30/09/2026 Wow. October tomorrow and these are only photos from August!

 The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 26⁰C; the minimum tonight is 15⁰C!   18km/h S winds with 35km/h gusts.  Rain is forecast but so far we only have a cloudy sky.  The garden is still bone dry!

House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) Le Moineau domestique having fun.

I just loved this cloud formation; what can you see? I spot two dragons and an elephant!

A Berry or Sloe Bug (Dolycoris baccarum) La punaise des baies ou pentatome des baies, on a double cosmos.

As above but a close up.

This appears to be a (Cosmos bipinnatus) Double Dutch Rose. It came out of a mixed seed of Cosmos. I have no idea what it is in French other than Le cosmos double rose.

White zonal geranium flowers (Pelargonium × hortorum). Le géranium zonal.

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), l'Hibiscus de Syrie.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) La tomate.

More House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) Le Moineau domestique.

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) Le Lézard des murailles...

As above.

Mallow (Malvaceae) La famille de la mauve.

A garden rose which I have no idea of its identity!  I love it though.

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) Le Lézard des murailles taking a drink.

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) La Mésange bleue.

Sunset.

August 19, my 83rd birthday with Nigel.

(Andrena) Bee. They are called "mining," "burrowing," or "sand-dwelling" bees... Dites "minières", "fouisseuses" ou "des sables". Seen on Mallow...

As above.

Yellow Harlequin Moth (Acontia (Emmelia) trabealis) L'Arlequinette jaune, on Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) Pourpier maraîcher. All parts of the plant are edible, raw or cooked.

Pink Rose Yarrow (Achillea roseo-alba Ehrend) Achillée rose pâle,

Four o'clock flower (Mirabilis jalapa), also known as marvel of Peru or La Belle de nuit.

Sweet Mint (Mentha suaveolens) Menthe odorante.

The same unknown rose as above!

Narrow-leaved bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus tenuis) Le Lotier à feuilles étroites.

28 August our 45th wedding anniversary. Same restaurant as above.

30 August the first rain in about 4 months! Still waiting for more!

I just liked this shot of our neighbours.

21/09/2026 I am not doing very well at catching up. Here are are some from July all in the garden!

 The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 27⁰C; the minimum tonight is 12⁰C!   22km/h NNE winds with 42km/h gusts.  The garden is not going to recover from the very long heatwave. Many shrubs look dead, and the only green on the lawn is bindweed!!  Winter will arrive, and the grass will never recover (if it does) before spring 2027.

Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea or Colias croceus ) Le Souci.

Female House Sparrows playing in the water (Passer domesticus) Le Moineau domestique.  Les femelles

Gatekeeper or Hedge Brown (Pyronia tithonus) L’Amaryllis.

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) Le Cuivré commun ou Bronzé...

As above.

Cyclamen (Cyclamen L.) Les Cyclamens.

Common Blue, also known as the Small Blue, (Polyommatus icarus) L’Argus bleu, ou Petit Bleu commun...

As above.

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) Le Cuivré commun ou Bronzé...

Small white butterfly (Pieris rapae) La Piéride de la rave.

Common carder bee (Bombus pascuorum) Le bourdon des champs.

Orchid (Orchidaceae) Les Orchidacées, plus connues sous le nom d'orchidées. Violet est au-dessus et la blanche en dessous.

Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) Le Rougequeue noir.

Hay bales - Balles de foin.

Common chicory (Cichorium intybus) La Chicorée amère.

 

Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) Le Geai des chênes. 

Hiding behind the Mallow (Malvaceae) La famille de la mauve.

Great Tit (Parus major) La Mésange charbonnière.

House Sparrow female (Passer domesticus) Le Moineau domestique femelle.

Young Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) La Mésange bleue.

Homegrown figs - Les figues

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia herta) Rudbeckie hérissée ou Rudbéckie hirsute.

Quince fruit (Cydonia oblonga) Coing.

Tomatoes - Tomates

Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius) Le Geai des chênes. 

House Sparrows having a disagreement (Passer domesticus) Le Moineau domestique.....

As above.

Firebug or red soldier beetle (Pyrrhocoris apterus) Le Gendarme ou Pyrrhocore.

.

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) Le Lézard des murailles.

Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) Le Geai des chênes. 

Bird’s-Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) Le Lotier corniculé.

Chicory with what I believe might be a 

White-banded Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum leucozonium) Le Lasioglosse bandes-blanches.