Pies et Perces-Neige

Pie (Voleuse). (Pica Pica)

René parked his antique tractor outside the cellar this morning, and the steaming dung in the tray defrosted the icy air.

He pointed to the magpie nest in the top of the ash tree.

"Je t'avais bien dit que l'hiver serait rude. Les pies ont niché haut l'an dernier".

I nodded, and thought about asking him to formulate a sentence which would be easier to transpose to the rudimentary language level of this blog. One without a pluperfect verb or rude pies.

But instead, I remarked on the artfulness of magpies, and we walked past the fading perces-neige, went inside his wine cellar, and discussed the winter's passing.

Perce-neige (Galanthus) Now Click on perce-neige for Last of the Winter Freeze.

Lexique; Nicher-construire un nid (Do not confuse with Nichon, which is rude. Beaux Nichons = Great Tits but not in the ornithological sense. There's another bit of lexis you won't forget.)

Nid-La maison d'un oiseau.

Pie-Oiseau noir, blanc et voleur. (Ne pas confondre avec le plat australien emblématique)

Voler- verbe à double-sens; on vole dans un avion, dans un hélicoptère... un voleur irait peut-être en prison. Une pie vole et vole.

...et un peu de langage familier pour finir; Piquer = voler. To nick. Pica Pica = pie voleuse.

Voilà!