bee-eaters in amongst the vines or closer to the river.

All in all a very successful day out birding and we came home glowing, in several senses of the word! 😀😄

Vultures

I don't want to get your hopes up expecting to see lots of pictures of vultures but sadly this day was the complete opposite of the one above. It was, perhaps not literally, but it jolly well felt it, freezing! We met the others (it was another Birding Languedoc jolly) at 8.45am in the car park by the vulture viewing/information area. The trip had been organised because it was International Vulture Day and the LPO had arranged to feed the vultures and give a talk about them. I don't know how many years this has been going on for but the lady who runs BL said they went last year (and saw an Egyptian Vulture amongst the many Griffon Vultures). Apparently the LPO don't feed the vultures here any more with any regularity which is a shame as I had been hoping to find out when they were going to do it next so that we could go along. Never mind because we got to see it after all! We had been lucky enough to witness a vulture feeding quite by chance at a very similar place in northern Spain one holiday so we had an idea what to expect.

Before I go on I just want to say that I didn't take a single photo; I was SO cold that my hands went numb from looking through binocs and after the main feast was over I left before the LPO guy had finished his talk and went and sat in the car. The temp was about 13C which was a huge shock to the system after a summer where the coolest day we'd had was about 25C and that felt quite cool, especially if it was windy. I did have a fleece on and a waterproof jacket on top but a winter jacket and gloves would have been more suitable.

Luckily K took a couple of photos from which you can get the picture. There's an area where the birds are fed (and obviously have long memories as we have seen some hanging around here on a previous visit minus food) then there's the area where everyone stands around watching, which is quite far away, but OK with binocs and even better with a spotting scope, which we have now. A couple of guys went over to the feeding area in a van and dumped a load of raw meat - it didn't look like a lot but was apparently 25kg. Then we all waited, as the vultures started to circle and more and more arrived. Then they descended and got stuck in, fighting over the juicy morsels of butchers' offcuts, whilst yet more vultures kept appearing over the mountain behind. On this day they were all Griffon Vultures which are the most common species, but there are also more rarely seen the Egyptian Vulture and the Bearded Vulture or Lammergeier.  It's a sight well worth seeing even if you are not a birder, much as non birders will enjoy a falconry display. Of course, this was a bit more gory, but you are not (sadly) seeing it very close up! When we saw vulture feeding in Spain we saw one Egyptian Vulture and several Red Kites, and from that site you are looking down into the valley where they circle towards the feeding spot, rather than looking at them up against the sky. Looking down is a lot better as you are not seeing the birds silhouetted against the sky.

Putting meat out for the vultures

Griffon Vultures fighting over said meat!

Gorges de Galamus

These gorges are not far from Bugarach and we went here to see if there were any birds migrating through the gorge, but it was not to be. Although the temps had warmed up somewhat it was very windy at the parking spot which is very exposed, so we sat in our cars to eat lunch, with magnificent scenery all around. Some of the group had already left after the vulture feeding (it was a free day trip) and a couple more left after we stopped at a cafe for a much needed warming chocolat chaud. I really enjoyed our time at the cafe as we talked birds, birdwatching and places to watch birds and nothing but - lovely for Keith and me as it's a very specific hobby and not something we talk about with friends other than general garden bird type of chat.

After saying goodbye to the others at the gorge we drove home on a scenic route that took us through the gorgeous Fenouillèdes and up past the chateaux of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse. The road (D19) that leads from Maury in the valley to these chateaux is, in my opinion, the most scenic road I've ever seen, but now I know you have to be driving down it, not up. I kept having to look behind me to see the amazing view at its best! (don't worry, I wasn't driving! 😂😂😂)

This is the hermitage Saint-Antoine built on the side of the gorge which we visited some years ago. We walked about half an hour from the main car park to it, but once there, found that you could go up some steps to a smaller car park right above!! 😂

On our way home we stopped to take a photo of the Chateau de Peyrepertuse from below the village. It's not that easy to make out what is chateau and what is just rock from this distance and angle! There is a second part of the castle higher above the first one, too.

The following is a picture from when we visited and climbed up to the top of the chateau in 2017. That's our Moho parked down below, then you take a woodland path that goes behind the chateau, which is nowhere near as steep as you would imagine! If I can make it up there, anyone can. 😀

Chateau de Peyrepertuse in 2017

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Phew, sorry this has ended up being long! It's also taken me AGES to do with this new Blogger format; it's really driving me potty with the strange things the html is doing. I did try using the new caption feature (which is hard to find) but didn't like it, but don't care too much for just centering text under trying to make it look like a caption either. Oh well. Least I know everyone else is in the same boat!

