04/05/2021 Lockdown remains much the same.......

 The maximum temperature here today 15⁰C, minimum 5⁰C.  Dry though 90% rain is forecast!! Maybe tonight. (Yes, it has started 20h09).  22km/h  South Westerly winds with gusts up to 56 km/h.    Rain forecast for most of this week and the temperatures rise again a little.  The garden I hope will be happy!

Please Note if you follow me by email the old feeder is closing down. I have tried to change servers but for some reason, it is not working!  Update: it appears to be working now let me know if there is a problem with adding your address!!

Spanish Bluebells.

Buttercups (Ranunculus bulbosus).

Camillia (Camellia Japonica).

Geranium.

Spanish Iris (Iris xiphium).

Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera Buckleyi) with its dates a bit mixed up!

Cymbidium Orchid.

Thirsty Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera).

As above.

Fire bug. (Pyrrhocoris apterus) better known as the Gendarme beetle.  I always think they look like African masks!

Eristalis similis (Glass-winged Dronefly) a member of the Hoverfly family...

I was fascinated watching it as it appeared to be stretching and cleaning each part of its body. A video would have been good but I could not send it anywhere as it would have taken a week to download it on this WiFi speed...

As above.

The caterpillar of the Jersey Tiger Moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria).

I wonder now what the time is 🕤😊

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

My local list of wildflowers. (90 Species 23/08/2020).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

12/08/2019 A few more photos from the garden before our visitors arrive.

Maximum temperature today 21C, minimum 12C.  10 mm of very welcome rain measured this morning.  19km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 44 km/h. 

Gatekeeper butterfly (Pyronia tithonus).

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis).

Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria).

I think this is one of the Potter wasps (or mason wasps), (Eumeninae).

A hopper unidentified in the bathroom!!! Probably a cricket but the long antennae are almost invisible. Maybe a mole cricket?

Jersey Tiger Moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria). Taken from outside of the window....

and from the inside.

A bumble bee on the lavender.

Our first sunflower of the year in the garden...

With a bee and another insect, possibly a different kind of bee (?) that kept trying to bomb the first one.

Flowers from the sweetcorn plants...

and the first view of tassels on the cobs forming.  Yum yum.

A rose after the rain.

Multiple sunflowers.

And my favourite shot of the week the moon with the leaves of the cherry tree in the foreground.  Think this is my best shot ever of the moon.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

21/08/2017 A walk around the garden this afternoon, we were late home, and I chased two cats from the flower bed watching the birds Grrrrr.

Maximum temperature 29C, minimum 13C.   14 km/h NE wind with 30 km/h gusts.  Dry.

Mrs Sparrow, hope she is keeping a close watch out for those pesky cats...

as above.

Garlic chives and bug.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Jersey Tiger Moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria)...

As above showing some of the colour of its under-wings.

 Full shot of the underneath of the moth. Quite beautiful.

Skipper but not certain which one. Possibly one of the Grizzled Skippers but I do not know which one.

Small copper (Lycaena phlaeas)

Small heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

Last but not least a common wall lizard that thinks I cannot see it in the shade!

(Podarcis muralis)

13/08/2017 Home and away.

Maximum temperature 23C, minimum 15C.   5 km/h NE wind with 14 km/h gusts.  Dry.

Sparrow happily splashing around...

but this miserable blackbird chased her away...

so three sparrows went further away to have fun...

splish splash...

when who comes along again and spoils it all!!!

Sparrow looking on from a higher point.

Away - just down the road twins are at the milk bar...

while a younger loner looks on.

 Fritillary (Melitaea family) but I have no idea which one it is.

Jersey Tiger moth.

Unknown moth!!

As above.

Poppies and bug.

Possibly a small white butterfly but this seemed smaller than normal!!