@helenclayton@mas.to
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helenclayton

@helenclayton@mas.to

Walker, nature lover, homebaker, bookworm, currently ‘between cats’, francophile, Remainer/Rejoiner, proud member of the wokerati.

Case officer for the Open Spaces Society, protecting public access to paths & open spaces.
Views very much my own.
She/her.

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helenclayton, to random
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Pretty in its own way…a violet oil beetle I think, busy munching on a plant stem.

helenclayton, to random
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I think this might be a small pearl-bordered fritillary.

It wasn’t going to let me get an open wing shot but the underwings are so pretty.

helenclayton, to random
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Holly blue on spirea.

#butterflies

helenclayton, to random
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helenclayton, to random
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Out for a solo nature bimble from the gîte. Lots of lovely wildlife and flowers, nothing very eventful until I stopped to say bonjour to some sheeps and lambs. They were quite noisy so I started to video them…then became aware of heavy feets thundering towards me…

I know that these guard dogs can clear fences if they think their flock is threatened, so I made a hasty exit. Luckily he stopped and sat down and only eyed me suspiciously as I admired from a safer distance! 😅

Short video of sheep and lambs in a field. The air is full of the sound of skylarks and sheep baaing. The sky is blue with fluffy white clouds. Suddenly, in response to a sound of running off to the right, the camera pans in that direction as a large fluffy white dog (who’s dog is to guard the sheep) comes charging towards the camera, panting heavily. The camera quickly pans away and stops.

helenclayton, to random
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Today we set out on our postponed two-stages of the Cathar Way (we might finish it eventually, one stage at a time!) in the Pyrenees. No rain on our walk, more importantly none of the thunderstorms that have peppered our days here, and a goodly amount of sunshine.

We reached Comus well ahead of schedule just after lunch and had to wait for the only establishment to open.

We’re staying in a gîte d’étape (hostel) and I’m slightly out of my comfort zone! Beers are helping!

#walking

A photo taken from a mountain-side meadow of a view through the tops of conifer trees to mountains beyond, fading into the distance. In the middle distance, just left of centre, is a conical peak with the ruins of Montsegur castle (the destination of tomorrow’s walk). The sky is cloudy with a few chinks of blue.
Photo of yet another view of mountains taken from a high point on the Cathar trail. Wooded mountain-sides overlapping, deep gorges out of view between. Montsegur peeking above the skyline left of centre. The sky is blue with a good covering of white clouds but the foreground is in sunshine.
Photo of a view of a high mountain pasture, a bowl with no exit valley surrounded by wooded mountain-sides, and bathed in sunshine. A herd of cows grazes far below in the centre. The sky is blue with fluffy white clouds.

helenclayton, to random
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Another lovely walk…another day playing with thunderstorms! A 15 km walk from Rennes-le-Chateau to Espéraza (where there’s a quirky market on a Sunday - great stop for lunch and gift shopping). ‘Weather’ was forecast for late pm but storm clouds rolled in just after lunch so we hoofed it back to Rennes. Some big fat raindrops, thunder rumbling and lightening flashing on the next hill over. But as we reached Rennes the sun came back out again and we enjoyed a beer on a sunny terrace.

#walking

Photo taken from a high view point over a market place thronged with people. Colourful umbrellas and awnings throw shade over the stalls. The square is lined by pale stone buildings, one with beautiful teal shutters. Trees grow in the centre of the place - stalls continue in all directions. The sky is blue with a few white clouds.
Photo from a view at the edge of a hilltop town. A couple of houses and gardens in the foreground on the left, a wooded slope dropping down steeply to the right. The foreground is bright but the valley and hills beyond are obscured by thick grey rain clouds in which thunder rumbles.
Photo of a bottle of French saison beer on a table overlooking a landscape which had recently been under storm clouds but is now bathed in sunshine. The bottle has a red label with the name La Mandra and an illustration of a fox on it. The Pyrenees mountains are a dark line in the not-so-distant distance, under white cloud.

helenclayton, to random
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helenclayton, to random
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After thunderstorms and almost biblical downpours I got outside for a bimble near my gîte. So much wildlife here. Saw red-backed shrike, cirl buntings, and heard a number of warblers, cuckoos and turtle doves! No pics but I did manage to photograph insects (and flowers).

