Thursday 28 July 2011

C'est la vie

When I was harvesting some potatoes the other day, I came across this small pile of eggs.  Thanks to Susan's post of a few weeks ago, I immediately recognised them as lizard eggs.  I carefully moved them to a sandy spot, where I hoped that they would continue to develop and hatch, without fear of me disturbing them with a spade or fork.  You can see the size of them compared with my fingers; some were smaller than others.
Nearby I saw this little chap, no more that 25mm (an inch) long, who had presumably very recently hatched

Noushka tells me that these two photos are of newts. I was a little surprised as we have no water near us!

This lizard is a little bigger with markings, but still very small

  adult wall lizards on a railway sleeper

and in the house

I managed to get this very distant picture of a hoopoe in the garden the other day and which I have tried to blow up so it is visible. You can see how the bits of rain we have had have greened up the lawn, though it is still quite brown in places!

and just to end off, I loved this evening sky of windswept clouds, which I took last night.

82 comments:

  1. Wow Diane all very interesting :-) and super photos too. I wouldn't of known about Lizards eggs at all. Funny to see them in the house. We used to have them in Singapore .take care and keep on posting :-)xx

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  2. What a gorgeous evening sky. You have captured some fantastic close up shots of the lizard and other wildlife near your house. Looks like you are experiencing nice weather too. Fifi

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  3. Let us know if you managed to save those little lizards!!!!

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  4. Ahh Diane those little baby lizards are so cute! And I have never heard of a hoophoe so it's all very educational today! You are having a marvelous summer I can see :)

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  5. Hi Anne, hope that you are feeling better and managing OK. We don't often get lizards in the house but they do come in from time to time. Keep well Diane xx

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  6. Fifi B, Yes I just loved that sky when I saw it, the clouds were unusual. Thanks for the comments on the wildlife. I was lucky to see the lizards so tiny. Safe trip to Ozz. Diane

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  7. Cate I am too scared to dig near where I put them in case I do damage but I will look eventually :-) Diane

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  8. Dolly I never thought about anyone not knowing about a hoopoe as they were regular visitors to our garden in Africa. I have seen them in Spain as well so I am sure they must go to Italy. Next time you are there have a look around. Their call is very distinctive 'hoopoo hoopoo'. Let me know when you see one :-) Diane

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  9. I have never seen lizard eggs in the garden. Very cool. I need to pay more attention when I am digging in my yard. I have a lot of lizards.

    Cheers.
    Velva

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  10. Velva if it had not been for Susan's post I would have been none the wiser!! I also now keep my eyes open. Diane

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  11. I've never before seen lizard eggs. Your photos are wonderful as is your concern for nature and wild life. Are the lizards on their own once they hatch? I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  12. Hello Diane:
    We are not very good with creepy crawlies, but these are wonderful images which you have captured here. Never before have we seen lizard eggs. They are fascinating.

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  13. I can handle little lizards like those Diane but any bigger and I'm not so keen! Never knew about the eggs, interesting.

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  14. Mary to the best of my knowledge they are on their own once hatched but they must be extremely vulnerable when so small. The percentage that survive must be quite small I would think. Maybe someone will come up with an answer! Take care Diane

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  15. Jane and Lance, I don't have a problem with reptiles, but I do not like spiders and stick insects, they simply give me the creeps!! Diane

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  16. diane, you even dare to put them in your palms?! i could have yelled them off, haha!

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  17. Craig in Zimbabwe we used to have huge leguaans, or water monitors in our garden, that reached over 2m in length, they swim and spend a lot of time lying around in water. At that time we lived on the banks of the Hunyani River. We also had crocs close by who were not so friendly so these lizards are definitely not a problem!! Diane

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  18. What a cool job, Diane! We do have too many lizard eggs around here. Almost everywhere! Errrrr..... Anyway, hope you're having a great day.
    Kristy

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  19. I have been looking forward to this post since you told me about your find Diane. So interesting to see the lizards and a bonus photo of the hoopoe I have not managed to get one of them yet this year.

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  20. Lena I will happily hold any of the reptiles, just don't ask me to hold a spider!! I used to have 12 foot python as a pet! Diane

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  21. Kristy I am sure your lizards are different to ours it would be interesting to see some photos one day :-) Diane

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  22. Linda you were the only one in the know about this post so I did not rush it, thought I would keep you in suspense. Ha ha. Diane

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  23. Quelles magnifiques observations Diane.
    Je n'ai jamais vu d'oeufs de lézards. Merci de nous les montrer. Votre jardin est un vrai paradis pour toutes les petites bêtes! Et la huppe ne se trompe pas: elle sait qu'elle peut trouver un bon repas dans le sol.

