31/01/2022 Just made it before the end of the month :-)

The maximum temperature here today is 10⁰C, minimum 3⁰C. Rain this morning but it has cleared a bit now with quite a lot of clouds. Wind 21km/h North-Westerly winds with gusts up to 44 km/h.   We have had a very cold past week,  temps went down to -5⁰C and maximums were only at 3⁰C.  Far too cold for me!!

The bud from the Red Robin shrub. (Photinia x fraseri)

Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) hanging on the shutter and looking in the window.

Our neighbour's lambs...

as above...

Mum watching me carefully...

and her babies.

Around the garden, if I look hard!

Top - Bergenia cordifolia and Bellis perennis.

Bottom - Viburnum tinus and Viola riviniana.

The seed pods from the hibiscus.

The lambs, 4 days older than above....

as above...

As above.

The only water birds I see around here are my two wooden Mallards.

There has not been a lot to take photos of, but I have some great shots of some of the birds seen in the last fortnight.  They are all on my bird blog.

My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 02/12/2021).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

20/01/2022 Three weeks since my last post - I must do better !

  The maximum temperature here today is 7⁰C, minimum 2⁰C. Blue skies but with quite a lot of clouds. Wind 15km/h North-Easterly winds with gusts up to 33 km/h.  4mm of rain was measured this morning.  We have had a very chilly week, today thankfully it is a bit warmer. 

The Christmas decorations in our supermarket just after New Year....

and the window of my hairdresser with reflections from outside and the lights inside.

Fascinating clouds that just caught my eye.

A Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) on a frosty morning.

A walk around the January garden......

A raindrop showing the house upside down!

European Holly (Ilex aquifolium).  No berries this year!!

Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana).

Hydrangea dried on the plant.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis).

Viburnum tinus.

A surviving but very brave rose.

Camellia japonica bud..

Playing with the Pampas grass. 😉

We have had a few icy mornings.

Eurasian Running Crab Spider (Philodromus dispar) on the poinsettia.

13th January

14 January

16 January about 20 minutes before the Full Wolf Moon.  Clouds moved in about an hour after taking this photo!

19 January after a very stormy day.

A lovely surprise 9 January when this Cirl Bunting ( Emberiza cirlus) was spotted on the verandah.

More photos on my bird blog.

My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 02/12/2021).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

22/12/2021 I just wanted to say Happy Holidays

  The maximum temperature here today is 10C, minimum -3⁰C. Blue skies. Wind 22km/h South-Easterly winds with gusts up to 42 km/h.  Dry at present but rain is forecast from Friday for every day as far as the forecast goes!!!

I thought that I would have more time to blog in winter, it seems I was mistaken but I could not let December vanish without saying Happy Holidays, Happy Christmas and wishing you all a much improved 2022.

Here are a few of the photos I have taken since my last post, they are very random but I do take one photo every day as I post it on Blipfoto.com under the name of Charente if any of you are interested.  One photo a day is relatively easy most of the time!

11/12/2021 Sunset.

04/12/2021 European Robin (Erithacus rubecula).

06/12/21 Mexican Orange (Choisya ternata) and cotoneaster berries.

11/12/2021 Seeds from one of the Acer trees possibly (Acer pseudoplatanus).

13/12/2021 The winter garden.

15/12/2021 Another view after we spent the day sweeping up leaves.

14/12/2021 A young Common Blackbird (Turdus merula).

17/12/2021 A rose survivor despite the frosts.

19/12/2021 Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) on the windowsill

20/12/2021 a day late for the full moon. It was misty on the 19th.

22/12/2021 Tonight's sunset.

 

A photo from a few years back but so apt for this time of the year. Another Bluetit.

I am still using the old camera and the old Nikon 55 -300mm telephoto lens.  The spare part for the Tamron (that I broke in my fall) is available, but with Christmas looming everything is going very slowly.  I live in hopes that I will have it early next year

Take care everybody, keep well and please stay safe in these difficult times.

My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 02/12/2021).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World. 

09/02/2020 A bit more of spring in the garden.

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 13C, minimum 7C. Rain measured this morning nil, but it is forecast for later today.  30km/h South-Westerly wind up to 61 km/h.

We went out for lunch on Thursday, these photos are just to tide you over until I edit them all.  I took a lot, as we were trying to plan a route to have lunch with friends. David, watch out for the cheeseboard 😏

Bergenia Cordifolia.

Rose.

Crocus

Snowdrop.

Chaenomeles japonica,

As above

Crocus that does not want to open on a colder day.

Kalanchoe.

Viburnum tinus.

Buttercup which Google seems to think looks better turned on its side!

Lawn daisy - (Bellis perennis)

Wild Violets - (Viola canina)

Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus).

Great tit (Parus major)

See also my

 Bird blog