Interlude

   A French interlude to allow you to enjoy these beautiful pictures taken in “La Tourbière de l’Herrétang” in the plains between St Laurent du Pont and St Joseph de Rivière (38-Isère).

    These nice, gold-and-copper-coloured dragonflies (or “demoiselles) entwine themselves and copulate for but a moment by forming a heart. Nature always has some nice surprises !

   There were more dragonflies or Calopteryx when we passed near streams and water points. There were two kinds : The “small, fiery-bodies nymphs”, the male of which was of a blue tinge (bottom and top-left), were very difficult to capture on film due to how thin they were and the fact that the focus was too easily attracted towards the surrounding plants.

    Calopteryx virgo (or “Beautiful demoiselle” were slightly larger and much less elusive (top, bottom and middle-right). The male is metallic blue and the female has a “golden” body.

  

   La Tourbière covers 65ha and is situated in a valley where there used to be a glacier at the foot of North Chartreuse. A 3.2km path has been created though it’s best to come equipped because despite the wooden walkway, the water overflowed in certain sectors and we had our feet soaked up to the ankles. There are most probably many birds about, but seeing as we visited in the middle of the day (14h30 – 16h) we only managed to spot three Grey herons. Have these ones been to The Gambia ?

   Many prairie flowers, a herd of Aubrac cattle, and areas specially constructed for the discreet observation of ponds. From afar, we also spotted some Camargue horses that have also been brought in. Mounds (called “Touradons”, top-right) are tufts of grass that come out of the water. They are millennial plants shaped in rounded mounds whose annual growth is based on the old roots and slowly decomposing (due to the acidity of the Tourbière) dead leaves.

   A great walk which took us nearly two hours, though with a small zone that was dangerous for the dryness of our feet. Don’t forget to wear boots or at least have a change of shoes in the car ☺... and the mosquito-repellent spray ! On this occasion, many of the critters had a taste and that’s not cool !