01/04/2019 No April Fool - just yesterday's walk 6 kms.

Maximum temperature today 20C, minimum 7C.  Dry, but light rain forecast for later.  11 km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 22 km/h.

The temperatures drop again tomorrow with possible rains forecast.

Just before my walk, seen in the garden. Little Owl (Athene noctua). More photos to go on next weeks bird blog

Cowslips (Primula veris) everywhere in the fields and the roadsides.

Unknown tree with spring shoots.

Sun Spurge (Euphorbia helioscopia). ID thanks to Susan.

Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea)

Peacock butterfly (Aglais io)

Twins growing up....

Some of the younger lambs...

Is it really that much easier to kneel???

Winter wheat.

Fields of yellow, a mixture of celandine, buttercups, dandelions and cowslips.

I would love to amble down this leafy path but it is on private property!

Mallards on the dam at Russas.

The Chateau at Russas, the pigeonnier on the right...

A closer look at the pigeonnier. (Pigeon house).

Horses in the field at Russas.

The hedge is hawthorn blossom,  but the flowering trees behind I am not sure about.

A closer look at the hawthorn,

Poppies outside someone's house...

More poppies in a very overgrown flower bed.

I have taken photos of this little pony before, he is barely two and a half foot high. (7.2 hh in equine language)...

nearly as broad as he is high!

This cow was keeping a wary eye on me.

Last, but not least, this Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus) was stealing some of the bird seed when I got back home. ID also thanks to Susan.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

28/02/2019 Out for a walk in the sun yesterday. (6 kms)

Maximum temperature today 15C, minimum 6C.  Dry with a bit of damp in the air; rain was forecast but it did not happen.  21km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 45 km/h. 

Yes, more lambs, but it is the first thing I see as I leave home in our neighbour's field.

The cow jumped over the moon Ooops, the lamb jumped over the lamb...

Baaaaaaa, wait for me Mum....

Ah, there she is.

Looking back across the fields, there is our hamlet on the horizon.

I love these country walks.

A sleepy calf next to the road...

Mum is looking on.

All the green at this time of the year is either ivy or mistletoe, this tree has both.

Walking through another forest area.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) growing next to a small house I passed.

Lawn daisies (Bellis perennis) are everywhere, note the 2 small beetles.

The very first cowslips (Primula veris) of 2019.

A dandelion clock.

Fields ready for planting.

A farmer's dog.

Reflections in the dam with a farm in the background.

I saw several Red Admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta) but this was the only one that stopped for me. There were also a lot of Brimstone Butterflies (Gonepteryx rhamni) around but they were all in a hurry!

Back in our hamlet a neighbour's Pigeonnier...

and daffodils next door.

I have updated my bird blog HERE.

29/10/2018 A few photos taken at the end of last week.

Maximum temperature today 7C, minimum 4C.  12mm rain measured this morning; 15km/h North-Westerly winds with up to 40 km/h gusts. 

Out walking I saw this little chap who made sure that I would not get to close!...

European robin (Erithacus rubecula),

Small Copper Butterfly (Lycaena phlaeas).

Beautiful countryside to walk through...

even though someone had their beady eyes on me 😉

Geraniums outside someone's house.

I think this is Old man’s beard (Clematis vitalba) quite a lot of it growing in and around the hedges.

There was a lot of plane activity, guess they were getting out while the weather was still clear...

and another small one...

while higher up this passenger plane was leaving a trail.

  

An oak being strangled by ivy!

I love these leafy tunnels.

Probably the last of the bumblebees this year.  Getting too chilly for them.

Last but not least this little fellow was seen in a field just down the road from us.  He must be all of 10 hands high as he only came up to between my knee and hip.   He was almost as wide as he was high but I just wanted to bring him home 😊😊

There is a short update on my bird blog HERE