08/05/2020 Flowers and Insects

Maximum temperature here today 23⁰C, minimum 15⁰C.  Some rain during the day not measured as yet.   14km/h South-Easterly wind with gusts up to 37 km/h. 

Sorry, far more photos than usual but I have at last caught up with April,  I can now move on to May !!

White Lilac out walking.

Violet Lilac also out walking.

Choisya ternata at home.

Wisteria out walking.

Irises at home.

Azalea - home.

Californian poppies - home.

Peony - home.

Iris-home.

Azalea -home

Mirabelle plums - home.

Cherries - home (they are now ripening but with all the rain most are split) 😞

All the following bugs are in the garden.

(Oxythyrea funesta) - chafer beetle.

(Trichodes alvearius) Family Cleridae.

As above.

Crane-fly.

Red Cabbage bug (Eurydema ornata).

Moth unknown

Caterpillar - Garden Tiger Moth (Artica caja).

Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata).

Caterpillar of the Lackey moth (Malacosoma neustria).

As above.

Eight spotted Ladybird.

Banded Snail.

I have made an extra page on the wildflowers seen at home, or very close by, which if you are interested in, you can see the link at the top of the page under the main heading, on the green line. I am adding to it all the time.

See also my

 Bird blog

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

18/05/2018 A walk around the garden on our return.

Maximum temperature today 22C, minimum 10C.    Dry. 12 km/h North Easterly winds with up to 29 km/h gusts. 

Azalea.

Chives.

Baby fig.

Kalanchoe.

Lavender.

Sage.

Violas.

Cherries ripening.

Hornet.

Irises.

Ladybird,

Common Lizard.

As above.

Peony

Peony and ant.

Rose, I had just watered it! .....

As above.

Unknown, but I kept my distance!

Just liked these clouds.

Down the road, in a stream, this Iris is blooming happily...

Iris pseudacorus 'Yellow Flag Iris'

Fleur-de-lys, Flag Iris

We are back from the rushed trip, as always masses of photos, but the garden needs my attention so will be back blogging when I have a bit more time.