Une Bataille Aerienne et l'Ile de Mont Saint Michel

   The title means “An Aerial Battle and the Island of Mont Saint Michel”.

   This morning in Cherbourg we enjoyed a wonderful continental breakfast at the hotel. Dark coffee and milk, a huge croissant, two pieces of baguette, a banana, yogurt and a thing of apple sauce. We left the hotel and walked out on a long stone pier, jutting out into the Pas de Calais. We were excited to spot an Eurasian Oyster Catcher (Haematopus Ostralegus) on the seaweed covered rocks near the beach. We also studied a beautiful Redpoll (Carduelis Flammea) while on that same pier. Perching on the railing of the pier were gulls. We identified the Greater Black Backed Gull (Larus Marinus) and the Herring Gull (Larus Argentatus). After we left the pier and headed down the coast we saw a Dunlin (Calidris Alpina) in a pool of salty water in an open field.

   We noticed a small pond on the map and decided to go there. It was a delicious marsh with reeds. There we observed a lot of birds that we have already mentioned before on this trip, but some of the new ones for us were the large Marsh Harrier (Circus Aeruginosus), the Western Jackdaw (Corvus Monedula), and the acrobat of the beach, the Sand Martin (Riparia Riparia).

   We pulled over to look at a map and to discuss what to do for lunch. Suddenly and all at once, Robert looked up and started whispering hurriedly to Berry. There were three large birds, flying together and fighting about 100 feet of the ground. There was a White Tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus Albicilla) attacking with great force a Honey Buzzard (Pernis Apivorus) in midair. The eagle dive bombed the buzzard several times. From the ground, we could hear them crash together. We stopped everything to watch the fight in the air. The eagle attacked the buzzard from above, about four times. A Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos) was flying with them and with us, watching the other two fight. It was truly an amazing show.

   We saw a Red Kite (Milvus Milvus) while we were driving. It swooped down and flared its beautiful rufous tail. After lunch, we decided to pick our way through the little villages to get to some dunes. We parked and took a short short hike down a sandy path. The French confifers do not have hard pine cones, but soft orange puffs where the pine cones go.

   This part of France is called La Manche. We shared the narrow winding roads of La Manche with a lot of things. We ran into a team of Cyclists preparing for a mountain race. There were horses drawing wagons. There were saddled horses being ridden by young girls. There were lots of people walking lots of dogs. There was the understandable farm equipment and exhausted looking joggers all competing with us for the limited amount of space on the sometimes one-laned French roads.

   Mont St. Michel is an ancient French fort with a cathedral in the center, on an island in the bay of Mont St. Michel We did not go into the church, but peeled off to look at a Litle Egret (Egretta Garzetta) in a tidal pool. It has one long feather in the back of its head. It needs a comb. There in the bog, we spotted a brown Marsh Tit (Parus Palustris) and a very yellow Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla Flava). As we were leaving the monestary looking for a hotel for the night, we saw a sharp looking White Wagtail (Motacilla Alba) on a pile of large stones by the road.

   It was a very busy day and we were tired toward the end. We located a nice hotel in Dinan, France. We ate dinner Robert had Pate de Compagne with jelly and a couple of slices of yummy French bread. Berry skipped the appetizer, but Robert gave her his pickles. We both had tremendous Beef Bourgignon with a construct of potatos and onions. Berry had a caramel Flan. Robert had a piece of Apple Pie with gooey stuff on top. And several extra doses of insulin. I am diabetic and this chef went overboard. We enjoyed the meal. Then we were serenaded at dinner by one guitar, one mandolin, one violin and an accordion and a room full of French old-timers, singing folk songs all together. It was impressive and heart warming, but Berry kept asking what they were saying.

   Berry wants me to assure her mother that we are no where near Paris, France, where there are riots with tear gas and lots of arrests having to do with the repeal of certain French labor laws. There is immature political protest and, indeed, unrest in Paris and across the country, but none here. We feel particularly safe here in northwestern France, in the cafeteria hall with fifty French singing folk songs, well into the night. A couple of numbers were sung in heavily accented English. Robert really enjoyed this part.

Robert and Berry

Photos courtesy of wikipedia and rfowler