The maximum temperature in the Charente today was 21⁰C, minimum 14⁰C. 10mm's of rain last night, but 90% rain is forecast for today. Southerly wind of 24km/h with gusts up to 53km/h.
Climbing Rose with the smallest cricket nymph....
a miniature rose...
and the beautifully perfumed Garden Rose.
Tomato flower.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). I was fascinated by the facial expression !
In a friend's garden Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria).
Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius).
Potatoes in flower - Prospère (Solanum tuberosum Stemster). I have just dug them all out, we have slightly under 50 kg to last us stored well until next year.
Courgettes.
Wild Flower - Wood Avens (Geum urbanum).
European cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens).
Just a sunset at the end of July.
Crab Spider (Misumena vatia).
Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) .
Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) they change colour to confuse their prey.
As above with lunch. This particular spider I followed for many days in the Black-eyed Susans,
Here it is again.
A bee drinking from the birdbath, Western honey bee or European honey bee (Apis mellifera).
It is still around....
European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula).
An August sunset.
Juvenile Raft Spider (Dolomedes fimbriatus) Dinner is served.
As above.
Wildflower Common Nipplewort (Lapsana communis),
Cricket nymph and fly in hiding on the rose petals!
The Raft spider returns, hungry little fellow...
Two-course meal.
Western honey bees see above.
A somewhat bedraggled Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)...
As above.
Love the blooms. The detail of the insects and spiders is incredible. Nature at its best!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Marie, I do love taking photos of insects, I miss them when winter arrives, Keep well, Diane
DeleteSo many stunning flower shots! The potatoes in flower is completely new to me...didn't know they look like that. So pretty!
ReplyDeleteVegetable flowers are usually different and pretty, these potatoes are a pretty colour as well, Thanks for the comment, Diane
DeleteNow here’s the thing about Eurasian Jay, Diane. I was told before making my first trip to Europe that it was very hard to find, but I never found it so. I saw it readily in England, Scotland, France, Slovenia and Croatia. We rented a house in France and it used to perch on the stone wall at the back of the garden. Maybe I exude jay pheromones! Your crab slider looks very similar to one of the species here. They are effective predators to be sure. As always your post is a panoply of delight. The other day I was rearranging my bookshelves and looked at a book on the Rutland Water Ospreys, which I bought when I visited there with Richard Pegler. It’s hard to believe he is no longer with us. Gros bisous de ton ami Canadien, David
ReplyDeleteThis Jay visits us quite often, or I presume it is the same one, on a couple of occasions I have seen 2 together but generally it is just one. It never ceases to amaze me how the little spiders manage to catch such big prey. Also the little web spiders what they can catch in their webs including spiders 10 times their own size.
DeleteYes, I am finding it difficult to come to terms with Richard, he had become a good friend and we were in constant contact on WhatsApp. If only his appointment that was 12 months earlier had not been cancelled and re-cancelled, the problem might have been found soon enough to treat.
Take care, bisous mon ami, Diane
A fascinating day filled with nature! The variety of plants and insects you’ve encountered is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Melody for your kind comment, so appreciated. Keep well Diane
DeleteAnother marvelous series Diane. The paper wasp’s shadow in the water was a splendid shadow shot but each photo draws me in. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise, I think that was the photo that was my favourite, the shadow was quite spectacular and different. I hope all is well. Cheers Diane
DeleteWhat a great set of plants and animals. I like flower pictures, but always think that they are elevated by the presence of an insect or similar.
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Thanks Stewart I agree if I can find a flower with an insect on it this would always be my first choice. I hope all is well over there, cheers Diane
DeleteYour post is full of beautiful photos and interesting details about nature. It's amazing how much wildlife you've captured in your garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your very kind comment, sadly we are heading for winter and wildlife will not be as numerous in the garden, especially the bugs they all vanish :-(( Cheers Diane
DeleteMe encantan todas las fotografías, son preciosas. Besos.
ReplyDeleteGracias Teresa, tu comentario siempre es apreciado. Buena semana, Diane
DeleteWow! So many great shots.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam always good to hear from you. Have a good week Diane
DeleteFall has started to move in around us here in TN. Colors are just now starting to turn, temps battling back and forth to make their stand on summer or fall and the whole look of things are feeling like fall. Love your pics, you always manage to catch the littlest of the critter an insects on and around you. I love it. Here in rural land of TN I have recently spotted large outdoor spiders and even a snake making his way to the woods. I determined it was a black racer and when he started to move off, he moved fast...hence the racer in his name. I love watching the changing of the seasons. Our flowers have just around given up on blooming. All except some Narrow Leaf Zinnias I picked up in the spring, they just seem to want to keep blooming and blooming, but you know I am good with that.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, yes Fall is well on its way, but we seen to have had a very short summer. It started late with far too much rain, it then dried out for a few weeks with temperatures around 40C (104F) but suddenly the rain returned and the temperatures dropped!! All far too early for autumn but I guess the whole world is changing with cyclones etc far bigger and faster then normal! I still have calendula in the garden but not a Zinnia came up this year!!
DeleteKeep well, love to the fur babes, Diane
Hello Diane. Yes I missed two of your comments. Sometimes the comments don't come to my email account so I don't get to see them until I look in the blog sidebar - if that makes sense? The Black-eyed Susan looks like someone painted a face on it ! And your spider pictures are superb with so much variety. We have no flowers at all now, as everything has finished. Apples still droping but the freezer is full of baked apple ready for some crumbles!
ReplyDeletePromise I didn't touch the Black-eyed Susan, I just laughed when I saw it, only the one was like that! We had no apples this year, they all rotted with the rain before they ripened but we have had enough figs to feed an army this year. Not many flowers left now other than the calendulas which still seem happy enough. Cheers Diane
DeleteStunning shots, so beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the comment, much appreciated. Cheers Diane
DeleteHi Diane - exceedingly late ... but your photos and captions are always a delight to see ... and learn a little. Nipplewort - true to its name in the old days! The Black Eyed Susan's face is extraordinary - and how fortunate to come across it like that. Sad about the apples, but good about the figs ... lots of rain we've had here too - though I don't have a garden. Brilliant photos - cheers for now - Hilary
ReplyDeleteThanks Hilary for the visit and the comment. I am more than a little late with everything!!! We have just had two sunny days but the rain returns again tomorrow. So hard to get everything done in the garden when it is mostly mud! I hope all is well, take care Diane
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