Winter pansies and washing hanging on the line.

Winter pansies and sprouting buddliea.

washing hanging on the line in France.

Cranes migrate South diagonally over Creuse, Central France.

Cranes fly South diagonally over Creuse in central France towards Aquitaine.  They are flying to Southern Spain and Portugal.

Cranes (gruidae) are large, long-legged,  long-necked birds. They fly with their necks outstretched, and live on all continents except Antarctica and South America. They eat a range of items and are opportunistic feeders, sometimes insects, fish, small rodents, amphibians, various plants, acorns, grains and berries. Only certain cranes migrate travelling thousands of miles each year from their breeding sites. They have a wide vocabulary of specialised calls, flying in an echelon (arrow format) at speeds of up to 50 mph. Thousands of Common cranes fly South from Scandinavia  spending time at two Northern French lakes, Der-Chantecoq and La Champagne. They cross France diagonally via Nievre flying toward Aquitaine then cross the Pyrenees toward Southern Spain or Portugal.  In the photographs above cranes are flying over Creuse. I have seen many thousands of cranes this year and feel very lucky to live on the crane flight path.

Palma de Mallorca. A woman 'down and out' who lives there in a premier street.

A woman 'down and out'. This woman told me she had lived on this stone bench at the head of the premier shopping street in Palma de Mallorca for four years! All her belongings are covered by this plastic sheeting.

Conspicuous consumption. A shop window located near the woman 'down and out' photographed above.

Another shop window in the same street.

Another shop window in the same street.

Conspicuous consumption! A shop window full of gold etc Rolex watches. This shop and the others above are just a stone's throw from the woman 'down and out' pictured above.

Palma de Mallorca, the ancient central courtyard/patio of a house (now a Hostal).

Photograph shows the entrance courtyard to a house (now a Hostal) in the ancient heart of Palma de Mallorca.