24/11/2020 - Out walking finding several surprises.

  Maximum temperature here today 14⁰C, minimum 3⁰C.  Dry today, with a light frost this morning.   20km/h South-westerly winds with gusts up to 40 km/h. 

I have managed to get out walking every day over the past week.  The vegetable garden is now quieter and little work to do there, and no preserving to keep me in the kitchen.  The weather has been very pleasant, not too hot or too cold with the sun shining out of a very blue sky.  Of course, I still have the lockdown limitations but it is still good to get out.

Caterpillar of a Fox Moth (Macrothylacia rubi).  It was on the road so I gently moved it to grass at the side.  It rolled up tightly but refused to unroll for me to take further photos.  I only have 1 hour allowed out at present so this was the best photo I had.

Possibly Bush Vetch (Vicia sepium ).

Mushroom, but I am not good with fungal IDs

Mid-November and a Red Admiral !! (Vanessa atalanta).

As above.

Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus).

Teasel or Teazel (Dipsacus).

I could not fathom out why this sign was placed on a farm track that is generally only used by tractors!

Vapour trails which we have seen very few of this year due to the lack of flights

A pair of Great Egrets or Great White Egrets, (Ardea alba),

Hey mum come and help me,  I have an itch.

Man at work. Despite the lockdown they have to keep going.

Clouded yellow. Possibly (Colias crocea) but there are several of these butterflies in France which are very similar.

Moth - latticed heath (Chiasmia clathrate).

As above.

Are you looking at me?

Dandelion clock.

Well he does not have a problem with flies around his eyes 😊

My local list of wildflowers. (90 Species 23/08/2020).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

Photo competition running until 31 December - colourful photos.

B u n t

Let us all join in great fun.

27/05/2020 Out walking around and about

I walked 8.2 kms on Sunday and yesterday 8.4. So many photos to filter through but here are just a few.  All of the insects I saw while out I am still trying to sort out their IDs.  Watch this page.

Wild Pyramid Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis). 

A man at work...

Hay Bales...

Moving hay bales by tractor and trailer.

Cattle resting.

A late lamb, most of them were born much earlier.

Donkey and horse friends.

Over the rooftops of Vitrac.

The church,

A stone wall around the balcony at the top of one of the houses.

The Junior school.

A Private home.

Narrow streets.

Looking down the river from the bridge

The lavoir that was!  It is now so overgrown if the ladies had to do their washing there as in the old days, they would have to do a lot of clearing first!

Walking through the forest.

So damp under the trees that the moss grows everywhere,

Two different ferns, dryopteris and  possibly Harts-tongue.

View across the fields.

Foxglove...

As above.

Poppies...

As above.

Another derelict building - as we said before if only these walls could talk.

A French favourite - a Citroën 2CV.

Almost home I saw these 3 cyclists that look like they are on a camping holiday - I feel sure are they are supposed to be at home at the present time!!!!!

Our local list of wild flowers

See also my

 Bird blog

01/03/2020 March has arrived with strong winds......

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 10C, minimum 7C. Rain on and off all day not measured as yet.  164mm so far this year.  36km/h South-westerly wind with gusts up to 101 km/h.  Not easy to stand up outside!!

Thank goodness I walked yesterday, I still managed to catch a light shower of rain, it was also fairly windy especially at the top of the hill.  Only 5.5 kms,  I had planned on going further but the wind put me off.  My eyes, despite wearing glasses when out still cry!

Just leaving the house I saw this old tractor heading towards me.

Looking across at the Resistance memorial.

Somebodies beehives just off the track where I walk.

Grapes still not pruned, think these are a bit late.

Cattle relaxing.

A brimstone butterfly in the woods. (Gonepteryx rhamn).

Lots of moss around.

Streams where normally there is just grass.

A track through the woods.

This is generally only a field - no water.

Lots of molehills in the foreground, they must be finding the soil a bit wet!

Peacock butterfly (Aglais io).

The 'perfume' was quite strong just here, a farmer from the next hamlet spreading compost from the cattle pens on the land ready for planting.

Heading back to the house this beetle was scurrying down the road. A leaf beetle maybe!

Pigeonnier in the garden of one of the houses in our hamlet.

Our neighbour's woodpile, they are not going to get cold!

See also my

 Bird blog