On Tour ... Dordogne magic!

On tour still with the band and although we've played just 3 gigs and a couple of busking sessions we've already netted over 500 euros for Cancer Support France.

We're all loving the performances but the actual touring, travelling from site to site and living on the road, is predictably hard work for 3 fifty year olds but the sun is shining and the wine is flowing so we're all in good spirits.

We're in the Dordogne at the moment and as luck would have it seem to be tracking the river itself ... its a truly beautiful setting and although I've past this way a couple of times before I can easily see why so many English folk choose this part of France to either settle or holiday - its like a quieter version of Devon!

The bar we played at Mauzac last week (le barrage) was right on the banks of the river and in between practising, playing and sound checks I managed a few trips out with my camera. Not much going on birdwise but this Grey Heron perched on some kind of waterworks structure made a good picture

As did these flying Swans at the same location

A little further down the river there was a good example of one of the many fine aqueducts to be found all over France.

Back to the music tour and worth mentioning the charity we are supporting again - Cancer Support France (all info on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/BeyondTheGap) and some of the work we're putting in here! For sure, most of our gigs are fun and well received but some of the busking is hot, hard work ... just look at the blood, sweat and tears we shed in the name of music at this market venue in Lalinde -

I'll be diplomatic here and just say this was a 'learning experience'.... but 19euros for 3 hours playing in the heat of the day was not what we expected from French market goers!! I might as well have worn the hat rather than put it down ..... spent more than that re hydrating myself!!

You live and learn.

Beyond the Gap Summer Tour .... all for charity!

Rain permitting, the band Beyond the Gap (that's me, Jane & Mark) should be setting off on our Summer tour of SW France today. The plan is to head south to the Dordogne and perform our stuff in various bars, campsites and open markets there and then doing pretty much the same further south in the Languedoc, Aquitaine and the Pyrenees ... hey we've even thought about heading into Spain, but hear the busking laws are pretty strict there so it might just be a cheap fuel stop! In any event we have to be back for the 29th July because we're booked to play Lascaufest

We have several booked venues along the way but our thinking is that most of our performances will be of the busking variety.The whole tour is in aid of Cancer Support France with all profit going to them and we have a 'just giving' site set up if anyone reading this wants to contribute.

You can also follow us via our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/BeyondTheGap), we'll be updating most days and we're also in cahoots with AngloInfo (http://france.angloinfo.com/) who have agreed to give us free advertising in return for promoting their websites.

This our main promo pic that goes on any posters for booked venues ... me and Mark looking suitably moody!

















And here's a couple of pics of our vehicles all 'stickered up' with Jane having a celebratory drink before the off ...... Ribena she said!

So, all ready for the off ..... weather to be honest is not looking grand for busking but we need to go because I'm picking my fiancee up from Bergerac airport on Wednesday .... yipeee!!!

Chilly in La Macherie but the sun makes an entrance!

Another sub zero day here in La Macherie (-10 this morning!) but we have to go out because the sun is shining, my pipes are still frozen solid so no chance of a hot shower and of course Balloo is raring to go .... he's enjoying all the snow, running just as fast and I'm convinced he's skidding around on purpose!

The river Gartemps is completely frozen over in parts and even here where it flows really quickly its beginning to go at the edges as you can see.

Balloo still thinks he can go in for a splash around though .... no chance matey, look as longingly as you like but you're staying just where you are!

Its lovely to see the sun out, making the fresh, crisp snow positively glisten and I just love the crunchy feeling under-foot as I walk and that hint of warmth on my face. Could have done with sunglasses this morning it was that bright!

I disturbed a Common Snipe (right)  and a Woodcock (left)during my trek out, both long billed birds (the latter is often shot at) that really struggle to penetrate the ground and therefore feed in cold snaps. Snipes are usually to be found probing around on the edges of ponds whilst Woodcock favour the forest floor but in weather like this they can often be seen in unusual places such as roadsides or even gardens as they search for soft ground to probe.

On the way back up the hill to La Macherie I was trying (unsuccessfully) to photograph a couple of Wrens when I noticed this Blackbird sunning itself on one of the few bits of earth not covered in snow ..... he wasn't giving up that spot for anybody, never flinched a feather as I walked right up to him. Ok, probably one of the commonest birds in France, especially at this time of the year but even the most ubiquitous of birds can look good in the right light!

Later on in the day I managed to capture a few decent photographs of Long Tailed Tits as I walked along a hedgerow just outside the village, again a common enough bird but in the right light ....

In actual fact I spent nearly 20 minutes and took maybe 30 pics trying to get some good shots and by the end of it my fingers were so numb with cold I had to give up but these 3 shots came out pretty nicely. The big problem was that although they were quite close they were flitting about like mad in a very twiggy tree which meant that many of the shots were obscured .... ah but it's all in the challenge and worth nearly getting frostbite!

Well I've just succeeded in raising the temperature in my kitchen to 10 degrees C with the aid of both paraffin and electric heaters so time to leave my cosy lounge and cook some food!

