Monday, April 1, 2019

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 



55 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos!

    Love the tulips.

    The chateau is amazing. We don't have anything like that around here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the visit and the comment, much appreciated. We have many very large chateaux in France, this is one of the smaller ones. Have a good day Diane

      Delete
  2. Spring in full swing! Great photos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Marie, it certainly looks like spring but the weather has turned quite chilly again!! Take care Diane

      Delete
  3. What a lovely photo of the owl and all the other signs of Spring. It looks like you've been busy visiting around the countryside.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really need to get out more but the very cold winds that we have been having puts me off. I will never get used to the cold!!! Keep well Diane

      Delete
  4. EXCELLENT pics. I love them all but that owl is amazing. Love the The Chateau at Russas. Wow....that would be so cool to go in. Thank you for always sharing such great shots.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have always thought I might like to live in a chateau but I would need to have enought money to have full staff, I do not like housework to that degree!!. Seeing the owl put me in a good mood for the rest of the week.
      Take care Diane

      Delete
  5. I think the cow is posing! What a great shop! The lambs are sooooooo cute!!! And I love the own and the proud horses. Great poppies too! Hugs, Diane. I love walking too, but it is not easy to do it every day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am not sure what shop you mean? The chateau is someones home if that is what you are talking about! I also love to walk, but it has to be warm and no wind for me to enjoy it! Keep well Diane

      Delete
  6. What a wonderful walk. Beginning with the owl and ending with the vole. I loved it all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was so lucky to see the owl. I hear them often but seldom get to see them. I hope you are well Diane

      Delete
  7. You had a beautiful walk. Love to see the animals, flowers and natural beauty around you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Nancy, once it warms up properly and the winds are not so cold I hope to get ut more often. There re some lovey walks around here. Keep well Diane

      Delete
  8. Love these pictures of nature, lambs are so cute ☺

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Natalia, I also love the lambs but they just grow up far too quickly! Have a good day Diane

      Delete
  9. lovely donkey....
    thank you for sharing series of beautiful photos.
    have a great day

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What donkey? Thanks for the visit and the comment, appreciated that you took the time to do so. Have a good day Diane

      Delete
    2. yes, I mean "a pony"....
      look like donkey for me, then I observe carefully, yes, a pony

      Delete
    3. Definitely a pony and not a donkey!!! LOL Diane

      Delete
  10. Beautiful series of images Diane, I can't pick a favourite enjoyed them all. Happy to hear that you are enjoying some warmer weather, long may it last ✨

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Grace it is suddenly cold again and I have a sore throat, just hope that it does not turn ito something else! It must warm up properly very soon though - I hope! Take care Diane

      Delete
  11. P.s. loooove your small owl, super shot ✨

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very lucky that I saw it from the bathroom window and it hung around long enough for me to get the camera! Cheers Diane

      Delete
  12. Spring has sprung here in Oregon and it's so nice to be outside. Great photos Diane!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pam it has sprung here a couple of times but keeps going back to chilly again as it is now. I really need it to warm up more! Take care Diane

      Delete
  13. The owl was an awesome sighting. Looks like Spring is in full swing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gaelyn the weather comes and goes, it is really very chilly here again today and not nice at all! I was over the moon with the owl sighting 😉 Hope all is well with you, Diane

      Delete
  14. Indeed spring has sprung. Loving all of that green and colour from flowers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If only it would stay, it is miserable cold and wet here today!! Cheers Diane

      Delete
  15. Oh gee, spring has really sprung.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh my... love your photo. The owl so clear . I would love to know the unknown tree too. Love the color of the leave. Will ask my gardening club members. maybe they know

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks very much for your visit and comment. Hope you are having a good day, Diane

      Delete
  17. The animals are adorable and I especially loved the pony. A wonderful variety of photos Diane.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have replied to this 3 times but suddenly Google is not recognising me!!!!!!!! The pony is lovely, take care Diane

      Delete
  18. Oh Diane, these are great photo's. You have so many beautiful areas where you live to 'snap' shots.

    The kneeling? If I tried that I'd never be able to get up. LOL

    I hope the last weeks have been good to you and Nigel. I'm home for only a few days before my granddaughter has what we hope will be the last surgery on Tuesday.

    Take care, be well.
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good to hear from you Sally, I hope all goes well for the last op, it has been a long haul for all of you.
      Keep well and take care Diane xx

      Delete
  19. I love the pictures especially the lambs and the pony, all looks wonderful, look like the spring is really there !! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Gloria, I love that little pony it is rally cute. Hope all is well with you, take care Diane

      Delete
  20. Great shots. Love your critters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Linda, hope all is well with you. Diane

      Delete
  21. Beautiful rural scenes. So calming. You are lucky yo live amongst this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Diane, we are lucky to live in the country, I think I would go mad living in a concrete jungle. Hope all is well on your side of the world. T'other Diane

      Delete
  22. So sorry to hear that you aren't feeling all that well Diane, the cough is unbelievably exhausting. Mine comes and goes. When it stops for a week or so it really wonderful and the pouffffe it's back! How about Nigel, is he well? Take care of yourselves ✨

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Grace we are both down with flu, I went first and then Nigel, in fact he is in bed for day 3. I have just been out to do some shopping and I feel like I have run a marathon. Really fed up with the cough though.
      Hope you are feeling better,Diane


      Delete
    2. So sorry to hear that you are both not well Diane, hopefully the warm weather will come to stay soon, nothing like a bit of sun on us to warm up the bones. Take care of each other xox

      Delete
  23. I see those open fields of green and they make me want to run around all over them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can imagine, I am not sure how you cope with living in a built up area. Take care, cheers Diane

      Delete
  24. Love the owl and the lambs, all of the post actually! And all your green grass and flowers are beautiful, Diane! It's just starting to turn green here, no flowers yet. Hope all is well your way! Take care

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Pam all is well other than both of us being down with flu, I am in day ten of it and Nigel is only on day 4 so he has some catching up to do. He though has taken to his bed which I probably should have done but he might get over it quicker! Hope all is well with you.

      Delete
  25. Wow - Such a beautiful photos of rural life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the visit and the comment,much appreciated. Have a good day Diane

      Delete
  26. I've just been going back through your blog posts, Diane, and felt sure that I'd left a comment on this one, particularly as I remember (of course!) the splendid Little Owl. I'm so very sorry if I goofed! My very best wishes - - - Richard

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to visit and pass a comment. Every comment is appreciated and I try to reply to each and every one. All comments are verification free but will come to me for approval first :-)) PLEASE DO NOT ADD LINKS TO YOUR OWN WEB ADDRESS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS THEY WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING
No anonymous Users!