Sunday 29th May (Sitting in the Sun)

Mr. Kite looked out of The Joint window into a misty valley. A few trees could be seen nearby and a Chaffinch sang. Soon the mist cleared and in a bright blue sunny sky Mr. Kite set off on The Beast to Lascols.

Slowly Mr. Kite crawled up the hill for five miles before stopping on the plateau to watch a Honey Buzzard soaring over a meadow of spring flowers. Mr. Kite then heard a Quail close by. Now Quails are mighty difficult to spot so Mr. Kite stood, scoured and searched the field of growing cereal for it. This Quail did not want to be seen so it stopped making a noise; after a while, about fifteen minutes, Mr. Kite decided not to play ‘Spot the Quail’.

Soon Mr. Kite was sitting in the sunny Lascols looking over a dried up marshy area that is well known for wild fowl in winter. Today Lapwings and Curlew took to the air to fend off the Red and Black Kites that showed an interest in the fledglings that the parents had carefully reared.

In the hot sun, with a bottle of Eau Minerale Quezac to quench his thirst, Mr. Kite watched raptors soaring, gliding, manouevre and give showing off aerial displays. About every hour a Short-toed Eagle would pay Mr. Kite a visit. This large powerful light coloured bird came to find food in the trickle of a stream. Knowing Mr. Kite likes reptiles and birds the eagles hovered close to Mr. Kite, above Mr. Kite and high above Mr. Kite. Today the eagle landed a number of times but took off ‘empty handed’.

Towards late afternoon Mr. decided to call it a day; in fact it was a great day watching birds. The outward trip is uphill; so the inward trip is downhill. Soon Mr. Kite was not pedaling at all and gliding down the roads to Pont de Lanau stopping to watch Whinchat, Wheatear’s and possibly an Ortolan Bunting.

After a refreshing shower Mr. Kite sat by The Joint with His Lady and had a cool tipple of Leffe Radieuse looking out over La Truyere. Now Mr. Kite will let you into a secret: Mr. Kite loves cheese. In the Auvergne a cheese called Laguiole is made. This cheese ate whilst drinking Leffe is magic. Cheers from heaven where birds soar, cool Leffe is drank, Laguiole cheese is ate and the weather is warm. ‘Wish you were here’.