We are well blessed with European Buzzards in the immediate area, even having the odd one perched in our old oak tree at the bottom of the field.

There are at least three groupings in separate woodland areas and their call is one of the more common background sounds in the area.

They can also be seen from time to time resting in our Oak tree - perhaps looking out for Ermintrude (see below)

Three clutches of swallows hatched in one of our outbuildings during the course of the summer of 2006 and the constant to-ing and fro-ing of parents and calls of young pre-fledging was an almost constant feature of the summer.

On fledging the young remained close and active for some considerable time until, in mid-September, all the swallows disappeard - presumably to their pre-migration gathering place (which we have yet to find).

Young swallows frequently came into the house through open doors and windows. Mostly they just came in, turned around, and flew out again; but, occasionally, one stayed a bit longer. This one was in my study for about twenty minutes - quite calm - and eventually found its way out again.

The Chiffchaffs have bred in the same trees and bushes as the sparrows and, as they are still about in numbers in late-October, I think they are here for the winter.

We have put out feeders (one of which the Great Tit has found).

This juvenile Dunnock spends a lot of time hopping around on the ground looking for the small insects that make up most of its diet.

Here the poor thing is covered in drizzle, whilst I was inside in the warm, photographing it through double glazed French doors.

We have a small number of bats around the hamlet. I'm not 100% sure to which species they belong, as it is always too dark and too fleeting a view, but I believe them to be Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus - Pipistrelle commune).

There is a Wild Cat (Felis silvestris - Chat forestier) in the area. It is unmistakeable because of its stocky build, its colour and markings and its bushy, ringed tail. There is also a group of cats living in the barn next door that are, as far as we can tell, pretty much feral and the wild tom has visited (see image).

A regular patron is the Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus - Mulot sylvestre) also known as Long-tailed Field Mouse. This diminutive rodent can often be seen, either singly or in pairs, helping itself to the food we put out for the birds or just occasionally, in winter, scuttling around indoors! The Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus - Rat surmalot), also unavoidable in rural areas, is also rather partial to peanuts put out for the birds.

Other mammals include Pigmy Shrew (Sorex minutus - Musaraigne pygmée) and Short-tailed Field Voles (Microtus arvalis - Campagnol des champs), brought in for us by our late cat, and Moles (Talpa europaea - Taupe d'Europe) - rarely seen but oh, so active in our patch!

We have also seen a Southern Water Vole (Arvicola sapidus - Campagnol amphibie) in the banks of the pond.

The Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis - Lézard des murailles) is present in large numbers and varies in size from about 4cm to 20cm including its tail. It is insectivorous and does its best to help us wih the fly and wasp population during the summer. The Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis - Lézard vert), Common or Viviparous Lizard (L. viviparus - Lézard vivipare) and Sand Lizard (L. agilis - Lézard agile) are also seen quite commonly.

We were graced, well after dark early in June 2007, with a visit by a pair of Common Toads (Bufo bufo - Crapaud commun).

Whilst cutting the grass in early June, I had occasion to handle an Agile Frog (Rana dalmatina - Grenouille agile) that was sauntering in the path of my blades. We popped it into the pond. No picture, though.

The European Grass Snake (Natrix natrix - Couleuvre à collier) can be seen occasionally, thoroughly harmless and quite pretty - pictured here very young. It was between 15cm and 20cm in length; about the size of a large earthworm. At hatching they are beween 15cm and 19cm.

We have also seen a couple of Slow Worms (Anguis fragilis - Orvet).

The Saddle-backed Bush Cricket (Ephippiger ephippiger-Éphippigère des vignes) gave me a bit of a hard time in its identification, as it is apparently variable in size, colour and some other features.

This specimen, seen at Vulcania, was about 20-25cm in length.

We spotted this Hummingbird Hawk-Moth (Macroglossum stellatarum - Moro-sphinx) in the flower pots outside the window of our séjour at about 4:30pm.