#Occitanie #InsectSaturday

Photo of a speckled wood butterfly - a small butterfly that has chocolate-brown wings with creamy-yellow eye spots. There is one black and white eye spot on the forewing and three on the hind. It is resting on the sharp awns of a grass head. Blurred grasses in the background.
Photo of a small tortoiseshell butterfly - a small butterfly resting on the ground with wings spread. The wings are orangey brown with black and paler orange bars on the edge of the fore wings and small iridescent blue dots on the back edge of the hind wings.
Photo of a glanville fritillary butterfly - a small butterfly that has brown wings with an orangey-brown checkerboard pattern. It is resting on low-growing pale lilac-coloured flowers.

helenclayton, to random
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Moutons!!!

There was also a griffon vulture circling 😳.

helenclayton, to random
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This swallowtail was a beauty. I hope it found safe refuge from the storm.

helenclayton, to random
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Had a bit of a ‘sound of music’ moment in this wildflower meadow. In beautiful sunshine we watched the thunderstorms roll over the Pyrenees where we would have been walking today, pleased that we’d changed our plans…

Then got caught in the middle of our own thunderstorm! Running hell-for-leather through another meadow feeling very exposed as the storm was right on top of us. We got absolutely soaked to the skin. The paths down the hills were running like small rivers. Quite exhilarating though!

helenclayton, to random
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The Scarce Swallowtail …not so scarce it seems.

helenclayton, to random
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The early birds get into the chateau before the ticket office opens 😁.

We had Lastours to ourselves which was fantastic. Very glad we postponed our walk in the Pyrenees as some naughty looking clouds over in that direction. It’s possible that they even had snow ❄️.

A photo taken from a high viewpoint over three ruined castle towers on a high rocky ridge above densely wooded hills and valleys. Not visible in the photo are the swifts that flash through the sky at eye level. The castle is golden in the sun but the sky beyond is thick with cloud, barely any spots of blue. In the far distance a dark grey line marks the Pyrenees mountains which are themselves blanketed in low cloud.

helenclayton, to random
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From yesterday’s walk the biggest moth EVER! Ok the biggest moth in Europe maybe…the giant peacock moth. Difficult to get a clear photo without disturbing it - hand in one photo for scale!

The same moth but side-on and partially obscured by grass. One of its long feathery antennae is revealed.
Photo of the same moth with a hand behind it for scale. Its wingspan must be about 15-20 centimetres.

helenclayton, to Cats
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The owners of our gîte feed the local stray cats and are working to trap and neuter them, but there’s still a way to go…

helenclayton, to Birds
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We had big rains today and I needed a rest, but after a lazy morning and a leisurely lunch the rain let up…so we had a local bimble…and saw bee-eaters!

A photo of the same bee-eaters on a wire. The one nearest the camera is poised to take off in flight, wings outstretched.

helenclayton, to random
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A couple more photos from yesterday’s walk near Minerve. What they can’t show is the wonderful scent of thyme, honeysuckle and broom flowers.

#walking #occitanie

Photo of a wide track through garrigue landscape on a high plateau above the gorge. The ground is carpeted in wild flowers, mostly blue with a scattering of yellow and pink. Scrub and small trees line the sides. The sky above is cloudy.
Photo of a rocky footpath gently descending the side of a gorge. Small trees, shrubs and flowers grow up between the rocks. A footpath waymark is painted on a pillar-like rock on the right - red and white parallel lines and a yellow line indicating different routes. The minervois hills ahead in the distance. The sky is cloudy.
Photo of a view over a valley on the opposite side of Minerve to the first photo. It is spanned by high stone bridge with rounded arches. In the top left of the frame the side of the castle tower is visible. The houses clustered on the promontory between the two rivers have terracotta roofs sloping over cream stone walls. The valley is green with vegetation and hills stretch into the distance. The clouds have cleared revealing blue sky.

helenclayton, to random
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helenclayton, to random
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Just a frog, sitting on its lily pad.

helenclayton, to Trains
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So we made it to Montpellier. The journey couldn’t have been smoother or faster. It was lovely to see the landscape change as we sped down through France - pasture and woodland giving way to lavender fields and vineyards, with a backdrop of the snow-topped alps.

Once here we had a lovely meal in the old town while swifts screamed overhead. Will do a spot of sightseeing tomorrow before we head on to Carcassonne for the main part of our trip.

helenclayton, to random
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Oof, just finished packing for my travels tomorrow. Two and a half whole weeks off!

helenclayton, to Birds
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Headed up to Emsworthy Mire nature reserve (my happy place) on Dartmoor early this morning because cuckoos! I don’t think it’s possible to not see or hear them there at this time of year. My taking a decent photo of one is another matter though.

Common redstarts and willow warblers aplenty, also curlews and, heard but not seen, snipe and a nightjar!

helenclayton, to random
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A beautiful rose chafer beetle taking a moment to dry off after the rain.

helenclayton, to random
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