Thursday 2nd June (Villars-les-Doombes)

Mr. Kite looked out of The Joint window to see the four chickens walking around and pecking at the earth. From a nearby tree a Golden Oriole sang so Mr. Kite crept out of The Joint and looked for the singing bird that was very close. The bird then stopped singing and Mr. Kite continued to search but it was not seen.

Soon after breakfast Mr. Kite and His Lady were travelling along the quiet French roads. This being a holiday the big lorries were not working.

Eventually The Joint was parked amongst festive French people enjoying their day off in the sunshine. On the site Mr. Kite watched White Storks fly overhead and Blackbirds feeding under the neatly cut hedges.

Mr. Kite then had a little trip around the area on The Beast. The first stop was the observatoire at Etang du Grand Turlet. Now Mr. Kite soon noticed that this pond was empty; it was devoid of water. Where the lake should have been was a ploughed field without birds or fish although Mr. Kite listened to a Reed Warbler scratching away.

Secondly Mr. Kite watched some White Storks feeding their young ones on large nests that Tree Sparrows were also using as a nest.

In the heat Mr. Kite returned to The Joint for a cool tipple of Leffe Blond. Cheers from a lively place where the French are on holiday and Mr. Kites is quenching his thirst.