16/04/2019 Few photos taken but trying to catch up......

Maximum temperature today 17C, minimum 8C.  Rain measured 9 mm.  22  km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 51 km/h.

Looks like it is warming up for Easter; Yay.

We are both on the mend, I am still coughing and Nigel is having headaches other than that we are just fine!

Driving to Limoges 3 April...

Passing Rochechouart chateau...

Almost back home, we just got in the door before the rain reached the house.

Bee in the garden.

Shield bug.

Californian poppy.

Wasp.

Evening moon 09 April.

The neighbour's poppies framed through the fence.

Zooming in on the red poppy above.

Whitebells, the blue ones are still in bud.

Our delightful bird seed thief, Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus).

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

11/04/2019 Just around the garden.

Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 5C.  Dry.   16 km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 36 km/h.

The temperatures drop again tomorrow, possible frost on Sunday!

Apologies for the long break in posts but I have had a really bad cold/flu and although I am almost feeling better, I still have very little energy and of course the cough is back again.  Meanwhile, Nigel is now in bed with the same problem plus continuous headaches.

Violas.

Acer tree - I have never discovered which type!

Ginkgo biloba.

Wild Violets.

A happy bee.

Speckled Wood - (Pararge aegeria).

Gendarme beetle or firebug  (Pyrrhocoris apterus).  There are already a lot here and I guess this means a few more!

Bay tree (Laurus nobilis) in flower.

Cherry blossom.

Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata [Sundance])

Tulips, and yes the bulbs came from Amsterdam.

 These last four photos were taken with the loan of a macro lens.  Guess I need lots of practice, but I am thinking it would be fun to get my own lens.

Bee...

As above.

A very tiny fly of some kind, maybe someone would be kind enough to ID it for me?

The stamens of a camellia flower.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

01/04/2019 No April Fool - just yesterday's walk 6 kms.

Maximum temperature today 20C, minimum 7C.  Dry, but light rain forecast for later.  11 km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 22 km/h.

The temperatures drop again tomorrow with possible rains forecast.

Just before my walk, seen in the garden. Little Owl (Athene noctua). More photos to go on next weeks bird blog

Cowslips (Primula veris) everywhere in the fields and the roadsides.

Unknown tree with spring shoots.

Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia). ID thanks to Susan.

Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea)

Peacock butterfly (Aglais io)

Twins growing up....

Some of the younger lambs...

Is it really that much easier to kneel???

Winter wheat.

Fields of yellow, a mixture of celandine, buttercups, dandelions and cowslips.

I would love to amble down this leafy path but it is on private property!

Mallards on the dam at Russas.

The Chateau at Russas, the pigeonnier on the right...

A closer look at the pigeonnier. (Pigeon house).

Horses in the field at Russas.

The hedge is hawthorn blossom,  but the flowering trees behind I am not sure about.

A closer look at the hawthorn,

Poppies outside someone's house...

More poppies in a very overgrown flower bed.

I have taken photos of this little pony before, he is barely two and a half foot high. (7.2 hh in equine language)...

nearly as broad as he is high!

This cow was keeping a wary eye on me.

Last, but not least, this Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus) was stealing some of the bird seed when I got back home. ID also thanks to Susan.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente