The maximum temperature in the Charente today is 7⁰C, minimum -1⁰C. Rain is forecast for the next few days and it is raining as I type this. A 22km/h southwest wind with gusts up to 39km/h. Snow is forecast for many parts of France but hopefully, it will miss us!
My very first blog ever is HERE if you should be interested!!
N.B. Joyful (Snap That) was following me then and is still following me. Thanks Penny for your continued interest, it is much appreciated.
Catkins on the Hazel nut tree

Chaffinch (Female) (Fringilla coelebs). Le Pinson.
Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) La Tourterelle turque.
Great tit (Parus major) Mésange charbonnière.
As above
Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) Mésange bleue.
Hibiscus seed pods.
Our new neighbours....
Red Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncate) Cactus de Noël.
Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) Mésange bleue....
Enjoying a bath...
Wide angle photo of our house and garden.
More new neighbours...
As above.
Painting the doors at the back of the new barn (No3)
The land attached to the new barn. The house lawn is on the other side of the laurel hedge;
A surprise visitor when the sun came out. Hoverfly (Eristalis tenax).
I am now up to date with recent photos. With our cancelled holiday and the mostly rubbish weather at home, good photos are not so easy to come by.
I tried to photograph catkins this past week without much success. You took a great photo. I love the birds as always but the lambs stole the show today. Congratulations on 15 years of blogging!
ReplyDeleteI agree Marie the lambs are so special at this time of the year and we have to appreciate them while they are still so young. Thanks for looking in, keep warm Diane
DeleteHappy Anniversary! The pictures of the blue tit enjoyed the bath are so fun and your new neighbours are so cute!
ReplyDeleteThanks Angie, the new neighbours sadly grow up so quickly but they are so cute at this age. Keep well Diane
DeleteBeautiful photos once again Diane! I can't believe you and I have been at this fun activity for so many years. You've been a more prolific blogger than I and I've really enjoyed reading your various blogs and feasting on your beautiful photos. Thanks so much for mentioning me. I raise a glass to you and wish you another wonderful 15 years of sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteHi Penny, it is hard to believe that we have been in touch for so many years. My blogging has slowed down a lot, but I changed to blipfoto.com over 10 years ago and that is one photo a day which I have religiously kept going. So many people have dropped out that used to follow both of us and some have just vanished. Wow, another 15 years of blogging, I have my doubts I will even know how to use a computer at 98 years old :-) Thanks for being with me over the years and we both have our love of Africa in common. Cheers Diane
DeleteYour blog has been a highlight for many of us, Diane, even those who have not been with you the whole fifteen years. Hard to believe you started blogging when you were five! I am not a vegetarian, but we eat far less meat than we ever did, and at least a couple of days a week are meatless, and when I see those lambs it turns my stomach to even think that I once ate lamb chops. Enjoy them while they live! I will look forward to many more years of your intelligent blog. Bon weekend. Gros bisous - David
ReplyDeleteThanks David for all your kind comments over the years even if you were not with me at the beginning. You forgot to put the 6 in front of the five :-))) We are also not vegetarian, but with all the lambs and calves around us we eat a lot of fish now or poultry. Occasionally pork as it is very cheap here at times. Bisous mon ami, Diane
DeleteHi Diane - it all looks amazing and in an impeccably organised set up ... and you've kept me in touch with SA, as well as reminding and educating me about all the birds, beetles, bees et al we are so fortunate to have around us (for now) ... I do hope things pan out this month for you ... I'll be in touch - it's great how long we seem to have been blogging, apart from finding the connections and having this great (small perhaps) group of 'friends' of a similar ilk. Cheers and here's to an easier 2025 for you both - Hilary
ReplyDeleteThanks Hilary, trying to keep in touch with SA has been important to both of us. We should be there right now but N's back had other ideas and we are waiting to find out if he needs an op or otherwise. It has been an expensive back, insurance companies make life so difficult to make claims that we have lost a lot along the way!!! Hopefully last years visit to Namibia will not be the last but it could well be!! 2005 has to be a better year, but age has crept up very quickly and travel is far more difficult than it used to be, plus costs keep rising as well and our pensions do not keep up. Hopefully photography locally will still be of interest. Take care and keep well Diane
DeleteFelicidades por tu cumpleblog. Las fotografías son preciosas. Besos.
ReplyDeleteMuchas gracias y por el comentario, se agradece. Feliz semana. Diane
DeleteLove the variety in this post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Shiju variety is all I have in winter as most of my photos are around the house or in our garden.
DeleteLovely photos! Glad you're finding things to photograph despite the weather. I read your first blog post.
ReplyDeleteThank you, if you read the first post then you know a lot more about me now :-)
DeleteI enjoyed reading your first post. Your house and garden looks lovely now. You have done a lot of work on it. Well done. I love the Blue Bird splashing about in the water.
ReplyDeleteThanks Diane and yes so many things have changed here since we bought in 2002 plus we have bought two further barns so we have even more room her now and a bigger garden. More work!! The Blue Tits are my favourite birds here they are the friendliest and they eat the most!! I hope all is well t'other Diane
DeleteA delightful series of photos today Diane, and I especially loved the lambs today. Thank you for the link to your other blog. I always seem to head to this one but it will be nice to see another also. Wishing you a happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise, the lambs are adorable and there are now so many of them. This is the only blog that I am now updating. The others all became so slow I gave up on them but they still exist as such. Keep well Diane
DeleteI appreciate you letting me know Diane, thank you :)
DeleteNice looking post. Some of your birds appear in the WBW for this week. Hope the snow missed you.
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Thanks Stewart, very seldom we see snow here. I think twice in the last 20 years and only once that it lasted. Cheers Diane
DeleteAwesome post
ReplyDeleteThanks very much, Cheers Diane
DeleteEsp love the bird taking the bath
ReplyDeleteThanks Pam, sorry I am so slow with blogging but time is never on my side these days it seems. Cheers Diane
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