If we were as light as a sparrow, we would be able to hold on to flower stems like this little guy on an allium in Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny.
Entries Categorized as 'About Nature'
As Light As a Sparrow
June 11, 2018
Cows in the Mist at Giverny
May 8, 2018
Just before sunrise, a light mist arises from the meadows of Giverny and Vernon. Cows that stay outside from April to November are already eating their breakfast. Different breeds can be found in the same herd. The ones pictured here are Rouges des Prés, which means Reds of the Meadows, formerly called Maine-Anjou after a region in the Loire valley.
Three weeks ago they were brought to the field by trucks, together with the calves. The young ones had never seen anything else than the stable. They looked excited, running around like children in the schoolyard. When you watch them, you cannot help but share their joy. They have now calmed down, though their motions are still more lively than those of their mothers.
I can see the cows through the window when I look up from the screen of the computer. They are very familiar neighbors, but one day they surprised me. Two teams were playing soccer in the football field nearby. The cows probably wondered what happened. They lined along the fence and watched. Or maybe they just wanted to know who was going to win.
Finch
September 23, 2017
This fat boy is a finch. Finches are the most common birds at Giverny. They are easy to recognize with their pink belly and their grey hood. They sing, they hop around, they don’t seem to care about visitors. They live their own lives.
Like butterflies, birds bring their own magic into the garden of Monet.
Robins are also common and cute with their scarlet belly. When gardeners work, the robin that ‘owns’ the place is never very far away. And gardeners work at Giverny on a daily basis…
The fish of Giverny
June 7, 2017
Is there fish in Monet’s pond at Giverny? This is a question visitors ask frequently.
The water lily pond houses a few big carps, maybe eight according to the gardeners.
There are also smaller fish like ruds, that have orange fins, and at least a perch and a pike.
All of them are wild fish that can be found in streams nearby.
They contribute to the ecosystem of the pond and are invaluable to keep this little microcosm balanced.
The Giverny fish are greyish, silvery, but not colorful. No koi carps here, although they would add to the oriental look of the garden.
As mute as they may be, they are visible enough for the heron that visits the pond at dawn. The water is too deep for him to stand in it, but he stays on the side and keeps a close eye on the fish, hoping one will come near enough to be turned into his breakfast.
A Kiss Under the Mistletoe
January 4, 2015
This picture was taken on January 1st at Giverny. Outdoors, under a mistletoe plant growing on a tree. Mistletoe is extremely common in our area and can be seen on a wide range of trees including poplars, apple trees, aspens or oaks.
As long as the leaves don’t hide it, mistletoe is very visible and puzzles many visitors. It is a parasite and it does kill the branches it grows on by being too greedy, but the tree itself generally resists. In the meanwhile, mistletoe offers bed and board to many birds. It is now considered an ecological keystone species.
As a guide, I was recently asked by a client if we also kiss under the mistletoe on New Year’s Eve. Actually, we do sometimes, although I doubt this habit belongs to the French folklore. But because we love kissing in France, any excuse for it is immediately adopted, of course. However to tell the truth, the clock striking midnight is enough to start the kissing party.
I wish you many opportunities for kissing this year and twelve months full of love, friendship and warmth. Have a wonderful year 2015!
The mysterious Owl of Giverny
August 15, 2014
A puzzling sign hangs on a fence in Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny. Visitors are begged not to disturb the owl. They scrutinize the cage. Where can this mysterious owl be sleeping?
Their efforts to find the bird are doomed to failure, because there has never been any owl in the poultry yard. It should read “Don’t disturb the Fowl” but a puckish hand erased the F!
The French translation is vague: don’t disturb the animals.
What can be seen are two white and black turkeys and a few chickens. From time to time, the roaster sings a loud Cocorico, regardless of any owls or human beings that could be asleep in the vicinity…
Moor Hens
July 26, 2012
Every year, they nest on the island in the middle of the pond, or in the shrubs around. After a few weeks, they appear on the water with their adorable little chicks, five of them generally.
They are so sweet, light enough to walk on the lily pads. Both parents take care of them. But it won’t help.
Because we are human beings with a memory, we know what’s going to happen next: the ducklings will end in the belly of the pike living in the pond. This is the cruel story that repeats every year.
But because they are moor hens, and have not much space for brains in their head, they forget every year and keep nesting on the same location.
This afternoon two of the smalls only were left.
A Frog on a Lilly Pad
April 30, 2011
The rest of the year, they are rather shy, and you rarely see them. But in Spring, especially in April, they croak.
The big bubbles the toad inflate on their cheeks betray them, although their color matches perfectly the water lilly pad they are seated on.
Their choir is not continuous. It sounds all of a sudden in the silent air. One frog starts, and quickly all the other ones reply, louder and louder. After a minute or two, they stop briskly.
I suppose they believe they sung harmoniously and are waiting for the applause of the visitors walking around Claude Monet’s pond.
Squirrel
December 12, 2008
I wanted to show you the red squirrels we have got in France. They are very different from the striped ones that are so common in other parts of the planet.
Red squirrels are generally shy, so you can’t promise to your child you will see one during your next walk in the wood.
But at Fall the squirrels come closer to the houses, looking for hazels. Once the leaves are fallen they can’t hide a lot, what makes them easier to photography.
It is absolutely lovely to observe a squirrel hopping on the ground and suddenly speeding up a tree. They are delightfully light and agile, which makes human beings feel clumpsy and heavy in comparison. Our bodies are so much bigger than theirs!