07/07/2026 - Still catching up with May!!

  The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 40⁰C but feels much hotter; the minimum tonight is 21⁰C. 16km/h Easterly winds with 30km/h gusts of wind. We need a lot of gusts!!

My last post at the end of June, was the start of May. I will endeavour to finish May off today, sitting in the office with the fan full on!

Carpenter bees in the garden at home ( Xylocopa ) Les Xylocopes on a Sweet William flower.

Most of the following photos were taken up North near Argenton-sur-Creuse,  where we decided to have a break. It was even hotter there than at home!

Greater Stitchwort (Rabdera holostea) La Stellaire holostée.  Something obviously enjoys the taste of it!!  The insect is a Common Globetail or Feather hoverfly (Sphaerophoria script) Le Syrphe porte-plume. See a closer shot of the hoverfly near the end of this blog....

 

Common Mallow (Malva sylvesris) La Grande Mauve.

Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) Iris des marais.

Bird's foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) I think! Le Lotier corniculé.

Broad-veined or Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi) Le Gazé ou la Piéride de l'aubépine.

Common knapweed (Centaurea jacea) La Centaurée jacée with a   Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) L'Abeille européenne.

Beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) Le caloptéryx vierge...

As above, I think, despite it not looking quite the same colour!

A walk in the woods.

Blackberry flowers (Rubus fruticosus) La mûre, mûre sauvage ou mûron, aussi appelé meuron.

On our walk in the woods, we also spotted these tiny 'fairy' houses.  We did not see any residents!

Argenton-sur-Creuse,  La Creuse River,  looking at the old bridge.

Argenton-sur-Creuse  - Catholic church 'SaintSavior'.

Returning home, the last photos taken in May.

Beefly (Bombylius cruciatus) Bombyle,  on the Sweet William.

Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) La Petite tortue ou Vanesse de l'ortie.  On the lavendar.

Common Globetail or Feather hoverfly (Sphaerophoria script) Le Syrphe porte-plume on the lavendar. 

Love is in the air!  Italian bug or harlequin bug (Graphosoma italicum) Le Graphosome d'Italie ou Punaise arlequin. It is on the 'gone to seed' Wildflower (Orlaya grandiflora) Lace flower,  which you can see in flower at the top of the last blog.

Finally, I have caught up with May, now to try and catch up with June!!!

21/06/2026 Catching up with the first part of May while it is too hot to be outside!!

 The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 38⁰C but feels like 44⁰C, minimum 24⁰C. 20km/h Easterly gusts of wind. Phew.

Wildflower (Orlaya grandiflora) Lace Flower

Pansies.

Typical spider but I cannet get much further with ID!!

My Favourite Chateau in La Rochefoucauld, 15 mins from home, so we see it often.

Thick-legged flower beetle (Oedemera nobilis). This is a female, she has not got the muscle that the males have :-)

Same as the shot above, with a wider view of the Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare). 

La Marguerite.

The 8th of May - Remembrance day in the local village.

France marks the end of the Second World War in Europe on May 8th each year – it is a national holiday, and is called 'National Day' in France.

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)....

Les Lézards des murailles.

Yet another spider without ID, see the underneath below which looks so different....

Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena) with a Common Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata) le cercope sanguin.

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) Le Cuivré commun ou Bronzé - on Creeping Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans).

Lace flower with a Beehive beetle (Trichodes alvearius) le Trichode des ruches ou Clairon des ruches.

Solitary bee larvae are the victims of the voracious appetite of this beetle's larvae.

See above. The small Carpet beetle is on the left of the photo (Anthrenus verbasci). L'anthrène du bouillon blanc ou anthrène bigarré des tapis.

Four Spotted Crane Fly (Nephrotoma quadrifaria). Tipule à quatre tache.

Large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba). Also called an Owl moth or Le Hibou in French.

A male greenfinch (Chloris chloris) Le Verdier d'Europe,  and a male sparrow (Passer domesticus) Le Moineau domestique taking a drink.

Four different insects on the Lace Flower, the main one being a Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Abeille européenne.

Rosemary beetle larva (Chrysolina americana) la chrysomèle du romarin.

I think I have managed to ID this spider and it is (Runcinia grammica). It is a species of araneomorph spider in the family Thomisidae. It is apparently called a Grape Seed Crab Spider, or in French, Le Thomise rayé.

Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) Pigeon ramier.

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

As above. The beetle at the back is a Grey rose chafer beetle (Oxythyrea funesta). La Cétoine grise .

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) Le Pic épeiche.

If you look carefully at the top photo, you can just see some red on the back of its head, proof that it is a male.

As above.

Spotted horned longhorn beetle (Paracorymbia maculicornis) on a Californian Poppy. Lepture à cornes tachetées.

As above.

I just might get to finish May photos if this heatwave continues for as long as they say it will!

04/06/2026 Trying to catch up a bit locally!!

 The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 17⁰C, minimum 11⁰C. 25 to 54 km/h West/South/West winds. 34% chance of rain.  Last week we had temperatures up to 38⁰C, what is going on??

The last photos I blipped locally from home were on 11 January, then South Africa took over.  Lots of catching up to do, but little time as the garden is being very demanding!

The neighbours' lambs 13/01/2026

24/01/2026 Eurasian nuthatch, wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) Sittelle torchepot.

25/01/2026 European Starling (Sturnus Vulgaris) Sturnidés.

01/02/2026 the last photo I took at home before leaving for South Africa.

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis).

Returning home 08/04/2026 this is what our lawn looked like!!! Also, the reason I have had little time to catch up with other things!

Common poppies (Papaver rhoeas) Le pavot.  Daffodils on each side.

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis) Le Lézard des murailles.

Top left - Cowslips (Primula officinalis),

Top Centre - Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta).

Top right - Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosa Ranunculaceae).

Bottom left - Common lawn daisy (Bellis perennis) and Sweet violet (Viola odorata).

Bottom Centre - Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum).

Bottom Right - Sweet violet (Viola odorata).

Bladder campion, White Cockle or maiden tears (Silene vulgaris). Le Silène enflé.

Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) Le Tircis.

Spanish Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) La jacinthe d’Espagne.

Green-veined white (Pieris napi) Piéride du navet. 

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

There seems to be some confusion, as in English it is a Small Copper while in French it appears to be a Large Copper!!

One of the garden wasps, but I just liked the shadow!

Bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus) la renoncule bulbeuse.

Dove's-foot crane's-bill (Geranium molle) Le Géranium à feuilles molles.

Black or Common Redstart Female.  I cannot decide which!!

This brings me to the end of April. May will happen when I have more time, but now June has already arrived!!