Wildlife
A long-term guest
at "Jappeloup" in 2003 was the retired professional photographer and author
Alan Parker. As the title of his book "Watch The Birdie"
implies, he is also a keen ornithologist. In fact he is now a specialist in
natural history photography and has recently won the prestigious British Gas
Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Below I reproduce his list of:
Wildlife
Seen On & Around "Jappeloup" During May/June 2003.
|
Little and Great Crested
Grebes* |
Sparrow Hawk.
Kestrel* |
|
Grey Heron |
Hobby Falcon* |
| Black Kite |
Quail,
and Red L Partridge* |
| Short Toed Eagle |
Cuckoo.
Nightjar. |
|
Common Buzzard* and Honey
Buzzard |
Barn Owl* Little and Tawny
Owls. |
|
Marsh Montagu’s*
and Hen Harriers |
Swift*
Swallow* and
House Martin* |
|
Green Woodpecker*
Gt. Spotted Woodpecker* |
White Wagtail* |
|
Skylark.* |
Robin*
Black Redstart* |
|
Nightingale* |
Stonechat*
Blackbird* |
|
Blackcap*
Lesser Whitethroat* |
Cetti’s Warbler.
Chiff- Chaff* |
|
Pied
and Spotted Flycatchers. |
Red Backed Shrike* |
|
Chaffinch*
Greenfinch* and
Goldfinch* |
Jay*
Magpie* |
|
Serin*
Linnet* and
Yellowhammer. |
Hoopoe*
(In cottage roof!) |
( "*" indicates
breeding)
All these
plus Deer, dozens of butterfly and moth species,
(including Camberwell Beauty
24.06.03) and Bats.
July 2004: The Grey Heron has
now spotted the goldfish in our pond and keeps landing there! We are now on
constant "Heron Alert!" to protect our fish!
September 2004 Nikki spotted two
RED squirrels cavorting in our oak trees!
Lounge area has comfortable leather seating and low units which
house the video, tv The jappeloup in jappeloup cottage is pronounced
JAP-A-LOO!use the TV/video and radio/CD/cassette players.Free loan of children's videos (in English) from our own collection.
Bicycles, board games, games and other toys (mainly boys) may also be provided free of charge, on request, depending on availability.The kitchen is English style and fully equipped with a refrigerator, cooker, washing machine, dishwasher, microwave, kettle, toaster, coffee percolator and, perhaps most importantly, a corkscrew! Obviously we haven't forgotten to
include the basic items such as cutlery, crockery, utensils, glassware and pots & pans.
French doors (what else!) lead to a south-facing raised patio area overlooking the garden, play area and swimming pool. A garden table and chairs are available so that meals can be taken alfresco as and when you like.The garden of the cottage is fully enclosed.The free-form swimming pool (shared with the owners) has just been completed, ready for the 2003 season.It is 6 metres by 12 metres with Roman Steps to the side, giving easy access to the shallow end. Parents and non-swimmers should note that it is 1.6 metres at the deepest point. We do not add chlorine to the pool for
sterilisation, we use a relatively new technique. A small amount of salt is diluted in the pool water (less than the percentage in a teardrop) and this is then converted into chlorine using electrolysis. This system uses much less chlorine, resulting in fresher water and NO SORE, RED EYES.Sunloungers and a hammock are available for use around the pool and in the interest of safety (and to comply with impending French law) the pool area is fenced, with lockable gates as the only entry points.The rest of the grounds extend to over 9 acres, giving you plenty of room to run, hop, skip, jump, play hide 'n' seek and many other games.For those looking house-hunting in France (either for permanent or holiday homes), we are centrally located to explore the Bordeaux,
Gironde, Charente, Medoc & Dordogne regions.All in all Jappeloup is the ideal place for unwinding and relaxing, giving you the chance to "recharge your batteries"!
