01/04/2019 No April Fool - just yesterday's walk 6 kms.

Maximum temperature today 20C, minimum 7C.  Dry, but light rain forecast for later.  11 km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 22 km/h.

The temperatures drop again tomorrow with possible rains forecast.

Just before my walk, seen in the garden. Little Owl (Athene noctua). More photos to go on next weeks bird blog

Cowslips (Primula veris) everywhere in the fields and the roadsides.

Unknown tree with spring shoots.

Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia). ID thanks to Susan.

Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea)

Peacock butterfly (Aglais io)

Twins growing up....

Some of the younger lambs...

Is it really that much easier to kneel???

Winter wheat.

Fields of yellow, a mixture of celandine, buttercups, dandelions and cowslips.

I would love to amble down this leafy path but it is on private property!

Mallards on the dam at Russas.

The Chateau at Russas, the pigeonnier on the right...

A closer look at the pigeonnier. (Pigeon house).

Horses in the field at Russas.

The hedge is hawthorn blossom,  but the flowering trees behind I am not sure about.

A closer look at the hawthorn,

Poppies outside someone's house...

More poppies in a very overgrown flower bed.

I have taken photos of this little pony before, he is barely two and a half foot high. (7.2 hh in equine language)...

nearly as broad as he is high!

This cow was keeping a wary eye on me.

Last, but not least, this Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus) was stealing some of the bird seed when I got back home. ID also thanks to Susan.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

21/04/2018 Nature is beautiful.

Maximum temperature today 26C, minimum 14C.   Dry; 6 km/h South Westerly winds with up to 17 km/h gusts.

In the garden (top) and by the roadside. (bottom)

Quince blossom and apple blossom with bee, (top)

Hawthorn and Rapeseed oil. (bottom)

I will get back to normal eventually but it will probably be a couple of weeks!!

N.B. My new bird blog is HERE 

Part 4 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.

05/04/2018 Photos from the last few days. I am not keeping up very well!!!

Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 9C.   6 mm of rain measured over the last two mornings; 20 km/h South Westerly winds with up to 53 km/h gusts. 

Rain again today and very windy out.

Total rainfall so far this year now 412 mm.

Lawn daisy in the garden yesterday, with what I think is a fly of some kind.  I am hoping that someone can identify it for me 😊

My possible identification is Hilara maura a species of dance fly but....

Tulips.

The road en route to scrabble yesterday.  The sides of the road are full of cowslips and dandelions.

Cowslips.

Scrabble at St Adjutory.

Hawthorn in blossom.

Most of the people are playing the French card game belote....

we are playing scrabble as usual.

Yesterday's yellow tulip.

The kalanchoe today.

The yellow tulip today...

as above.

N.B. My new bird blog is HERE 

Part 3 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.

22/05/2016 Very wet day. Out for a walk last evening. .

Maximum temperature 16C minimum 8C.   43 km/h NW wind.  26mm rain measured this morning. Rain most of the day.

I went for a walk yesterday late afternoon so this post is 24 hours late!

I love these forest walks.

Campion I think.

Post Red squirrel, it was gone before I lifted the camera but I loved the hanging creepers.

Montemboeuf in the distance.

Two well cared for horses in a steep paddock.

Well, used now as a post box.

A mystery hole in a wall - drainage of some kind?

The Lavoir at Le Grand Jauniat.  

(Where the washing used to be done before the days of washing machines!)

Dandelion clock.

Hawthorn, note the Longhorn beetle.

Campanula.

The old bridge at Vitrac.