Tuesday, 20 March 2012

Geese & Oies - Hurricanes Gift


On December 26 & 28 1999, the hurricanes Othar and Martin reached and crossed France. generating considerable damages with winds recorded to up to 259 kilometers per hour:  140 million cubic meters of woods were torn apart, involving more than 60 million trees.  
On December 28th evening, three exhausted Canadian geese (Branta canadensis) literally fell on one of our Naturetum [http://www.naturetum.com] lakes, l'étang du Haut;  initially pushed away by the ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), they got immediate protection from our domestic geese who moved between the aggressive ducks and the three visitors, though not allowing themselves to a close contact.  
For more than two weeks, the three Canadian geese stayed, rested, and shared with the other anatidae the foods we are daily distributing;  then they left.  
Imagine however our surprise when in the following fall two Canadian geese came back with six already-flying juveniles.  
From then, number grows every year  The Canadian geese keep flying from one lake to another but hardly miss an evening visit to our largest lake, l'étang de La Fercelle.  Splendid flies of more than forty individuals have become a routine.
In a late summer day of 2011 we accounted 96 Canadian geese around the lake étang du Haut!
The hunting of these magnificent birds has just (2012) been authorized in France,  When they fly, geese constantly and noisily speak to each other, making it easy to locate them.  Let us hope however that environment-conscious hunters will prevent this population from declining too much.


Branta canadensis
ID-3139 Specimens-6844 and -8709
Naturetum de Sologne  La Cloche  étang du Haut

Les 26 et 28 décembre 1999 les deux tempêtes Othar et Martin ont traversé la France causant des dommages considérables avec des vents jusqu’à 259km/h:  140 millions de m3 de bois abattus en France, impliquant plus de 60 million d’arbres.  
Le soir du 28 décembre, 3 bernaches du Canada (Branta canadensis) épuisées sont littéralement tombées dans l'un des étangs du Naturetum [http://www.naturetum.com], l’étang du Haut;  initialement repoussées par les canards colverts (Anas platyrhynchos), elles ont été immédiatement protégées par nos oies blanches domestiques qui se sont interposées entre les canards agressifs et les trois visiteuses, sans cependant se permettre une proximité immédiate.
Après être restées plus de deux semaines, s'être reposées et avoir mangé du grain avec les autres anatidaea, les bernaches repartirent.  
Quelle ne fut pas notre surprise dès lors de voir deux bernaches revenir à l’automne nanties de six oisons déjà volants.  
Depuis chaque année le nombre s’accroît, les bernaches se déplacent d’un étang à l’autre mais manquent rarement leur rendez-vous du soir sur l’étang de la Fercelle depuis qu’il est en eau;  des vols splendides, de plus de 40 oiseaux.

Par une belle journée de la fin de l'été 2011, nous avons compté 96 bernaches posées autour de l'étang du Haut! 
 La chasse de ces magnifiques oiseaux vient (2012) d'être autorisée en France.  Lorsqu'elles volent, les oies "parlent" constamment entre elles, et il est donc facile de les localiser.  Souhaitons par conséquent que des chasseurs conscients de la fragilité de l'environnement sachent prévenir un trop grand déclin de cette population.

Monday, 12 March 2012

Camellia x williamsii ‘Daintiness’

In the early 1930s a man called J C Williams hybridized several Camellia japonica with Camellia saluenensis.  Many of his resulting hybrids are magnificent bushes (though there are a few I like less), cold-hardy to minus 15ºC, and able to prosper in many situations.
The one depicted below had been introduced to La Cloche [http://www.naturetum.com] in 1989, and flowers profusely since then, generally in late January to March.  
In 2011, thank to a relatively mild weather, I had the exquisite pleasure to see the first flower opening on the very day of my anniversary, December 27th.  What a serving plant!   In early January, there were already several tens of flowers open, with many hundreds of buds awaiting.  
This depicted specimen is roughly 2.5 meters high to four meters wide, and is planted in full sun with no protection.  However, the soil surrounding this bush is very rich and very well-drained.  I had to remove several other bushes to accommodate this specimen steady growth, and more removals may have to occur in the future.
I planted this year two of his children and I am attempting to grow more specimens of this outstanding cultivar.
But today I would like to thank Mr. Williams for the joy he has created!

Camellia williamsii  ‘Daintiness’  [C. japonica  ‘Magnoliiflora’  x C. saluenensis ]
ID-368 Specimen-465 since 1989
Naturetum de Sologne  La Cloche  massif Sud Est  6 January 2012 


Monday, 5 March 2012

Geese & Oies - Anser anser visits La Cloche



What a great big bird visiting La Cloche Naturetum [http://www.naturetum.com] on October 16th 2011.
She looks like a domestic goose and in fact her species is likely their ancestor.
But she flies wonderfully!
It was the very first time we noticed such a presence.
This Anser anser stayed for a few days only but it was such an impressive visit, flying over l'étang du Haut, landing there near the many other birds we usually enjoy.
Why this year and why alone and why does she quit so fast, I unfortunately do not know.  
But many migrating birds often make a short stay, and mid-October is a reasonable timing for flying South.
Have a safe good trip and please come back, Anser anser.

Anser anser  ID-3144 specimen-6849  Naturetum de La Cloche  16 Oct. 2011
Ce très bel oiseau a visité le Naturetum de La Cloche [http://www.naturetum.com] le 16 octobre 2011.
Il ressemble à une oie domestique et en fait son espèce est probablement leur ancêtre.
Mais une oie qui vole magnifiquement bien!
Et elle n'avait pas encore été observé dans notre Naturetum, c'est la toute première fois.
Cet Anser anser ne resta que quelques jours, mais ce fut une visite impressionnante alors qu'elle volait au dessus de l'étang du Haut et se posait à proximité des autres palmipèdes usuellement présents.
Pourquoi cette année et pourquoi solitaire et pourquoi nous quitta-t-elle si vite, je ne le sais pas.
Mais beaucoup d'oiseaux migrateurs ne restent que peu de temps, et mi-octobre est une époque raisonnable pour voler vers le sud.
Ayez un vol bon et sûr et s'il vous plaît revenez, Anser anser.


Magnolia obovata



My love for plants and animals continues to thrieve!
Magnolia obovata is a favorite.  The splendid specimen depicted below was introduced to La Cloche Naturetum [http://www.naturetum.com] in 2004 from the Bagatelle nursery, presumably at around four years old.  I expect its very fragrant & creamy white flowering at around 15 years old, therefore circa year 2015.  A beautiful red fruiting should follow. 
When fully grown, this majestic tree may reach 30 meters or more.
In 2006, I obtained seeds from Hokkaido, Japan, and could implement more trees in 2008 (six, but five are suffering from wild boars ploughing), 2010 (four with one suffering from a deer attack), 2011 (two specimens).  
A small (11 seeds) additional seedling was also performed in 2011.  
If nature permits, I am planning more introductions and seeds in 2012 and beyond, and my goal is to attain a minimum of one hundred genetically different mature trees growing in the Naturetum of La Cloche.

08 June 2008 11:18 Naturetum de La Cloche Allée du Gaz B-impair
Magnolia obovata ID-1942 specimen 4473
25 May 2008 14:14 Naturetum de La Cloche 
Magnolia obovata ID-1942 specimen 4473