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  24. You've got some great pictures there Diane. Love the photo of the lizard eggs. I hope they can continue on to hatch!

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  25. Nice set of photographs.

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  26. Lucie Je suis contente que vous aimiez mes petites bêtes. Revenez ici souvent et j’essayerai vous montrer plus ! Diane

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  27. Joyful I also hope they hatch but I don't know if moving them has done them harm!! Diane

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  28. Thanks Abe, have a good day. Diane

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  29. Those lizard eggs are so tiny it would seem hard to find them. It's nice that the little guys have a home in your garden.

    Love your sunset skies!

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  30. Thanks Marjie, it was just luck I saw them when I was gently trying to dig the potatoes out with out damaging them!! Diane

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  31. What a gorgeous post, love those little eggs, what a surprise to find!

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  32. I didn't realize that lizards laid eggs. But, eww, I hate lizards. You are brave. I have just learned to accept geckos.

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  33. Thanks Muppy, I was delighted to find the eggs and the little one, there is always something new in the garden! Diane

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  34. Sarah they are harmless, I am anything but brave, don't ask me to pick up a spider harmless or otherwise!! Diane

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  35. Good photos. I have to admit that I'm quite scared of lizards though. They remind me of snakes which I'm terrified of.

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  36. Thanks Starlight. Lizards are generally quite harmless and docile creatures. There are a couple in other countries which are poisonous, but if left alone are also pretty harmless. Ours here are just a pleasure to have around. Diane

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  37. Diane, you are very brave ! I don't think I dare to touch this.

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  38. Those little lizards are so interesting. Very territorial I think, hardly ever wandering far from home. I've never seen their eggs. How fabulous to discover them!
    Sam

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  39. great photos.... the lizards look kind of cute :-) especially seen on your hands
    http://whatisbelgium.blogspot.com

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  40. We have a lot of lizzards here but I have never seen their eggs.

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  41. Love the picture of the beautiful sky!

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  42. Lizards are wonderful... they eat bugs!! What could be better in a garden. Yours are quite lovely... aren't you sweet to protect their eggs from harm. Hope they thrive to take care of those evil garden bugs!

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  43. I was so surprised to see the little lizard and eggs..What a cute find. When we grew potatoes, our oldest daughter came screaming..she dug a mouse family up..Have to admit, we still laugh about it.
    Never saw a hoopoe before..Looks very interesting.
    Always a fun visit..xoxoRosebud..

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  44. My kids would love to have lizards running around our yard. Hope the eggs hatch.

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  45. These are the cutest lizards I've seen in a long time. The photos are so sweet. You just made my day.

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  46. Those are great pictures of the lizard and lizard eggs. I would have thought we would have seen some lizards around our house in Provence but so far no lizards but we have seen scorpions.

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  47. Ha ha Sonia they are harmless, I am quite happy handling them. Diane

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  48. Sam I was delighted to see the eggs and the very tiny lizards. Diane

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  49. Anni they were cute and the small ones were happy to be handled it seemed. Diane

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  50. Cuisine de Provence, I have never seen them before and if it had not been for Susan's blog I would never have known what they were. Diane

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  51. Peggy I thought that sky was quite special :-) Diane

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  52. lostpastremembered we have so many lizards in the garden I am surprised that we ever see any bugs!! Diane

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  53. Rosebud Collection, I found a whole nest of mice in the centre of our compost heap earlier this year. Forgot to take any photos though, bet they were nice and warm! Diane

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  54. Pam I also hope they hatch but moving them may not have done them much good! Diane

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  55. Olga glad to have made your day :-), I also thought that they were very cute. Take care Diane

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  56. chcmichel I am surprised that you have not got lizards around the house. The scorpions you can keep, though I don't think the ones here are as bad as the ones in Africa. Diane

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  57. The first time I saw lizard eggs was on Susan's blog too. Even Lucie has never seen any, which is really amazing. I like the sound hoopoes make.
    You know that when you don't hear them anymore, cold weather is on its way.

