06/05/2019 In the garden with lots of insects and round and about.

Maximum temperature today 15C, minimum 2C. Rain intermittent over the last few days and it looks much the same for the rest of this week. 11 km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 30 km/h. Frost yesterday, the bird baths were all iced up!! 

Rainfall so far this year 198mm - last year at this date it was 475mm.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus).

Californian Poppies.

Possibly a Pine processionary moth caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa), BUT we have no pine trees nearby and this was the only one. Suggestions welcome.

Great camouflage, I am not a spider fan but the 3 in the garden interested me. My book is very limited so any ID on any of the three would be welcome...

Presumably, a female carrying her egg sac, I was getting in her way digging the garden!...

Yet another one getting out of my way with an egg sac. Also great camouflage. Think she has her head turned looking at me!

The blister beetle is still around on the dog rose - (Mylabris variablis.)

A very little hopper on a Californian poppy.

Bumblebee on the dog rose.

Looking over the rooftops of the local village.

Iris.

Azalea.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

02/05/2019 Bugs and flowers in the garden.

Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 7C. 5mm of rain measured this morning. 13 km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 28 km/h. We look though as if we are in for a cold weekend before it warms up again next Tuesday.

We had friends to lunch yesterday and it was a really nice day.  We had drinks and starter course sat outside in the sun.  I intended to take some photos but was too busy and forgot!!

 

Mylabris variablis on the Red Robin flowers.

As above only a little closer....

And another one on the dog rose.

Chafer beetle also on the Red Robin shrub.

A bumble bee on the sage.

Lace Border moth  Scopula ornata.

another member of the Chafer family Oxythyrea funesta.

The Red Robin was busy today - A robber fly.

and what I believe to be a member of the soldier-fly family.

Azalea.

Iris.

Climbing rose.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

26/04/2019 A walk in the garden - again!

Maximum temperature today 17C, minimum 7C.  4mm of rain measured this morning.  22 km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 49 km/h.  We had some hail yesterday!

Interesting note that this year we have only had 180mm of rain total to date.  The same date last year we had 442mm, in 2017 we had 210mm and in 2016 we had 486mm.  We are obviously way down at the moment.  The garden may well suffer.

Bee on the Rosemary.

Wild Violets. Probably Dog Violet (Violaceae riviniana).

The lambs are growing up. I noticed that the ram was running in the field with these ewes.  Getting ready for next year!

Spotted Crane flies I believe (Nephrotoma appendiculata).

Two bugs in the centre of the Peony.

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis).

Californian poppies and Bluebells.

Calendula with a beetle I believe to be Mylabris variablis.

Apple blossom with a Robberfly. 

Red robin in flower.

Rose - the only one to date.

Cherries.

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis).

Orchids seen at our local Brico depot, very pretty, I think it is one of the Butterfly orchids.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente