16/02/2020 I went for a walk yesterday......

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 19C, minimum 9C. Rain measured this morning Nil.  24km/h south-westerly wind with gusts up to 51 km/h.

I went for a walk yesterday while the weather was fair, it gets colder as the week goes on if the forecast is right.  I took too many photos, so this will be only the first part of the walk.  Our slow connection just cannot cope with as many as 30 photos in one blog!!

Camellia in our neighbour's garden.  Ours are still in tight bud!

Cotoneaster also in another neighbour's garden, ours have already dropped their berries!

Looking across the fields.

Long-leaved Lungwort (Pulmonaria longifolia). Thanks to Susan for the ID.

As above.

Cowslip (Primula veris).

Dandelion.

Rose hips with rose bedeguar galls caused by the wasp (Diplolepis rosae). The female lays up to 60 eggs within each leaf bud. The grubs develop within the gall.

Speedwell.

Common Brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) on a cowslip.

Under observation....

As above.

Eurasian Crane (Grus grus) migrating North...

As above.

Hoverfly on Viburnum.

Lambs in our neighbour's field.

See also my

 Bird blog

28/10/2018 Winter has arrived Brrrrrrrrr.

Maximum temperature today 5C, minimum 3C.  Rain not measured as yet; 27km/h North-easterly winds with up to 58 km/h gusts.  

Photos were taken a couple of days back before the chill arrived!

European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola hibernans) a first for me. Male and female in the distance.

Thanks to my friend Noushka for helping me out with the ID. If you have not seen her blog I can assure you it is well worth a visit.

A somewhat washed out Common Blue I think (Polyommatus icarus) on the Cosmos.

Small copper (Polyommatus icarus).

Choisya ternata.

Calendula.

As above.

Cosmos...

and with a bee...

and another bug.

Rosebud.

Not a lot of signs of autumn the day I took these photos, but the ferns are certainly changing colour...

as are the brambles.

Rose hips.

Sweet chestnuts - we had some with our dinner last night.

Last nights sunset....

and looking behind.

There is a short update on my bird blog HERE

20/08/2017 Another frantic day bottling!!!

Maximum temperature 24C, minimum 11C.   9 km/h SE wind with 17 km/h gusts.  Dry.

Baby common lizard just outside out front door, but then it dived under the door into the kitchen...

it was really very tiny as you can see by the egg cup I put nearby.

Bee, but not sure which one.

Butternuts in the garden are doing well.

Climbing rose....

this white rose is also on the same plant!

Grasshopper with one hopping leg but it seemed to be doing pretty well regardless.

Red Admiral. (Vanessa atalanta)

Now I thought this was a White Admiral but....

when it opened its wings there is orange along the lower wing so I am not really sure anymore!!!

Thanks Richard for identifying it as a Map (Araschnia levana).

Rose hips.

Viburnum.

Another 8, plus a small jar of bottled beans done today...

and they just keep appearing!!!!

11/08/2017 A walk to the next hamlet and what I saw along the way.

Maximum temperature 22C, minimum 12C.   9 km/h NW wind with 28 km/h gusts.  15 mm rain measured.

The first thing I see as I leave the house and walk around the corner is our neighbour's barn.

I just love these chicory flowers that are everywhere at the moment.

Clover flowers.

Bladder campion or maidenstears (Silene vulgaris).

Daisy with a fly.

Gatekeeper butterfly, female.

Gatekeeper butterfly, male.

Raspberries.

A rose bud peeking through a fence.

Rose hips.

It this a fungus growing on a rose plant?

Cuckoo Pint seeds.  A member of the Arum family and poisonous.

Thistle....

and another thistle with a bumble bee.

 Large Yellow Rest Harrow

Wisteria.

For those that might be interested, I have started my blog on our South African holiday earlier this year.