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  58. Love those little eggs - the lizard was pretty cute too! Super photos as always :))
    Mary

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  59. Nadege I was also surprised when Lucie said she had never seen lizard eggs. Thank goodness for Susan's post or I would never have recognised them! I have seen several hoopoes around in the past couple of weeks, perhaps the rain we have had brought them out as the ground was softer for them to dig. Have a good weekend Diane

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  60. Mary Mum's Kitchen, yea those little eggs are kinda cute. Enjoy the weekend, Diane

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  61. Just found your blog. Very interesting post with great pics. Especially like the last one of the night sky.
    Saw that you once lived in Rhodesia, I lived there when was around 8 - some 40 years ago. We only stayed there about 18 months but left an abiding memory for me.

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  62. Just found your pages on Rhodesia - very interesting reading. I used to live there when I was around 8 years old in the the early 1970's. I loved it there and would love to go back but like you say not really feasable. Have become a new follower.

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  63. I love the lizards which live here, although there are not so many now the house and barns are being sorted out. But I love to see the scuttling about, and well done you for doing your best with those eggs. Hope you are well, and hope you have a lovely weekend.

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  64. Hi Ellie, thanks for the visit and following my blog. I still have many friend left in (Rhodesia) Zimbabwe, and although life has improved a bit since it changed to the $ it is still not easy for them. I don't think I would now like to go back, I have such good memories that I do not want to spoil them!
    Thanks for the kind comments.
    Take care and have a good weekend. Diane

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  65. Vera, I am sure the lizards will return when the barns are sorted and life is a bit quieter for them. Have a great weekend, take care, Diane

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  66. Hello Diane!
    Very interesting!
    Pics N2 & N3 are a young Newt!
    Lizards are great prey for the Smooth snake... you will see on the 1rst of August on my blog! A great little snake to have around, totally harmless and useful around a garden!!
    I can see your is full of life!
    Well done!
    Cheers, Diane!

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  67. Diane what lovely and amazing pictires you always have, xxgloria

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  68. Noushka I am surprised as I thought that newts only bred in water. There is no water around us and the garden is as dry as a bone. I have seen the odd snake here but not often. I am quite happy to have them around. Take care Diane xx

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  69. Gloria thanks for your visit and your comments. I wonder how much i really miss around our garden as I am not that observant. These photos were just luck!! Diane

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  70. I came to look at your last few posts – all very interesting. The mackerel recipe sounds delicious. The bugs are pretty – from afar. I would have liked to witness the Nuits Romanes. Do you know what they are? They are not nuits romantiques, but “romanes.” They take from the “Art Roman” which is the period between 1030 and the XII century and which happened in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal at the same time (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_roman.) The Akubra hat is very handsome – but we don’t need it here as we get some good soaking with our thunderstorms. I like your little lizards – we have many different kinds in our yard too.

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  71. It's always a pleasure to visit your blog. Great post.

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  72. Vagabonde when I looked up Nuits Romane in my dictionary my first thoughts were that it came from the Art Roman. When I put the web site on to translate because my French was not good enough to cope, it came up with Romantic Nights. OK I know the translators are not much good, but usually you can get the gist of it. They shows were very romantic type shows so I went along with the translation! Have a good Sunday. Diane

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  73. Christine's pantry, Thanks for the comments have a great day. Diane

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  74. The little lizards are so cute and help keep bugs down. Sure hope the eggs make it. Love the sky!

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  75. Thanks Gaelyn I also thought that sky was pretty spectacular. Diane

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  76. Wow, nice find Diane. I used to find those eggs when I was still in the Philippines as we have so many of those there. But when I came here, I have never seen one. Love the sunset shot.

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  77. chubskulit yep I also took a fancy to that sunset photo :-) Diane

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  78. Well the lizard population in France will thank you for saving them. Love your recipe for the wings! It was so nice seeing the "pebbles" finished. I'm sure you are getting some ideas for their use in your terrace. Hope the rain continues a bit for your garden. I would have to put the hat away today as we have had rain, rain rain. Cheers!

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  79. Wow, what a great website. I would love to retire in France! I saw your website on Cate Can Cook and I am so pleased I came over for a look!

    What a gorgeous little lizard, and eggs too!!

    You have done so much travel I am in awe!

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  80. Gourmet Getaways, Thank you so much for your visit and very kind comments. It is so mice when I know how much people appreciate my blog. Hope to see you back sometime. Tried to check and see if you have a blog but there appears to be no lead from your post. Take care Diane

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  81. Lizard eggs? WOW! What a find. Lovely little creatures.

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  82. JM it was quite a find those eggs, I was over the moon. Diane

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