11/05/2025 Trying to catch up!!!!

 The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 19⁰C, minimum 11⁰C. 18 - 38 km/h South/West winds.  I measured 3 mm of rain in the rain gauge this morning, and there looks like there is another 5mm or 6mm in it now.  Very welcome as the garden was dry.

Single tree peony flower.  I was sold this as a Blue Phoenix, but I am sure it is not, it should be much darker.

Small White (Pieris rapae) Piéride de la rave on Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) Géranium Herbe à Robert.

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) Lézard des murailles, taking a drink in the late evening sun.

As above.

Speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) Tircis.

Great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) Pic épeiche.  My apologies for taking a photo on the feeder, but it was the only chance I had!

European Longhorn (Eucera longicornis) Abeille à longues antennas on Borage (Borago officinalis).

Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus) Grande chélidoine ou Grande éclaire.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax or Wall cymbal (Cymbalaria muralis) Cymbalaire des murs.

Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) Jacinthe des bois, ou Jacinthe sauvage, with a Heineken Fly (Rhingia campestris) Rhingie long-nez.

As above.

Greater stitchwort (Stellaria_holostea) - Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta).
Long-leaved lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia) -  Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius).

Brown lipped snail also called a Hedge snail (Cepaea-nemoralis) Escargot des bois.

Sunset.

Logan berry flower with a Bee, an ant and a tiny fly.  ID not confirmed

Heineken Fly (Rhingia campestris) Rhingie long-nez.

California poppy or American poppy (Eschscholzia californica Cham.) Pavot de Californie.

Hoverfly (Chrysotoxum cautum) Chrysotoxe prudent.

Soft-leaved cranesbill (Geranium molle) Géranium à feuilles molles.

 I am assuming this is one of the Robber flies with its prey, which I also presume is a cranefly - any further ID would be appreciated. The flower is from the Red Robin (Photinia Fraseri).

Blue Field ForgetMeNot (Myosotis arvensis) Myosotis des champs.

Bee on the Red Robin (Photinia Fraseri). Possibly a Western Honey bee (Apis mellifera) but I think it is too dark.

One of the Robber flies may be (Empis tessellata) Empis marqueté.

Common wasp, I think (Vespula vulgaris) Guêpe commune.

The caterpillar of the Lacky Moth (Malacosoma neustria) Livrée des arbres...

As above

Wild flower Red Valerian (Valeriana rubra) Centranthe rouge.

My telescopic lens has now been sent to Paris for a service, so photos will be very limited until it is returned. Apart from that, the garden is very demanding so my time is short!!!

I will visit you all when I can, you are not forgotten!!!

12/04/2025 A visit from a Sparrowhawk and a Hawfinch.

The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 17⁰C, minimum 11⁰C. 18 - 36 km/h South/West winds.  80% chance of rain.

I have not used my bird blog for some time, and most people follow this one, so here are a few bird photos spotted in the garden over the past month. All were taken through glass from the lounge with my Nikon D3500 - TAMRON Megazoom - 18-400 mm, so not perfect shots.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) Épervier d'Europe.

It cleaned up so well after feeding that there were not enough feathers for ID, but looking closely at the photos, there are some brown feathers, I think. If so, this sadly might have been a Hawfinch. I hope I am wrong and it was only a dove.

Note the damaged left wing but there are new feathers growing,

Spotted the following day (3 of them), so if the sparrowhawk had one there are more around than I realised. Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) Grosbec cassenoyaux. 

As above.

Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) Verdier d'Europe.  It had just had a bath, which I missed, but it had a bit of cleaning up to do 😊...

As above...

As above.

Another Hawfinch with what I believe to be a scruffy looking female, maybe she is raising young, I hope so.

Hawfinch and a Greenfinch.

31/03/2025 February photos - I am so far behind!!

 The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 16⁰C, minimum 6⁰C.  A 21km/h North/East wind with gusts up to 40km/h.  

Sorry for the long blog but it is my best chance of catching up!

Arugula (Eruca sativa). Rocket. Roquette

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) and  the bee is (Andrena thoracic)...

As above.

Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera). Abeille européenne.

Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) Mésange bleue.

As above.

One of our neighbour's lambs.

Another neighbour, who breeds these little ponies that are not much higher than my knee.

Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria) Tircis

Cowslip (Primula veris) Primevère officinale.

Daffodils (Narcissus) Jonquilles.

Dandelion (Taraxacum sect). Dandelion.

Primrose (Primula) Primevère.

Top - Sweet violets (Vola odorata), Daisy (Bellis Perennis) with a Golden Dung Fly (Scathophaga_stercoraria) and Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus acris).

Bottom - Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus), Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica). Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum).

A spectacular sunset.

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) Gros-bec casse-noyaux. Female I think...

As above all taken through the window...

As above...

As above,

Little Owl (Athene noctua) Chevêche d'Athéna. On the neighbours barn...

As above,

Miribelle blossom (Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca).

Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles japonica) Cognassier du Japon.

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) Gros-bec casse-noyaux, male and  a European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) Chardonneret. Apologies for taking photos on the feeder, but it was my only choice on this particular day.

Hawfinch with a European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) Verdier.

Bridal Wreath (Spiraea prunifolia). 

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) Romarin.

Cowslip (Primula veris) Primevère officinale.

Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) Gléchome lierre terrestre. I just love this little face!

Top - Lawn daisy (Bellis perennis) Pâquerette, and Japanese quince see above

Bottom - Celandine and Vinca minor - Mirabelle blossom.

Hawfinch male (see above) with a European Greenfinch.

Hawfinch male with the female in hiding.

Our house with the Mirabelle blossom natural frame.

Wall flower.

The flowers of the Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) Laurier.

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly, (Nymphalis) Petite tortue.

European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula) Poliste gaulois.

Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax) Cyrphe.

Cherry blossom.

I think this is a very young spiny toad (Bufo spinosus), Crapaud épineux, it was the size of my first thumb joint. It was taken at night, and I almost stood on it on the edge of the verandah.

As above.