04/11/2018 An odd collection of photos.....

Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 6C.  Dry; 19km/h South-Easterly winds with up to 38 km/h gusts. 

We have had a few cold and damp days so the fire has been working overtime.

Indoors the Christmas cactus has got the months a bit muddled, but it is good as we will be away for Christmas anyway.

We are both Porsche fans as you can see.  I made this garage many years back in South Africa as a present for Nigel.

House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto)

Common crane (Grus grus), also known as the Eurasian crane.  They were milling around in the sky yesterday getting into bigger groups ready to fly South for winter.

Look what the bit of sun brought out...

Bee as above...

and a bumblebee.

The holly is starting to look very pretty.

Petunias after a shower of rain a couple of days back.

Still some roses around.

And for those of you that could not see what I could in the clouds....

Does this help 🎠😉

I have at last updated my bird blog HERE

Trying to catch up!!

Maximum temperature today 15C, minimum 10C.   1 mm of rain measured this morning; 5 km/h South Westerly winds with up to 20 km/h gusts.

Total rainfall so far this year now 422 mm.

Camellia.

Choisya Ternata coming into flower slowly.

Mirabelle plum blossom.

First bud on the peonies.

Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica).

Common wood pigeons (Columba palumbus) and Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto).

House sparrow (Passer domesticus) Male...

as above.

As above; female.

Healthy looking rhubarb.

29/03/2018 We actually saw some sun this morning but the rain returned this afternoon.

Maximum temperature today 12C, minimum 3C.   10 mm of rain measured this morning; 9 km/h North Westerly winds with up to 44 km/h gusts. 

Rain this afternoon and forecast for the rest of the week - again!!

Total so far this year now 392 mm.

Banded snail.

Bee.

Dandelion and bee.

Blackbird (Turdus merula) and House sparrows (Passer domesticus).

Bee.

Buttercup.

Camellia.

Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto), wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) and House sparrows.

Our neighbours lambs...

As above...

At the milk bar...

Maybe twins.

Le Gendarme beetle (Pyrrhocoris apterus).

Hyacinth.

Tulips.

Unknown on a lawn daisy.

Carrots, parsnips and two different kinds of topinambour (Jerusalme artichoke) from the garden.

Topinambour and carrot soup on the menu over the weekend.

N.B. My new bird blog is HERE 

05/03/2018 A few garden birds and the changing sky.

Maximum temperature today 13C, minimum 5C.   9mm of rain measured this morning and we have had some light rain today; 6 km/h South Westerly winds with up to 21 km/h gusts.  (304 mm of rain so far from the 1st of January)

Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus).

As above.

Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto),

European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis).

Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus). One day I might be able to cut the lawn again!

House sparrow (Passer domesticus) male, and Common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) female,

Camellia buds looking very bedraggled thanks to the weather.  I wonder if we will get any flowers this year!

A somewhat wet daffodil.

Helleborus niger or commonly called a Christmas rose.

The angry looking sky looking down the road at about 5pm....

and at 7pm....

About 15 mins later taken in our garden.