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about elephants

Male elephants are about 4 metres in height and weigh about 6000 kg and are one of the best loved animals.   The elephants’ trunk is the most useful part of its body.  The trunk is as versatile as a human hand because of its double tip.  They can perform most actions a human hand can, which is quite astounding and few people realise just how clever elephants are.

Zoologists have experimented with elephants and encouraged them to perform tasks.  One of the things they found elephants like to do is paint.  They actually paint pictures on a canvas and you can buy these elephant pictures.   

Elephants have big ears, these are used as a kind of cooling system and also notify those around about what kind of mood the elephant is in. 

Their ivory tusks which used to be much sought after are used for digging and breaking down branches of trees and vegetation. 

Elephants live in family groups and are quite social creatures but females don’t have their first calf until they are about 11 years old, so they are much more mature than other animals.

The African elephant is so well loved by the general public that thousands of people flock to see them every year and get to experience their beauty and charming  character.  

cattle egrets

Cattle egret birds are amazing because they have befriended animals that should harm them.  They remove ticks from the cattle so the animal stays healthy and the egret eats. 

This is a productive relationship between animal and bird if it can be cultivated and is seen in other countries of the world.  No one knows when animals and birds started to work together but it happens frequently.

In the ploughing season they will follow farmers’ tractors that are preparing the fields for the next crop because the blades throw up tiny creatures that they can eat.  This is quite a lazy way for them to get a good meal for the day. 

Another unusual thing about egret is that everyone knows when they are breeding because they turn a ‘buff’ colour.  I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing to advertise they are breeding. 

Egrets seem to be very intelligent and have found easy ways to get a good meal  which is quite clever of them.  

Shelducks

Shelducks are large ducks with a red beak and black white and red brown feathers. Usually found close to the water they stand out in a crowd. 

These birds move about a lot, they fly to the north where they rest and just moult their old plumage then just before the winter starts to set in they are off again.  This time they fly south and settle down for a few months to insulate themselves from the cold weather.

They eat small worms and insects that they find in the water.  Also shellfish and sea snails.

When it is time for the breeding season they search the local grasslands for holes to make a nest in and sometimes using holes in trees.

They are a bit unusual and quite easy to find by water.  

The stork

Storks are famous throughout the world, especially the tale of the stork carrying baby.   They are tall, with white bodies and black and white wings.

Their numbers dwindled  a few years ago but they are now returning in greater numbers.  They do not seem to be worried about aggressors and build huge untidy nest right out in the open.  Telegraph poles are a favourite.

They are beautiful birds and local people love to see them in their home town.

Honey buzzards

Honey buzzards eat bees and wasps and will steal some of their honey if they get into a beehive.  It is extremely difficult to observe them because they stay undercover of the forests trees and shrubs, rarely coming into view. 

They have a pure white head and breast with brown spots scattered down their head and chest which is very pretty.  They stick to the woodland areas where they spend the summer before flying  to different climates.  Buzzards are seen when they migrate in big groups but unfortunately they are then very vulnerable to being shot by poachers. 

Honey buzzards are beautiful birds and just a little bit different from other buzzards that are observed  by birdwatchers.  

Brent geese

Brent geese are dark grey with a white collar and white tail feathers.  Flocks of them can be found all along the north and west coast of France and also into Belgium and Spain, they are unmistakeable in this area.

The geese have this colouring because their homeland is the arctic and their colouring fit in well with the snow and ice in this area.  But in winter and early spring the arctic gets too cold for them and they fly away from their nests there and settle in the warmer French climate for a few months.

They eat a special marine plant called Eel Grass and spend most of their time in areas where it grows.  But they will also eat grass and young cereals. 

You will usually find them on the waterfront and they are easy to locate in the winter. 

Fire salamanders

Fire salamanders are found in the mountains and is black with bright yellow spots, if touched it secrets a liquid that is poisonous.

During that day they are very hard to find because they find secure hiding places under rocks where it is difficult to find them.  They do emerge if it starts to rain but they usually only come out when night falls and they can hunt under the cover of darkness.

They hibernate for a few months of the year because they do not like the cold and start being active again around April.  Babies are born in water as larva and remain there until they have transformed into tiny salamanders which is an amazing change.

They eat insects, slugs, spiders, worms and any other crawling creature.

cornflowers

The cornflower that is best remembered is dark shades of blue on a long silver stem and just look marvellous in fields and gardens. 

It is found in many places in France in great numbers and is native to Europe.  It is most often seen in the local corn fields of small farms and this is where is got its name from.  It likes a limestone soil to grow best in and has blue  blooms that are 30mm across and make an amazing display.

With the ongoing popularity of the cornflower flower experts decided to experiment and now you can buy cornflowers in a range of other colours.

They are good for all gardeners because they are relatively easy to grow and have a height of about 2 foot, so this means that they mix well with other flowers in your garden.

Harriers

Harriers  have been in the news a lot lately and are part of the bird of prey family.  They are notably different from eagles because they have short ruffled feathers around they face and are grey in colour.

Like all birds of prey the go out hunting for their prey. Harriers prefer marshland for hunting and can be found in America and Africa.  Unlike other birds of prey they keep their legs and talons pointing straight down while hunting and this makes them very quick at capturing small animals.

Harriers eat small birds that live on the wetland waters, small animals that live in this region, any large insects that they can find, frogs, toads and reptiles.  So as you can see they have quite a varied diet and there is usually quite a good supply of food. 

These are lovely birds to watch in action but there have been fears over their survival recently from nature organisations.  

Dartmoor ponies

Going to Dartmoor for the fir time is wonderful, the first thing you notice are the ponies,  the little brooks and streams and the scenery . 

The ponies have owners and are rounded up and branded once a year.  The rest of the time they are left to have a very free existence exploring the moors.  So they have a very natural way of living.

They are very tough horses and have to be because the weather on the moor can go to extremes quite often.  They are not pure bred because they are just left to find their own mate that may or may not be suitable for breeding.

There are pure bred Dartmoor ponies but ironically they do not live on the moors.  They have the correct linage but are not as strong and hardy as the ones that live on the moors all year.

Dartmoor is a fantastic place to visit, it is so beautiful and calm out there and the ponies are happy there.