taj Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 and closing! Well usually coming autumn means I will be going south east to collect sunshine and pyritic ammos... Especially nice to stroll these badlands in T shirt in mid winter under a nice , hot sun. Well , sometimes the sun disappears for a few minutes But this year my wife was a tad jealous , so we decided to migrate in numbers , including kids for extended week ends. So dedicated time for fossils was restricted , but sticking to known playgrounds, I was able to maximise given time slots. I like these lower cretaceous badlands ( gargasian, valanginian) were silence and wildlife and occasional hunters are your only companions. No needs for hammers and chisels, a good physical condition and a keen eye are enough. These are in - situ finds . Obviously nobody has been there during holydays!! Praying mantis can still be found in mid october . And I couln't take a picture of the polecat going back home in the small hours of the morning, nor the f!!!??!!huge boar that decided to cross the road no matter what at 10 pm ( this one was close). Anyway I could complete my systematics of the gargasian , including a site at the base of he stage which I missed last year ( was 50 m out of the mark..) during a brief nap everybody else took in the car. I really like it when they're so "fat" and "glossy" You can even find ammos on the pavement of small villages An impromptu village school festival provided lots of distraction for the kids.... I went back again 15 days later , in the same family configuration. I was looking for some specific species, and lo! first find , bingo! Very lucky indeed since I only found two ammos there , somebody had paid a visit in the meantime. I then shifted location to explore some valanginian spots , up in the first slopes of the alps. Again an incredible weather for the first days of november Nice to be protected by the slopes of the small creek when the wind is howling up there . Some finds in situ ( spot is quite productive, especially at that time of the year I suspect) I even found quite a lot of things whithin the layers of marl , but I left my "heavy tools " in the car since everything was supposed to lay already prepped on the ground. Not easy to set these little beasts free with a small swiss army knife. But the rarest ( for me ) from this site came out intact (Kilianella sp.) (Neocomites sp.) A very fruitfull few hours in the Drome! So far for the good news . Bad news is that my knee which has been nagging me for some time really needs some attention ( i.e surgery) . So next expedition not before spring 2013....Let's be positive :I will have lots of time to sort and tag findings of these last years ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vordigern Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 wow, nice finds!!! love the colors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redleaf101 Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Gorgeous stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 An excellent adventure . The beautiful fossils are just laying about! I hope your knee heals quickly. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Nice trip report. Thanks and good luck with the knee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowsharks Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Family fun outings - nice! And some nice fossils too! Hope the knee issue heals soon for you. Daryl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Dactyll Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 taj.... Fantastic trip report and very nice to see your hunting grounds... I hope the surgery goes well for you... Cheers Steve... And Welcome if your a New Member... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down under fossil hunter Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Those are some great ammonites, thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosmoceras Posted December 1, 2012 Share Posted December 1, 2012 Looks like you had a wonderful trip collecting. This time of year normally means less collecting for me unfortunately, though I do a lot more prep. Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taj Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 Thanks for the comments . The knee issue is a very small thing . BUT it will keep me away from my two preferred mode of blowing off some steam :fossiling and long distance running . That's a bigger problem for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foshunter Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Beautiful ammonites and scenery, looks like you have some winter work ahead.---Tom Grow Old Kicking And Screaming !!"Don't Tread On Me" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Great report. Thanks for showing us not only your finds but also lots of landscape shots. I was only there once during the hottest summer of the century, but the memories are now flooding back due to this report. Love to get back again sometime. It's a wonderful area to explore. Good luck with your knee. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taj Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 Well , the beauty of these spots is that they're perfect for winter frolicking .Temperature is just nice ( besides , I'm not that into winter sports ) AND rain has done a lot of work for us . Personnaly , I would strongly advise against going there in summer . It's really too hot ( I think Everhardus can testify to this ) . I never get there after the month of may . Besides , scorpions go out by the begining of may , and they love to hide underneath stones .... Ludwigia , I assume you used the Moosleitner book ? It does give some hints , not always the most promising place . Plus , it is now outdated by recent regulations concerning the Reserve Geologique de Haute Provence . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Ludwigia , I assume you used the Moosleitner book ? Yes I did and it was a good help at the time to get orientated, since it was my first and only visit, but I did notice as time got on that there's a lot more to find in the back hills. The next time I go it certainly WON'T be during the summer! That year even the locals were panting. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CH4ShotCaller Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 A very good report and pictures of your treasures, especially enjoyed the landscape shots of the collecting sites. Thanks for sharing! Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. -Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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