20/09/2018 A few photos from out on the roads yesterday and in the garden.

Maximum temperature today 29C, minimum 15C.  Dry; 10km/h North-westerly winds with up to 24 km/h gusts. 

I love driving through the forest areas.  The sky was blue, but not this blue, the tinted windscreen again!!

Lots of obstructions on the roads, but we missed a photo of the biggest vehicle as we were busy watching we did not end up in a ditch!...

as above...

Tight fit!

La Vienne river, drive-by photo at Coldebouye.

The church at Chirac.

A well at Esse.

A new car to me.  A Noble - I had never heard of a Noble before let alone seen one. Seen at Esse

Driving home through more treed areas.

In the garden at home...

Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)...

As above.

Cosmos with insects - friends or foes!!

  

Cosmos and bumblebee.

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis).

My bird blog

has been updated HERE

17/09/2018 We are back........

Maximum temperature today 31C, minimum 12C.  Dry; 15km/h South-westerly warm winds with up to 36 km/h gusts. 

Just to let you know that we are back and I will visit you all as soon as I can.  Over 800 photos to go through, I will never learn!!  These are a few I took at home today before I start on the marathon!

Thank you for all the kind comments on the last post, as always appreciated.

And down came a spider and sat down beside her...

Cosmos.

Autumn daffodil/crocus (Sternbergia lutea) with bee.

As above minus bee!...

They are all over and so beautiful.

White cosmos.

Californian poppies.

Lonely little petunia.........

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album).

The return of the Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). A sure sign that Autumn is/has arrived we never see them in summer here.

Rub a dub dub, 6 men in a tub - House sparrow (Passer domesticus).

The common blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) on the sedum.

As above.

My bird blog

has been updated HERE

07/09/2019 A few photos from the garden and elsewhere.

Maximum temperature today 25C, minimum 13C.  Rain that was not forecast yesterday but very welcome, 9mm; 10km/h North-westerly winds with up to 27 km/h gusts. 

Looking down one of the roads in Rochechouart....

and I just liked this old gate in the same town.

A road crossing in Chassenon.

Six sparrows all trying to take a bath!

and a loner.

Comma Butterfly (Polygonia c-album)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa violacea)

Colorado beetle the big pest! (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), 

House centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata).

Cosmos and bug...

Cosmas and crab spider.

Autumn daffodil/crocus (Sternbergia lutea) and bug.

Californian Poppy.

Rose buds.

Sweet Potato flower.

Violas, these have been amazing, flowering all year from early spring and they are now reseeding.

We are away from tomorrow for the next week and as Penny from 'SnapThat' so aptly said, we will be unplugged.  No computer, and almost no phone contact.

Bonne semaine. À bientot.

My bird blog

has been updated HERE

03/09/2018 Join me on a walk around the garden.

Maximum temperature today 27C, minimum 12C.  Dry; 13 km/h North-easterly winds with up to 35 km/h gusts. 

We seem to be constantly on the go and I am taking photos when I can.  This week there is something on every day, and nothing which is going to be photogenic, but I will see what I can find at home when I have the chance.  At the weekend we are taking a break for a week and I will be out of contact, no computer and no WiFi, but I hope to bring back some good photos if the weather holds.

Splish, splash, splosh Sparrows having fun. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Peek-a-boo, common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis).

Bumblebee heading straight for me...

and enjoying the lavender.

A not very cooperative red admiral butterfly, (Vanessa atalanta).

and another one that was camera shy, Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria).

Cosmos and what might be a small bee of some kind.

The first Sternbergia lutea, the winter daffodil, autumn daffodil, autumn crocus (it seems to have many names) - not a good sign so early in the year!!

Trying so hard to keep up with the figs.......

Green bell peppers.

Asiatic hornet (Vespa velutina), a nasty piece of work....

As above.

Nasturtiums.

Sweet potatoes are looking healthy with lots of watering; spring onions bottom right...

 winter broccoli on the left, carrots centre and haricot beans on the right, potatoes at the back.

I hopefully saved a little sparrow today that was being chased by something and it hit the window 3 times.  I went out and picked it up and brought it in to stay warm in my hands for a short while. We were going out soon after, so I gently put it in a tea towel to protect it, but so it was able to get out which I then put into a small container.  When we came home it had apparently flown the nest so I hope all is well.  I tried to take a photo with the phone, but realised holding a bird in one hand and trying to take a photo with the other did not work very well!!

My bird blog

has been updated HERE