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

17/06/2018 Just so you know I am still around!!

Maximum temperature today 20C, minimum 11C.    Rainfall since I last registered it here, 10 mm; 15 km/h North Westerly winds with up to 35 km/h gusts.

Total rainfall since 1st January; 644 mm.  Rain still around, but it looks like next week may be better and the temperatures will climb a bit!

Bee on the cotoneaster.

Moth which I cannot identify!

Bumblebee with hoverfly and small fly.

Love in a Mist with seed pods.

Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).

Soldier beetle probably Rhagonycha fulva.

Tomato flowers.

Bumblebee in the lavender.

Small white (Pieris rapae).

As above.

As above.

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)...

As above, but you can see this one is shedding its skin....

As above.

Trichodes alvearius....

As above - Love is in the air!

N.B. My bird blog is updated  HERE 

Part 13 of the birds seen in Africa.

26/06/2017 Around the garden.

Maximum temperature 28C  minimum 14C.  15 km/h NE winds. Rain forecast....Still waiting.

Thirsty bees....

and wasp...

and an even bigger wasp!

Courgettes (zucchini).

Mirabelle plums.

Lavender.

Rose.

Hydrangea.

Fly.

Shield bugs are everywhere and guess we are going to have even more!

Soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva).

A lot of feathers in the garden, guess the neighbours cat has been back :-((