I'm going under the knife again, voluntarily this time!

I haven’t done a health update in ages, but I’ve had a problem for over 2.5 years. I developed a hernia behind my buttocks which is known as a Perineal Hernia. It could have been fat or guts pushing through. I saw my original surgeon over 2 years ago, but he was very loathe to do anything about it. Back then, the lump was less obvious than it is now, and as luck would have it, every time I saw a doctor it would mostly hide back inside me, so the hardness I could feel was less apparent! I don’t think my original surgeon did laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery as he talked about my original bum scar taking ages to heal, as the skin was more fragile there due to having had radiotherapy. However I’d spoken with a couple of ladies in the USA on Facebook, who had had theirs repaired successfully by laparoscopy. He suggested I did pelvic floor exercises, and we left it like that.

I only did the exercises half heartedly due to my depression, and I couldn’t see how that was going to help where my bulge was. By the way, if you google perineal hernia, you will find there isn’t very much about it, except for medical reports. Look at images though, and they are nearly all of dogs!! Apparently it’s quite common in dogs, but not so in humans. I read that it is a rare complication of the surgery I had. Parastomal hernias, however, are extremely common - these are openings in the abdominal wall where the intestine pushes through. Like many hernias, they are caused by lifting heavy weights or straining, or coughing/sneezing, and after having your abdominal muscles cut through due to surgery, and having a stoma which weakens the muscles on that side of the waist, they are quite easy to get. I was extremely sensible, wearing my corset for the first month as directed, and whilst gardening afterwards too. I also bought some lighter weight hernia belts which were more comfortable and suitable for summer, and wore them when walking up or down hill. So I managed to avoid one of those hernias ....... but what bloody bad luck to get the other kind!

I’ve had to go back to taking my foam donut cushion with me everywhere I go and using it all the time in the house and car. Now that’s a pain in the bum as it is! Anyway, soon as we decided we were definitely moving, we knew there was a new opportunity to find a surgeon who could repair my hernia via keyhole. I absolutely did not want my butt crack cutting open again. It took 14 months before I could start to go out without my donut originally (I’m only on my second one, they are amazing at keeping their shape) and I don’t want another year or so of that again.

So, we arrived at our new house and after a few weeks started searching for a doctor. There isn’t one in the village, and it seemed all the other doctors in neighbouring villages and towns were not taking on any more patients. Never came across that before! Luckily one of these doctor’s surgeries suggested a doctor who had just moved to the area (20 mins drive away) and she was able to take us on. I had to see a doctor first before finding a gastroenterologist to take on my post cancer check ups, and needed a prescription/introductory letter. Then, I would be able to quiz this specialist about potential surgeons.

However, by the time I got to see the gastro, it was the day before lockdown! How lucky was that?! She gave me the names of the two surgeons in the hospital (at Carcassonne) who do abdominal type of surgery. But of course, making an appointment was delayed by the lockdown and then not wanting to go near a hospital for a while after that.

Can't post without a photo - me at Ile Sainte Lucie recently

So, nearly 10 months after moving, I had my appointment with a surgeon! He seemed very nice and clued up, and ordered an MRI scan, where I would bear down at one point to see what happened. I only had to wait a few weeks for the scan which I had on Friday, with the results emailed to me the same day. Oh joy, it seems my insides are a mess. I have a slight bladder prolapse, pushing against the vaginal wall, but upon bearing down, my bladder moved right down and you could see intestines moving down below my uterus (in a side on view). Apparently it’s the intestines moving that have caused the secondary problems: colpocele - hernia projecting into the vagina, and cystocele - bladder prolapse) because everything is all linked together, in some way or other. I saw the surgeon again yesterday and it was a lot easier to understand what was going on, seeing the MRI images on his screen and having what was what explained. I already had all the images in printed form given to me after the scan, but it had taken me ages to even work out which way was up! 😄

