03/06/2018 Trying to catch up

Maximum temperature today 24C, minimum 15C.    Rainfall 15 mm measured since my last post; 3 km/h South Easterly winds with up to 27 km/h gusts.

Total rainfall since 1st January; 572 mm and still raining!

There have been a lot of storms around and we have not had our computers and WiFi connected, therefore I  am even further behind with my blogs now.  Here are the last few photos taken from my walk the other day.

Wild Strawberries.  Very small but tasty.

Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

A secret lane through the forest  😉

Wheat as far as the eye can see.

Day Lilies.

Damselfly - a first for me. Beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) male.

As above.

A member of the bellflower family I think!

Bindweed.

Grapes.

Shaun the sheep 😊 Well the lamb wasn't but all the females are shorn.

Unknown.

Possibly a Black Kite but it was far away (Milvus migrans)

N.B. My bird blog is updated  HERE 

Part 10 of the birds I saw last year in Africa.

01/08/2017 a frustrating day dealing with Microsoft but I hope I ended up with the right answers! A few lucky emergency photos.

Maximum temperature 27, minimum 14C.   11 km/h NE winds with 14 km/h gusts. Thunder and lightning at 02h45 but only 2mm of rain.

Californian Poppy.

Common Blue male possibly, but certainly Polyommatus species....

as above.

as above.

Bind weed (wish we could get rid of it) and bug.

Coma butterfly (Polygonia c-album)...

As above but in the neighbours property so quite far!

Gate keeper (Male)  (Pyronia cecilia)

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas )...

as above...

as above.

Zinnia with a bug and bottoms up !

02/07/2017 A day of bugs!!

Maximum temperature 20C, minimum 9C.  13 km/h NW chilly winds, 17 km/h gusts. Dry but full cloud all day. Light rain just started as I type this.

Ladybird.

Bee on the lavender...

As above.

Thirsty bee.

Small heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

Bombylius species on the lavender.

Bumble bee on the clover.

Bumble bee on the lavender.

Hoverfly on the weeds in our lawn !!!...

A different type of hoverfly.

Fly.

Shield bug.

Bind weed of which we have far too much with more bugs!

Common speedwell which is also very pretty but is taking over our flower beds!!!

01/06/2017 Cherries taking up most of the day so a few more photos in the garden.

Maximum temperature 24C, minimum 13C.  8 km/h SE wind.  5 mm rain measured this morning.

My favourite of the day, two hoverflies on a very pale Californian poppy.

and the Carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) runs to a second favourite.

Azalea.

Bind weed, pretty but what a bind!

Clematis.

Day Lilies.

Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina)

Small Heath (Coenonnympha pamphilus)

As above.

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)

As above.

Dianthus in the rosemary bush.

Red Dianthus.

Sweet William...

as above with a hoverfly.

No matter how many we pick there are still thousands though the rain is rotting a few.

Our neighbour said "beaucoup" (a lot) and how right she is.