I leave you with another nice sunset, yesterday it was Askam Bryan, Yorkshire ... today is an equally chilly La Macherie sundown .....

Winter is here ... Spring and Summer remembered!

Well it had to happen of course, the unseasonal and sometimes barmy temperatures of October & November are now firmly behind us, consigned to our sunny memory banks and no doubt added to the growing stats on global warming. Concerned as we all should be about climate change, this is not the platform .... I'm TimboBaggins not David Attenborough!

I've had a super Spring & Summer here in France .....tramped around the Pyrenees, explored the Camargue, camped out on the Vendee and played my music in all sorts of places with the band 'Beyond the Gap'. To cap it all I got engaged to my chldhood sweetheart Gabrielle and sorry birding folks that was more awesome than seeing my first Black Woodpecker!

I'm feeling self indulgent, because although it's cold and raining outside, I've been out and enjoyed a wet dog walk, my home football team team York City have just won 7 : 0, on my 2nd large glass of red and just found out my fiancee, sis & partner are coming over for 10 days over new year ... who wouldn't be happy!

Ok enough, half an eye on the box in the corner of the room and someone called John Barryman is dumbing me down and then I get assailed by Robbie Savage trying to quick step himself into the semi finals of strictly come dancing .... aaaaarrrggghhhhh!!!!! Dance your way through some of my images from Spring to late Summer - First up some butterflies, there's a nice Swalllowtail, a Comma & a Red Admiral but what are the others?

I've looked in the field guide and still none the wiser but with their all their variations butterflies and entymology in general is at this point beyond me but here's a summer insect I do recognise ......

It's a Praying Mantis of course and have to admit I slightly cheated on this pic by picking up said mantis from the undergrowth and placing it in a more photogenic position .. not sure he / she approved!

I'm on safer ground with birds and of course can identify all of these but thats not the point here ... think spring, courtship and just outright summer sky flying fun!

This Black Winged Stilt looks like it's displaying but in reality it was just might peed off at my presence at a nest site ..... it dive bombed me several times (ah the discomforts we bird snappers have to endure!)

No danger here .... this singing Tree Pipit was oblivious to my camera lense.

Red Kite in the Pyrenees ... awesome, no words I can add other than to repeat myself .... AWESOME!!

Not the best in terms of technical quality but I love this photo of a young fox who was happily feasting on a long dead coypu until I pointed a camera at him..... he's so defiant!

.Spring 2011 saw the emergence of 'Beyond the Gap' .... me on guitar, my sis Jane singing and in good time Mark will join us on 'le contre bass'. This is me n Jane busking somewhere in the Pyrenees back in Spring.

Fete de Musique saw us playing in a village nr Chauvigny ..... no pics of us playing but here's a good friend we made on the night  - Giles & his band 'Diesel' and  a couple of pics of Jane enjoying herself after we played.

Here's us playing the Frogstock festival in the Vienne

And as the whiff of Winter begins to blow and batter its way our way .... here's a few evocative pictures of Summer 2011

Makes me warm just looking at these last couple of pics!

Ok, I have a gig coming up on 6th Jan and in the middle of marking open university papers so my red pen has been busy and my mind whirring with learning words and practising songs! I will try and keep up witht the blog posts of course but have decided to make my 'bird reports' monthly from now on with a round up for Nov coming up next week.

Valley of the Monkeys & Autumn Reflections

One of my twin daughter's Sophie was over here a few weeks back for a good 'chill out' 2 weeks and on the recommendation of a friend of a friend we took a trip out to a nearby animal sanctuary called La Valle des Singes (Valley of Monkeys).

It was a good recommendatioon! Unlike many animal parks & zoos I've wandered through, La Valle des Singes is a refreshingly 'un-stage managed' and friendly reserve (and no I'm not on their payroll!), with a vast area of land in which monkeys of many species roam free in the trees. Ok it's not an all singing all dancing safari park ... its just monkeys, but to see so many of our closest relatives (sorry bruv!) swinging across the branches was just brilliant and if you're ever in the area I'd highly recommend a visit.

Photographer's dream of course and although an unseasonal downpour cut short our visit here are a few 'monkey pics' for you to enjoy ....my daughter would know all of the correct names for these but I think we have some Capuchins, Chimpanzees & Lemurs here

I took a few more and the complete gallery will be available to view on Flickr just as soon as I get around to uploading it!

Meanwhile, and bang up to date we seem to have moved into the month of Octobre! How did that happen then? Bet you can't wait for my first weekly bird report from still sunny mid west France, well don't get too excited , all in good time .... it still feels like high Summer here (25c today) but Autumn is definitely upon us, that grandest of all seasons ... regeneration time, nature going to sleep, casting off this year and building for next!

I've had a wonderful Summer for all sorts of reasons but I do love Autumn. Some idiot once suggested that Autumn is just about things dying off and that it suited my general aptitude ... we parted company soon after said suggestion! So, for all that lament the passing of another Summer, here are a few images of  early Autumn in my neck of the woods.



Wonderful strong colours .... are we ruddy for next year?