Thank goodness, he said it was not more complicated now than what we had thought originally (just intestines/fat coming through a hole). It will all be repaired with mesh done laparoscopically and I’ll only have to stay in for a couple of days. I do know that mesh repairs have a bad rep as they often fail, but I think it’s worth the risk. The surgeon seemed very positive. However, I am missing certain muscles inside which were removed along with my rectum/anus/remains of tumour so the mesh has to be attached to something. Whilst we were there the surgeon called a urologist, who said it should be attached to my uterus (which seems to be the only thing still in place!). I think the other end of the ‘hammock’ will either be attached to some other muscle, or bone. It’s complicated for us non medical people to understand, and this is all in French!! The urologist will share the surgery with the surgeon, which I’m pleased about. The only worrying thing is that this is an uncommon surgery, where prolapses involve a perineal hernia and certain muscles not being there and probably scar tissue due to the first surgery. But I’m willing to go ahead because I have been in pain and discomfort for a long time, and have been taking codeine/paracetamol for ages, which I would like to stop taking.

I have a date for the surgery in early November, perfect timing as I should be ok for Christmas, and won’t be missing nice weather. I have to see the urologist and an anaesthestist next month, then do the hospital room booking and admin. My insurance (Mutuelle) will cover me having a top of the range private room like last time. 😄 😁

I feel so relieved that at long last something is happening.

Recent outings

Since August we have made a real effort to get out and about before summer ends. This is an area with a lot of bird migration and whilst there are some interesting winter/all year round birds too, who wouldn't want to look for Bee-eaters, Rollers and Hoopoes! I'm also always looking for butterflies, and as well as fauna and flora there is the most magnificent scenery everywhere.

We've just had a visit from a friend who is doing the 'Cathar Trail' in her motorhome, and it's just so exciting to think that we now live here, and can visit most of the places she has been to in a day trip from home! Some of the chateaux and abbeys we have already visited, but there is so much still to see. She had a book about all the places to visit that are related to the Cathars, and we've ordered the book too. Just need to build up some energy to get up to most of those chateaux perched high up on mountain peaks!

Before we go on any outings here on the blog, here are a couple of views taken from the house on 22 August. It looks very brown where all the wheat and barley has been harvested, and the yellowy/green fields are sunflowers. I have loved seeing the sunflower fields - they are so cheery! The few dark green fields are vines. 

Looking towards the Montagne Noir.

Looking towards the Malepere hills in the foreground and the Corbieres in the distance.

In August we bought a new car. We wanted a 4x4 for going up into the mountains where occasionally you come across some rather rough roads. Even down on the flat lands there can be gravel tracks here and there, and our last car was very low slung. Dacia Dusters are very popular as they are reasonably priced for what you get, but we paid extra for this colour to have a complete change from the metallic silver and light blue that we've had over the last 20 years. This car is easily spotted in a car park full of silver cars! 😀 We also have a lot more space in our garage as our last car was a very long estate car. This one is surprisingly roomy though with a decent sized boot, enough room for people sitting in the back AND enough room for a 6'4" driver! It feels nicer sitting higher up like in the Moho; in the last car our legs were stuck out in front of us, almost like being in a sports car.

We had a drive out to the western Corbieres one afternoon. We were interested to see what some of the roads were like, as when we drove through in the Moho we stuck to bigger roads, our road atlas showing many of the roads to be very small on the map. I don't think we would have had a problem on these roads in the Moho, but you never know! Most of where we drove was hilly and forested, but as we got deeper into the Corbieres there were some nice rocky crags and then we turned up towards the village of Montjoi where you drive along beside a gorge, which although not the most spectacular of gorge sceneries, was still pretty interesting.

I didn't know what this mini castle was at the time, but have found it on the map. It's the Chateau d'Arques, a 14th century chateau which was ruined but has been restored and in part, rebuilt. It's open to the public and according to Wikipedia, is one of the Cathar castles.

A view of the Pyrenees looking towards Andorra, with the Chateau d'Arques in the distance on the left.

Keith in the village of Montjoi. We had sort of planned to do a walk through a mostly forested area, but found it was closed due to a landslip! I was very pleased because it was seriously hot (about 35C) and all I wanted to do was get back in the air-conditioned car. Way too hot for walking!

Me in the same place facing the opposite direction, with the side of the gorge behind me. Down in the bottom of the gorge there is a Roman bridge that we would have crossed at the start of the walk, but again, too hot to do as it was a steep walk down and back up again.

Another day (1st Sept) we took the Moho out for a spin to the coast. The day was a bit of a disaster due to having the Moho with us, because unbeknown to us, there is a low bridge over the road we needed to take to get to the car park to visit the Ile Sainte Lucie near Port La Nouvelle. There was, luckily, a car park very close to the bridge, where a couple of mohos were parked. We knew we would have a long walk from here to the start of the loop walk around the island, which is a nature reserve, but off we set anyway after having our picnic lunch.

