03/03/2021 Gosh it is March already........

 Maximum temperature here today 18⁰C, minimum 6⁰C.  Dry but very grey skies.  15km/h South-Easterly winds with gusts up to 30 km/h.  If the forecast is right it turns cold again next week and the birds, bees and butterflies are going to have a shock!

Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)...

As above...

As above.

Early tulip.

Snowdrops.

Daffodils.

Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosa Ranunculaceae).

Crocus.

Sweet violet (Viola odorata), this year we seem to have white, this pale colour and dark blue.

Western Honey Bee  (Apis mellifera).

Bumblebee.

Carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea).

Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria).

and the return of the Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)...

As above.

Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax).

Western Honey Bee  (Apis mellifera).

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis).

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.

21/12/2020 Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas and a much improved 2021.

   Maximum temperature here today 14⁰C, minimum 6⁰C.  3 mm of rain measured this morning but it has been raining all day.  23km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 46 km/h.   The freeze arrives on Christmas day.  Temperatures drop and frost arrives.

I had intended doing another blog before this one, but time caught up with me, and the speed of the WiFi just got worse.  I hope it will improve in the New Year but I do not have much hope.  I have picked one photo from each month of 2020, thankfully COVID has not as yet killed off my photos.  Probably not the best photos as far as photography goes, but the ones I like from each month

12.2 km walked yesterday the best ever!

14/01/2020 A sunset that looked like a fireworks display.

03/02/2020 Snow drops appear in the garden.

21/03/2020 Blossom and insects start to appear.  Mirabelle blossom and hoverflies.

11/04/2020 Butterflies are very visible out on my walks. Orange Tip butterflies  

(Anthocharis cardamines).  Male on the left and the female under the leaf.

25/05/2020 Lots of Damselflies around. Beautiful demoiselle Male (Calopteryx virgo).

09/06/2020 I just liked this shot of the Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis) eying up the hornet (Vespa crabro). They both finally decided to go in opposite directions!

04/07/2020 Happy and smiling Sunflowers.

16/08/2020 Lesser purple emperor, female butterfly (Apatura ilia).

11/09/2020 Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

18/10/2020 Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

14/11/2020 One of our neighbour's little ponies, they have four, and none of them are higher than my waist.

16/12/2020 What else but a Robin for Christmas. (Erithacus rubecula).

Happy Christmas 

Gesëende Kersfees

Nginifisela inhlanhla ne mpumelelo e nyakeni

Nadolig Llawen

Nollaig Shona Dhuit

Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur

Buone Feste Natalizie

Feliz Natal

Feliz Navidad!

God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt Ar

Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan

 Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun

 Kung Ho Hsin Hsi. Ching Chi Shen Tan

Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

Sawadee Pee Mai

Gajan Kristnaskon

Froehliche Weihnachten

Kala Christouyenna

Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova.

Vrolijk Kerstmis en een Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar

See you all in 2021 I hope.

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

05/03/2020 Playing with frames.....

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 12C, minimum 6C. Rain all day not measured as yet.  I am guessing that we are now over 200 mm this year.  36km/h North-westerly wind with gusts up to 86 km/h.  

Because the weather is so bad I have been trying to take a few photos of flowers that are not too beaten up and I have been playing with frames for them.  Something different!!

Cowslips (Primula veris).

I think this is wild Sea Mayweed (Tripleurospermum maritimum).

Gorse (Ulex europaeus).

House orchid (Cymbidium).

Wild buttercup (Ranunculaceae).

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivali).

Unknown blossom in the neighbour's orchard.

Wild Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea).

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus).

Japanese quince ( Chaenomeles japonica).

Hyacinth (Hyacinthus).

Camellia.

See also my

 Bird blog

09/02/2020 A bit more of spring in the garden.

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 13C, minimum 7C. Rain measured this morning nil, but it is forecast for later today.  30km/h South-Westerly wind up to 61 km/h.

We went out for lunch on Thursday, these photos are just to tide you over until I edit them all.  I took a lot, as we were trying to plan a route to have lunch with friends. David, watch out for the cheeseboard 😏

Bergenia Cordifolia.

Rose.

Crocus

Snowdrop.

Chaenomeles japonica,

As above

Crocus that does not want to open on a colder day.

Kalanchoe.

Viburnum tinus.

Buttercup which Google seems to think looks better turned on its side!

Lawn daisy - (Bellis perennis)

Wild Violets - (Viola canina)

Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus).

Great tit (Parus major)

See also my

 Bird blog