25/07/2019 Very hot still and photos hard to come by.

Maximum temperature today 39C, minimum 24C.  Dry.  18km/h South-westerly winds with gusts up to 42 km/h.  Rain forecast for Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.  I hope it happens, but please not storms or hail which so often happens after very hot weather!! The garden is almost flat other than the lavender which seems to survive most.

Gatekeeper, this one I think is (Pyronia tithonus).  The last post I am sure was the Southern Gatekeeper.  Confusing for me I am no expert.

Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

Wasp? bottoms up taking a drink.

Social wasp, love the shadow.  Where its feet touch the water it looks like it is wearing shoes. 

Too hot to put its feet down! Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis).

Nymph of the Shield bug (Nezara viridula)

Bombylius species maybe major.

As above.

As above

A little hopper on the wilting stargazer lily.

A hornet?

Is it hotter up there closer to the sun?

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

06/07/2017 A walk and a drive but the drive I will add tomorrow. Too many photos!!

Maximum temperature 31C, minimum 16C. 12 km/h NW winds with 17 km/h gusts. A few drops of rain this morning that did not show in the rain gauge!

Crops as far as the eye can see.

Fern unfurling.

Buttercup.

Someone watching over me !

A shady lane.

White Admiral - (Limenitis camilla)...

Opening its wings, personally I think it is prettier with closed wings...

as above.

Speckled Wood - (Pararge aegeria)

Meadow Brown - (Maniola jurtina)

Oxythyrea funesta beetle.

Unknown wildflower.

Sorry Linda and David, it appears that the Canadian carpenters are not arriving this year, but the set up is a memorial it seems, see below pinned to one of the logs.

You might be interested in one of my old links HERE, a little more about the carvers.