At the slightest vibration, frogs resting on the edge of the pond jump into the water before taking refuge under a layer of mud. Along a dirt path, a lizard peeks out and then disappears nimbly into the tall grass. At water level, dragonflies and damselflies flutter about. They measure up to 10 centimetres in length, have two or four wings and display their dazzling colours: royal blue, forest green, scarlet red.
Mercury’s agriophiles attract attention: these thin, metallic blue stems, with black spots and a shape reminiscent of a Gallic helmet, balance themselves, encircling a patch of grass with their legs. Here and there, two insects flutter past each other, in the middle of mating. The walker continues on his way accompanied by pretty white butterflies.
In the middle of summer, the Bassée natural region, an alluvial plain extending over 30,000 hectares on both banks of the Seine between Montereau-Fault-Yonne (Seine-et-Marne) and Romilly-sur-Seine (Aube), looks like an immense jungle. Shades of green respond to each other. Umbelliferae plants, these fairly common plants that open into corollas of white flowers, spread out in the air. Closer to the ground, oregano shoots, recognizable by their small pink flowers, cover entire meadows. In an environment populated by lianas, branches and brambles, narrow paths open up leading to half-hidden ponds. Pieces of dead wood, creepers and nettle bushes form a backdrop for strange creatures.
Nature is never silent. The informed walker recognises the insistent shrill of the kingfisher. On one bank, herons spread their wings with a muffled whisper. Ducks sail over a pond while a bird of prey, from its gliding flight, surveys the scene. At dawn or dusk, foxes, hedgehogs and even martens sometimes appear, while thousands of insects (grasshoppers, crickets, beetles) rustle in all directions. Honesty compels us to mention the large mosquitoes, bent on devouring human blood, which are kept away with a powerful repellent.
If these landscapes of lush flora and fauna are to be found in the Île-de-France, Bassée shows none of the signs of urbanity that usually characterise the peri-urban countryside of the country’s densest region. There are no benches welcoming wise dog walkers, no barbecue smoke, no lawnmower engine, no signs promoting future real estate schemes. Only a few fishermen, having left their hooks early in the morning, sleep with a great deal of movement in their heads next to their portable fridge.
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