Muande de Bonnabelle

6 points of interest

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  Fauna

  The Grey Cuckoo

  This is a medium-sized migratory bird, identified by its "cuckoo" song, from April to July, between woodland and open spaces.
  The females seek out the nests of small sparrows and eat one of the eggs of the occupied nest before laying their own. In the cuckooed nest, the cuckoo chick, which is born before the others, will eject all the other eggs so it can be raised by its adoptive parents!

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  Know-how

  Retaining walls

  The retaining walls are made of dry stone. They are called restanques in Provence. In steep areas, they can be used to create farmed terraces by retaining the soil. At the time, their construction enabled generations of farmers to make a living from their land, which became fertile and arable. Today, many researchers and craftsmen are trying to bring back this age-old technique.

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  Pastoralism

  Grazing

  Pastoralism is an extensive farming technique practised by livestock farmers. It exploits natural resources to feed the herd. This practice is now thought to have begun around 10,000 years ago. Certain animals with a natural tendency to group together are then domesticated. The search for food led mankind to raise these herds with a nomadic lifestyle. This practice is very important in terms of maintaining open environments and encouraging certain specific species.

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  Fauna

  Deer

  In the semi-darkness, their mirror, that white spot under the tail in the shape of a heart for the female and a bean for the male, can give them away. Elegant, agile and fast, the roe deer is very discreet but leaves the imprint of its frail hooves on the snow or mud up to the alpine level. They can also be spotted by their loud "voice", emitting a powerful bark when disturbed. When it starts out on life, the fawn is covered in white spots that camouflage it. This "bambi" often lies on the grass. If you find one, remember not to touch it: it hasn't been abandoned.

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  Vernacular heritage

  Clapiers

  "Clapier" is the term used in the southern Alps to describe a pile of stones. They are evidence of former farming activities. The stones were once removed to clear the fields. This made it easier to work the soil and saved space. Back then, everything was done by hand.

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  Fauna

  Common Kestrel

  The Common Kestrel is medium-sized. The underside of the wings has a cream colour with black spots. The male’s head and top of its tail is blue-grey. This bird of prey flies rapidly, beating its wings fairly continuously, alternating changes of trajectory, short glides and sudden dives. Its characteristic feature is that it comes to a halt in flight, tail open like a fan, wings beating very rapidly, on the lookout for prey. This is known as the "flight of the Holy Spirit".

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