France Day 10 - 17/08

Final full day in France and my parents wanted to go back to Chambord to have a proper luck around the chateau in the morning so I joined them and it proved much more productive than the last visit. There were lots more butterflies around and amongst the ones I managed to identify were Map (nfm) and female Common Blue. There were also quite a few damselflies and dragonflies including Willow Emerald Damselfly (nfm). Birds were very vocal but unfortunately very elusive with several woodpeckers calling and also a rail sp in an area of reeds. I went in to look for it and looked down to reveal a Grass Snake not 30cm from my foot slowly uncurling itself before slinking away into the undergrowth! Nearby I found some of it's shed skin which I have kept and is now in my brothers room. Other repltiles in the area were Western Green and Common Wall Lizards.