01/09/2025 - Oh dear it is now September and I have not finished July yet!!

 The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 21⁰C, minimum 13⁰C.

20 - 42 km/h South/West winds.  90% chance of rain. These are the first rains worth having since April, the garden is 'cooked'!!

After a month of heatwaves exceeding 40°C, this feels very cold!

No excuse, but 5 weeks ago I fell in the garden and broke two ribs, one on each side.  This slowed me up quite a lot while doing my normal work, and the added heat did not help. I am well behind with everything!!  They are better, but still not 100% so I am having to be careful

Gatekeeper or hedge brown (Pyronia tithonus) Amaryllis.

Seed pod of Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena) Cheveux-de-Vénus or Barbe-de-Capucin in French.

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis) Lézard des murailles...

As above.

Vernal Shield Bug (Peribalus strictus) I think....

Carpenter bee (Xylocopa) Abeilles charpentière...

As above.

Bronze Furrow Bee (Halictus tumulorum) on a Blackeyed Susan...

As above .  Halicte dorée commune, I think in French, in other words, a Common Golden Sweat Bee.

Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) Geai des chênes...

As above.

Harlequin bug (Graphosoma-italicum) Punaise arlequin 

 on Queen Annes Lace (Daucus carota) Carotte sauvage.

Wild Mallow (Malva sylvestris) Mauve sylvestre ou Mauve des bois.

Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia vulgaris) Lysimaque commune encore appelée Grande lysimaque.

Two Golden Rod Crab Spiders (Misumena vatia) on a Blackeyed Susan,

Thomise variable, ou Araignée-crabe ou encore Misumène cagneuse in French.

Young chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) Pinson des arbres. It was busy having a 'set too' with another bird and hit our window (that is covered in transfers!). I brought it inside, and when it recovered, I took it back outside. It was in no hurry to fly away, but it did after a couple of minutes.

Pelargonium brown (Cacyreus marshalli) Brun des pélargoniums.

Native to southern Africa, this species was introduced to Western Europe in the late 20th century and has become invasive here. Very pretty, but sadly, it is a pest. When the caterpillars hatch, the larvae bore through the stem of the host plant, mainly geraniums, where they are typically found within the stem or flower buds. The plant stem usually turns black after being invaded by larvae. The larva feeds on the host plant, damaging the host until it enters the pupa stage. The plants will often die soon after invasion...

As above with open wings.

A young Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) Mésange bleue.

Common Wall Lizard as above

Here endeth July Photos....... I will make the effort to get August done very soon, but we seem to have a busy month!!

Happy September everyone.

03/08/2025 A few photos for July.....

The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 26⁰C, minimum 10⁰C.   12 - 29 km/h North/West winds.  Still very dry, and next week looks like another heat wave is on the way with no sign of rain.

Many of these photos are similar to the ones in the last post, but the insects are obviously not interested in changing for the benefit of my photography!!  Apart from the first two, all were taken in our garden.

That time of the year.

Happy Sunflowers

A Great Banded Furrow Bee (I think) (Halictus scabiosae) Halicte de la Scabieuse.

Seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) Coccinelle à sept points.

A young European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Étourneau sansonne...

As above.

Gypsey Moth (Lymantria dispar) Spongieuse.

In the house : Phalaenopsis amabilis.

House Sparrow Female (Passer domesticus) Moineau domestique.

Common Blue  (Polyommatus icarus). Male in front, female behind, looking a bit tatty! Argus bleu...

As above...

As above.

Gatekeeper or hedge brown (Pyronia tithonus) Amaryllis.

Small white or Cabbage white (Pieris rapae) Piéride de la rave...

As above.

European Wool Carder Bees (Anthidium manicatum) Abeille cardeuse  - they are aggressive, but likeable bully bees, see my last post...

As above.

The only photo I have managed to get of a European Gold Finch, though there are several around, sadly, it was in the shade, so not very clear with the sun right behind.  (Carduelis carduelis) Chardonneret élégant.

Wildflowers.