However, it was so far it took us 45 minutes to get to the lock crossing to get to the island. By this time I was feeling exhausted, and thirsty. Thank god it was under 30C with a slight breeze, so not too hot for walking, but guess what, two-thirds of the way up the road I discovered Keith had left the drink behind. So the thought of doing a 4.5km walk and then another 45 minutes walking back to the Moho, with nothing to drink either, was just too much to contemplate. On top of this, whilst we were sitting by the old canal way taking all this in, we were getting bitten to death by mossies dropping out of the pine trees above. Eventually I told K I just could not do it as I wasn't having a good day energy wise and that we could come back to visit the reserve. We had planned to visit another place anyway, which was a 40 min drive away around the other side of the lagoons, and there wasn't really time to do both. Funnily enough on one side of the canal were tall reeds and we kept hearing Dartford Warblers in there! I expected them on the island side which is heathland - didn't know they liked reedbeds! So another reason to visit as we have not yet seen a proper view of a Dartford Warbler. We've seen them distantly when we hadn't had binocs with us, as they have a very specific jizz.

After this we drove around to the Roc de Conilhac, which is a little hill with 360 degree views all around which is used by the LPO for their autumn migration count. The LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux) is the French equivalent of the RSPB. However, the road leading most directly was a small narrow one so we decided to go a different way, annoyingly we ended up going through Gruissan and taking a really long route around. This was mostly caused by using Google maps as a satnav as the Roc is not marked on either the Moho's satnav nor Waze which K uses as a satnav on his phone. Google didn't know we were in a 7m long vehicle so it told us to go through the centre of Gruissan (to be fair, all satnavs would probably do the same thing, if they thought it was shorter/faster). Not a problem if you are in a car, but the streets were narrow and in one place was full of people eating out at pavement cafes. Keith kept yelling in horror "Where are you taking me?????" and I could only blame it on Google.... 😂 We did get through with not too much trouble, but I'll remember in future to take the longer road round the outside of the village!

Eventually we made it to the Roc and walked the short walk up to the top. There was a group of people sitting in the shade of probably the only decent sized bush at the top looking out for any migrating birds, but birds prefer a good north-west wind to help them along the way, and we don't like going out on windy days! It was well worth the visit though as the views were stunning, there were flamingos in the lagoons below (and we passed some in a lagoon at Gruissan), and there were a number of information panels giving not only info on bird migration, but also showing the view in that particular direction and telling you what everything was in the distance.

We had a chat with the birders, who turned out to be holiday makers, as the LPO people don't go there every day if there isn't a wind in the right direction. They had seen some birds but not a lot. There is a blackboard there with a list of the birds and the numbers that had passed - about 87,000 Honey Buzzards and something like 5 Rollers! I knew that Honey Buzzards were early to leave but at least those numbers indicate they (as a species) are doing well, I would think.

View from the Roc de Conilhac looking towards Gruissan (you can see these photos better if you click on them to bring them up bigger).

If you click on this photo you will see some flamingos in the lagoons in the foreground!

Looking south from the Roc.

Keith and other birders on the top of the Roc, looking inland in the direction of the Haut-Languedoc range.

As I mentioned Monika's visit at the beginning of this post, I'll put this photo here, of us with her adorable little dog, Olivia. Sadly, Olivia has her eyes closed in this pic! She didn't come into the house because of the cats, but Monika did carry her round to the patio where Olivia sat on M's lap and the cats glared at her, but didn't run away. Amazingly my really nervous cat, Bertie, was friendly to M, whereas Harry the big ginger boy ran a mile every time he saw her. Cats are odd.

In case you wondered, no we didn't socially distance, but neither did we hug, which is really hard when you see an old friend who you haven't seen for a while. Monika was travelling on her own with her dog and staying at aires, not campsites, and not having a lot of contact with other people, and she thinks she had the virus back in January, so we reckoned we could be brave. I'm not sure how you really manage to socially distance when you have someone visit your house anyway; that would be really hard. In any event, we have barely socialised since the pandemic broke out and have kept our distance from people as much as possible in shops etc, and always worn masks. 

I have more photos prepared but think this is quite long enough, so I will do another post of outings. Tomorrow we are planning to revisit the Ile Sainte Lucie - in the CAR!!! 😄😄😄