Id Environnement organized the “Amphibians and Nocturnal Birds of Prey” outing on Saturday, March 24, 2012. The location will be revealed upon registration. 
While waiting for the participants, a spotting scope was set up in the large courtyard, and the deer were observed in the clearing in the middle of the forest.
The group consisted of more than 20 people, all of whom were immediately charmed by the meeting place: Bourgon Castle! Equipped with boots, flashlights, dip nets, and buckets, the group set off toward the “wild boar” pond—so named because these animals love to rub themselves against the same nearby tree and wallow in the pond during the summer.
Then we headed to the old dyeing pond, located in the former moat, whose coping stones were restored last summer.
It is fed by a freshwater source. This pond is very clear, but the abundant vegetation allows its many inhabitants to hide from predators. 
We had a good catch; we were able to observe palmed newts. Amélie pointed out the differences between the males and females, and then we saw newt and salamander larvae at different stages: the filaments on their sides are gills: don’t take them out of the water—they’d suffocate.
It’s easy to tell a salamander larva apart because it has white spots on its legs. Did you know? Salamanders can’t swim! They lay their eggs in a pond but must find a patch of dry land to climb onto; otherwise, they’ll drown…
The salamander has often been maligned and associated with witchcraft because it would emerge from the flames when a fire was lit! When in fact, it was simply seeking shelter for the winter in the woodpiles…
A marbled newt was spotted clinging to a stem, but it was so quick that it couldn’t be caught…
Next came the tadpoles and dragonfly larvae, including those of the “demoiselles”—the pretty blue dragonflies that dance above bodies of water in the summer (larvae with a forked tail)…then we observed the diving beetle (an aquatic beetle)—watch out for its mandibles, which could easily grab your finger—and then water bugs, both those that live on the water’s surface and those that live underwater; the latter are also very aggressive.
An unappealing leech… tiny crustaceans that look like sea shrimp… A beautiful red frog also spent a few moments in a jar, much to the children’s delight—a rich and unexpected biodiversity in these bodies of water, which are free from pollution because the Ducatillon family uses neither fertilizer nor pesticides.
As night fell, midwife toads (Alytes), barn owls, and tawny owls let out their distinct calls beneath a magnificent starry sky, with the castle silhouetted against it…A phantasmagorical, timeless scene for those few hours of “magical” delight…
The little owl and the long-eared owl, which are also found at the site, were a bit more elusive. See you soon for more discoveries!