21/06/2019 Bugs in the garden.

Maximum temperature today 23C, minimum 12C.  Dry; but it has just started raining as I type this.  13km/h South-easterly winds with gusts up to 32 km/h.  

I have not forgotten the last holiday photos, but I am still battling to keep up with everything in general!  Yesterday we suddenly had a lot of bees that kept appearing in the house.  They were coming in faster than we could safely get them out the window.  Bearing also in mind I react very badly to bee stings!  After a couple of hours, we discovered they were coming down the chimney, and looking outside we then saw lots of activity at the top.  We decided that maybe smoking them out was the best answer and the fire was duly lit.   This morning all seems to be well.  I hope they find somewhere nice and safe now to settle.

As always I am happy to be corrected if my ID is incorrect.

Carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) on the Sweet William...

As above.

Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) also on the Sweet William...

As above.

Hoverfly possibly (Episyrphus balteatus) - Sweet Wlliam.

Bee.

I thought this was a bee at first, but looking at its head I think it is, in fact, a fly of some kind. Californian Poppy.

Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina).

Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)...

Hoverfly possibly (Episyrphus balteatus). and unknown. Calendula flower.

Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina). On the cotoneaster.

Hoverfly possibly (Episyrphus balteatus).  Californian Poppy.

Chafer beetle On the cotoneaster.

Colorado beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata).  As pretty as they are we do not want them in the garden!!  On the potato plants!

Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata)

Hoverfly (Scaeva pyrastri) on the cotoneaster...

As above on the Sweet William.

Hoverfly possibly (Episyrphus balteatus).

I think these are Longhorn beetles of some kind, whatever, we are obviously going to get a lot more of them. 

Bombylius species on the lavender.

Beetle (Oxythyrea funesta) - Cotoneaster.

Soldier Beetle (Rhagonycha fulva).

Shield bug but not sure which one - Cotoneaster.

Bombylius species on the lavender....

As above.

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

06/06/18 Around the garden

Maximum temperature today 21C, minimum 15C.    Rainfall 34 mm measured since my last post; 15 km/h South Westerly winds with up to 38 km/h gusts.

Total rainfall since 1st January; 606 mm and more rain today!

Too dark to paint today so here is another catch-up post.  Photos taken over several days when there was a glimmer of sun between rain!

I managed to cut the lawn at the weekend but it was quite wet...

as above.

Love in the mist, and with what I believe to be a fly or bee of some kind covered in pollen

Rosebud with an Oxythyrea funesta chomping away on the petals! Note the small fly on the top of the petal on the right.

Bee Beetle (Trichius fasciatus)  on the cotoneaster...

as above.

Carnation growing in amongst the rosemary!

Day Lilies.

Cotoneaster with an unknown beetle.  I only saw the beetle when I looked at the photo which was taken of the flowers!

Fungus on the wood pile. Possibly Trametes versicolor, often called the "turkey tail.

Granny Smith apples.

Potato plants.

N.B. My bird blog is updated  HERE 

Part 12 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.