Long Smooth-headed Poppies (Papaver dubium) so I am told!
Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).
Oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) plus bug.
Dark mullein (Verbascum nigrum).

Woolcarder bee see above.

Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) Moro-sphinx...

As above.

Thyreus is an Old World genus of bees , one of many that are commonly known as cuckoo bees see my previous post...

Aa above.

Yet another European Carder Bee, but look carefully, there are two of them, male and female.

Halictus scabiosae see above.

Hoverfly Syrphini Sp. Maybe Eurasian Smoothwing (Scaeva pyrastri)?

Night beauty (Mirabilis jalapa) Belle de nuit.  

They only open around 6 to 7pm.

Just a matter of interest, maybe... Our neighbour's barn, it has been in this state for the past 20years, as far as we know!  Our wall and hedge are on the left.

Happy August everyone, there are still more photos for July yet!!

 

26/07/2025 - Oh dear now the end of July and I have still June to blog

The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 24⁰C, minimum 14⁰C.   19 - 38 km/h North/West winds.  It was supposed to rain today, but it never happened.  The heat wave returns next week again and the garden is struggling.

Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) Syrphe ceinturé.

Wildflower Cut-leaved Crane's-bill (Geranium dissectum) Géranium à feuilles découpées.

Large-flower-Orlaya (Orlaya grandiflora) Orlaya à grandes fleurs.

Not the best photo, but swallows outside our kitchen window. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) Hirondelle rustique.

Field Bumble Bee (Bombus pascuorum) Bourdon des champs.

Common Globetail Hoverfly (Sphaerophoria script) Syrphe porte-plume.

Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) Moro-sphinx.

Thick Legged Hoverfly (Syritta pipiens) Syrphe à pattes épaisses.

Top Left – Pink Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascene) Cheveux-de-Vénus

Central - is the seed pod of the Nigella.

Top Right - Jackman's Clematis (clematis x jackmanii) Clématite Jackmanii.

Bottom left - Tomato flower - Fleur de tomate

Bottom Centre - a pale Pink Love-in-a-Mist.

Bottom Right - Birds foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) Lotier corniculé plus a bee.

Cricket-bat Orbweaver (Mangora acalypha) Mangore petite-bouteille.

Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) Petite tortue ou Vanesse de l'ortie....

As above

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) Corneille noire.

Bee fly (Bombylius cruciatus) Bombyle agité

Striped Wood Mallow (Malva sylvestris) Grande Mauve.

Bee fly (Bombylius cruciatus) Bombyle agité.

Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Tournesol.

Courtesy of the birds dropping seed in the garden!

Brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) Citron papillon....

As above.

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) Cuivré commun ou Bronzé.

Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) en Europe l’Hespérie du dactyle et au Canada l’Hespérie des graminées,

Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) Moro-sphinx.

Small White butterfly or Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) Piéride de la rave.

Plume Moth (Capperia) Genus

Thyreus is an Old World genus of bees , one of many that are commonly known as cuckoo bees, or cloak-and-dagger bees, and are kleptoparasites of other species... This was as far as I got with ID, but what a pretty bee...

As above...

As above.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) Bourdon Terrestre

Field Bumble Bee (Bombus pascuorum) Bourdon des champs.

European magpie (Pica pica) Pie bavarde. Sunbathing.

Blue flax flower (Linum lewisii) Lin de Lewis.

European Wool Carder Bees (Anthidium manicatum) the males give this species its thuggish reputation. The peaceful females are known for their habit of scraping the fuzz from woolly-leaved plants to line their nests with (hence the name “wool carder bee”), while the males are known for their aggression. They will body slam and drive off any other wool carder males, honey bees, bumble bees, or various interlopers that dare to enter their no-fly zones.

Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalinus). In France it is le Flambé ('the Singed') due to its pattern of charcoal stripes, as if it has had a flame passed over it....

As above.

Common Blue  (Polyommatus icarus). Male in front, female behind. Argus bleu...

As above

As above

Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina) Myrtil.

Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) en Europe l’Hespérie du dactyle et au Canada l’Hespérie des graminées.