Showing posts with label Cranes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cranes. Show all posts

Monday, February 22, 2021

20/02/2021 Last weeks walk

 Maximum temperature here today 16⁰C, minimum 10⁰C.  Dry but very grey skies.  21km/h South-Westerly winds with gusts up to 74 km/h. 

I have not been out walking since last week when these photos were taken.  The very high winds have been a problem and my eyes, despite wraparound glasses,  just water all the time and I cannot focus on where I am going let alone focus on the camera.

At home the Viburnum tinus is in flower.

and the first crocuses.

Out walking it was a little misty to begin with but it soon cleared.

The lambs were playing...

as above...

As above...

Looking over the local town.

Seen outside somebodies house.

The little stream is still flowing very fast.

Muddy puddles everywhere....

and the cattle are still standing in mud.

A pleasant surprise was seeing about 8 Brimstone butterflies at various places along the walk, only one settled long enough for me to get a photo. (Gonepteryx rhamni).

Many hundreds of Cranes (Grus grus) were flying overhead, but I was only carrying the Nikon Coolpix so photos were not easy to get.  Even more so because most of my walk was through the woods and the trees were in the way!  Good to see them returning to the North.

Some of the track where I was walking.

Seen in somebodies smallholding. With thanks to Richard we believe them to be Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus), presumably, these have been domesticated. 

Flowers were in abundance, Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) above with a bug.

Gorse (Ulex europaeus).

Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna)

Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica)

Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia).

Unknown fungus.

And a sunset that surprised me at the end of the day.


Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

My local list of wildflowers. (90 Species 23/08/2020).

See also my


Tuesday, December 1, 2020

01/12/2020 Out walking last week.

  Maximum temperature here today 6⁰C, minimum 2⁰C.  A light shower of rain not measured as yet.  Rain forecast every day for the next week!  13km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 27 km/h. 

I have been walking every day, but this weather does not look good for getting out.  Only 4C yesterday, but blue skies, sun and no wind and I walked an easy 8.2 kms.

Sunset.

Number 105 taking a rest.

Probably not a good route at this time of the year, hi-vis- vest necessary as the hunters are back out! 

Spindle tree berries (Euonymus europaeus),

Calendula and bee...

As above.

Oak leaves in their autumn colours.

Just saying hello.

Wow, this has to be twins!!

Gorse, oddly flowering in late November.

Mushroom of some sort.

Think this might be a couple of Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus).

Still quite a lot of green around in some places.

Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea).  There are several very similar so this could be wrong!

A slightly bedraggled Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Last day of November and the cranes are still flying South. Common crane (Grus grus).

I don't generally do not show photos like this, but this is sadly the third one now I have found that has been run over. This is a farm track where I see almost no vehicles at all. The Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) generally only comes out at night, though if raining will appear during the day. They like to lie on the roads for warmth and they are very slow-moving creatures.  I have yet to see one alive!  They have very long life spans so it seems, but these are having a very hard time.  I find it very upsetting.

My local list of wildflowers. (90 Species 23/08/2020).


See also my


Joining up with My Corner of the World.


Photo competition running until 31 December - colourful photos.

B u n t

Let us all join in great fun.


 

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

25/02/2020 Out for another walk....

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 12C, minimum 5C. Rain on and off all day not measured as yet.  24km/h north-westerly wind with gusts up to 55 km/h.

I apologise for my late replies to comments, we seem to have been very busy and also a number of visits for me to the dentist - still more to go!!

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

As above.

A lone daffodil with a bug!

Our neighbour's chickens.

Our neighbour's lamb...

As above in plural.

Do you think it still works!!..

These look in slightly better shape.

A lost feather.

Dandelion and bug.

Ivy.

The quiet track leading down to a stream.

Self-seeded rapeseed by the side of the road.

Rose bedeguar galls caused by the wasp (Diplolepis rosae). The female lays up to 60 eggs within each leaf bud. The grubs develop within the gall.  I put a picture of one on an earlier blog but this is a better photo.

Long-leaved Lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia).

Last but not least there were still some cranes around flying North but I was in thick woodland so photos were almost impossible.


See also my