18/04/2021 After a week of frosts and icy winds it looks like spring is returning.

  Maximum temperature here today 15⁰C, minimum 4⁰C.  Dry.   9km/h  North-Easterly winds with gusts up to 22 km/h.     Next week it looks like spring is really returning, hopefully for good this time.

Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) taking a drink.

As above...

As above, thirsty little fellows despite the colder weather...

As above but I liked the shadow.

Bluebells.

Wallflower.

Bumblebee (Bombus magnus) in the quince tree...

As above.

Cranefly (Tipulidae).

Blossom on one of the Acer trees.

European Orchard Bee (Osmia cornuta) on the apple blossom. A solitary bee... 

As above.

Quince blossom.

Black Tulips.

Apple Blossom.

Lilac.

Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) and Persian Speedwell flower (Veronica persica).

Not sure what this bee is, I did not get to see its body, maybe one of the sweat bees!

House centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) 15 pairs of legs, think it is missing a few! Without the flash...

and with the flash.

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

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

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

21/04/2020 Day 35 of lock-down.

Maximum temperature here today 21⁰C, minimum 12⁰C.  4 mms rain measured this morning.  9km/h North-easterly wind with gusts up to 22 km/h. 

Bee, think it got confused as to which was the flower and which was the seed head!

Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria).

Bee on the quince blossom.

Crane-fly.

Love is in the air - crane-flies.

Green-veined white (Pieris napi).

Orange-tip Butterflies (Anthocharis cardamines).

Small white (Pieris rapae).

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis).

Cattle in the field just beyond our house.

Horses in a neighbour's paddock.

Not sure what this blossom is seen across the road but it is pretty!

I have made an extra page on the wildflowers seen at home, or very close by, which if you are interested in, you can see the link at the top of the page under the main heading, on the green line,

See also my

 Bird blog

14/04/2020 Flowers in the garden at present, some wild others planted.

Maximum temperature here today 18⁰C, minimum 8⁰C (but felt like 3⁰C !). Dry today but 4 mms rain Sunday night.  23km/h North-easterly icy cold wind with gusts up to 51 km/h. 

Wallflowers.

Vinca

Calendula.

Lawn Daisy and wild violets.

Orange poppies.

Flag Iris.

Apple blossom.

Ground ivy, a weed but I think the little flowers are very cute.

Quince blossom.

Spanish bluebells.

A single flowering peony.

Wild bluebells.

Black tulips.

Violas.

Californian poppy.

Gorse.

No flowers but little figs appearing.

See also my

 Bird blog

Belated Happy Easter........ Out for a drive and around the garden.

Maximum temperature today 22C, minimum 11C.  Dry.  15 km/h South-easterly winds with gusts up to 49 km/h.

Spent today day working in the garden, half of the potatoes planted, grass cut and edges trimmed.

Looking across the fields,

Down the road,

Citroën 2CV at Massignac.

Château de Montbrun. 

(In B and W as I had a lot of reflection from the windscreen and this was better than colour!)

Winding roads...

as above.

Presumably the ancient stone entrance into Saint Auvent.

Choisya ternata and bee.

Black tulips.

Iris.

Lilac in the neighbours garden next to our hedge.

Bluebell with what I think is Red-tailed bumble bee (Bombus lapidarius).

Orchid, the first flower from one of my own cuttings so I am pretty happy about it.

Weed in the lawn but pretty - Cranesbill.

Peony look carefully - 2 bugs.

Quince blossom. I hope we do better with fruit this year! Last year was not good!

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente