French wildlife and beekeeping

  Yesterday we had proper rainfall for the first time since mid May, the drought has been horrendous for wildlife as a whole, so, something a little different with this post. What changes are required to our eating habits and agricultural methods in a changing climate, with increasing droughts and water shortages? It is difficult for me to discuss this question without bringing in some of the wider issues surrounding food production, human health, wildlife and the environment. So please forgive me if I occasionally drift into some of these areas; I will on future posts anyway. At the risk of offending some people — and I suspect I probably will — it seems obvious to me that we in France, as in many other developed countries, generally consume too much of almost everything that modern society has made readily available to us. We really have become a consumer society. We are encouraged to consume everywhere we go, and food is no exception. Advertising and marketing are constant co...

Good news for our mountain biodiversity! The Capercaillie and the Rock Ptarmigan are now officially protected in France. These two emblematic birds are endangered: the capercaillie has lost nearly 80% of its population in the Pyrenees since 1960, while the ptarmigan, a survivor of the ice age, sees its habitat nibbled away at every year by climate change. Monique Barbut said: "Protecting is not just about banning hunting, it is also about restoring everything that allows a species to live and reproduce sustainably. Protecting our biodiversity means preserving an exceptional natural heritage, but it also means protecting the ecosystems of which we are a part and on which we depend for our livelihood. » An important step for the preservation of our mountain biodiversity. Rock Ptarmigan Capercaillie The Capercaillie is classified as vulnerable on the red list of breeding birds in France (populations of the Urogallus subspecies present in the Vosges, Jura, and Cévennes are even classi...

In France, some 14 million pheasants are reared in captivity every year for release into the wild at the start of the hunting period for the benefit of hunters, basically to be shot. Very soon, as I write this, we will see them wandering around in our French gardens and on our land. They are not a native species, although they have been in France since Roman times when they were introduced from Asia. In normal circumstances, their numbers would be very low, resulting from a high level of predation, often by foxes. In fact, a major reason why foxes are victimised is due to their killing of game birds. Now, a study has shown the harm they cause to our native species. The release of farmed pheasants exterminates populations of threatened and protected reptiles, and, like every year, they will resume to satisfy an increasingly controversial hobby called hunting: A scientific study has identified that areas where pheasants are released before the hunting season become biological deserts for...

  Violet drop wing Trithemis annulata Thrithémis annelé or Thrithémis pourpré Location - Peyras, 16270 Roumazières-Loubert, France Recently, I was out relaxing, just having a good time really on a Sunday at one of those man-made recreational lakes that France excels in, but with my eyes always on the lookout, I saw quite a large number of bright purple dragonflies that I had never seen before. Aerial view of lake I only had my phone with me, and I struggled in the bright sunlight to focus and get a half-decent photo, which, as it turns out, isn't that bad. What I didn't realise at the time was that these violet dragonflies were all males and that the females are a rather drab brown. Male Violet drop wing Originating in Africa, it first appeared in Spain in 1978, Corsica in 1989, and then mainland France in 1994, where it is now well established and rapidly expanding both to the north and to the east along the Mediterranean coastal band and the Rhône valley....

  Source info - Office for Insects and Their Environment, France Asian hornets are now well established in mainland France, and we have to accept it: it will be impossible to eradicate this species. Given this reality, the question is not how to make them disappear, but how to learn to limit their impacts without worsening an already alarming situation for French wildlife. Adopting a balanced approach, based on scientific knowledge, is essential today. Protecting domestic bees is important socially and economically, but this should not come at the expense of other wild insects that help maintain functional ecosystems. Managing Asian hornets cannot rely on isolated actions or responses driven by fear or instinctive rejection. On the contrary, it requires cooperation between beekeepers, scientists, local authorities, and public officials in order to put forward coherent, well-thought-out, effective solutions that respect living beings, especially other animals. It's important that de...

  For several years, measures have been taken to limit the worrying spread of pampas grass. In France, the decree of February 14, 2018 - amended in March 2020 and then in April 2024 - classifies Cortaderia selloana among the plant species whose possession, planting and transport are prohibited throughout the territory. This means that you can no longer keep it at home at the time of writing and that it is imperative that you destroy your stocks. The risks incurred in the event of non-compliance with these regulations are set out in Articles L415-3 and R415-1 of the Environmental Code. Their content is very clear: it is forbidden to "voluntarily introduce into the natural environment, transport, peddle, use, offer for sale, sell or buy a specimen of an animal or plant species", under penalty of risking a penalty of up to 3 years imprisonment and a fine of €150,000. How this will be enforced remains to be seen. Chris