04/11/2018 An odd collection of photos.....

Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 6C.  Dry; 19km/h South-Easterly winds with up to 38 km/h gusts. 

We have had a few cold and damp days so the fire has been working overtime.

Indoors the Christmas cactus has got the months a bit muddled, but it is good as we will be away for Christmas anyway.

We are both Porsche fans as you can see.  I made this garage many years back in South Africa as a present for Nigel.

House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Eurasian collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto)

Common crane (Grus grus), also known as the Eurasian crane.  They were milling around in the sky yesterday getting into bigger groups ready to fly South for winter.

Look what the bit of sun brought out...

Bee as above...

and a bumblebee.

The holly is starting to look very pretty.

Petunias after a shower of rain a couple of days back.

Still some roses around.

And for those of you that could not see what I could in the clouds....

Does this help 🎠😉

I have at last updated my bird blog HERE

10/02/2018 Photos taken over the last couple of days and today.

Maximum temperature today 7C, minimum -4C.  North Westerly winds; 8 km/h with up to 20 km/h gusts.  Mixture of snow, drizzle and frost!!

A glimmer of sun on the afternoon of 8 Feb - Bergenia Cordifolia.....

and a close up.

Also on the 8th, this unopened crocus....

and one wild violet seen in the lawn.

On the 9th Nigel made this Clementine, Almond and Olive oil cake.  Very yummy.  It is a Rick Stein recipe which Nigel found HERE if you are interested.

A few birds around on the 9th were the Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)...

Eurasian collard-dove (Streptopelia decaocto)....

A Great tit female (Parus major) battling not to be blown off her perch...

a female Common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) in the distance....

then the snow returned...

but thankfully we have the wood burner 😊'

Today the garden looked like this...

as above...

A few male and female House sparrows (Passer domesticus) also keeping their distance.

17/11/2016 Not a good day for photos but there are few birds around.

Maximum temperature 13C, minimum 8C.  49 km/h SW wind.  2 mm rain measured this morning.

Autumn colours in the garden...

The fire on in the house...

The robin on the window sill...

and tapping at the glass...

a closer look.

The Blue Tit is also visiting...

as above....

and the Great Tit.

Looking up at the velux window in the office!

13/10/2016 Not a good day for photos grey and damp!

Maximum temperature 14C, minimum 9C.  38 km/h SE wind. 6mm rain over night.   We need a lot more for the garden!!

Warming up the house...

Love our thick stone walls in summer but they take a lot of warming up when the temperature drops!

One of my favourite Edmund Barton Paintings of a Fish Eagle

Feed put out for the sheep next door but where are the sheep?

The last of the roses.

Orchid.

07/03/2016 A bit of yesterday and a bit of today :-)

Maximum temperature 10C, minimum -1C. 37 kn.h N wind.  2mm of rain measured this morning.

Yesterday driving to the luncheon, note the turbines in the distance....

The menu....

Starters....

Dessert...

Table decoration.

Keeping warm today....

Blue tit...

As above.

Goldfinch...

and with the elephant.

Chaffinch female...

and male.

Greenfinch

as above.