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. 

23/10/2021 Almost a month since my last blog.........

 The maximum temperature here today is 16⁰C, minimum 4⁰C. Sunny and blue skies. Wind 13km/h chilly North-Easterly winds with gusts up to 29 km/h!

As winter approaches I might be able to catch up with all the photos I have taken and not managed to do anything with........ in the meantime some photos still from September.

16/09/2021 the setting sun.

24-09-2021 the moon going down early in the morning.

Shield bug (graphosoma italicum)...

As above...

As above.

The Wall or Wall brown butterfly (Lasiommata megera).

Shield Bug (Eurydema dominulus) on the glass of our back door....

As above...

As above.

Western Whip Snake (Hierophis  viridiflavus)...

I opened the back door to find this dear little fellow (about 45 cms long -  18inches) heading straight for the open door,  I shot in to grab the camera and by that time it was nearly in the door, I managed to head it off in the other direction but it was not really happy about my ideas.   It finally went and hid under the garden table so I left it to sort itself out and find a better place to go,..

I guess that it thought the house may be a little warmer to hibernate in!!...

As above...

As above.

Bugatti seen at the local supermarket advertising the historic car racing last month in Angouleme.

02/09/2021 La Rochelle Aquarium - Surgeonfish and Oriental Sweetlips

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea), the first one we have seen in the garden in 15 years.

03/09/2021 Seen at 'Les Oiseaux du Marais Poitevin' - Northern Pintail (Anas acuta).

Photos of Spoonbills are on my bird blog see link below.

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 20/06/2021).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.