28/01/2021 Just another walk a couple of days back (13 .1 kms).....

Maximum temperature here today 13⁰C, minimum 10⁰C.  11 mm rain measured this morning and it has not stopped raining since then!  23km/h South-Westerly winds with gusts up to 67 km/h.   90% chance of rain forecast for the next 7 days!!!! Not sure when I will be walking again!!

The small stream that generally 'trickles' through our local village. Glad we do not live closeby!

Narrow streets.

Looking across the fields.

Wet tracks.

A drier patch of road with Rapeseed (Brassica napus) planted on the left.

Cattle paddling in the mud, not good for their feet.

Cattle being fed in a barn.

One lone Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus).

Old man's beard · (Clematis vitalba).

I think this is Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri).

Possibly, Common tamarisk moss (Thuidium tamariscinum).

Teasels (Dipsacus).

I suspect this logging is being done by a paper mill.

At the 8km point, I met up with this over the road, the track I need to get to is on the other side...

I sneaked sort of around the banks on the righthand side, this was looking down the stream.  The last 5kms I walked in wet, muddy squelchy shoes.  Isn't mud supposed to be good for the skin 😊

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

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

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

01/12/2020 Out walking last week.

  Maximum temperature here today 6⁰C, minimum 2⁰C.  A light shower of rain not measured as yet.  Rain forecast every day for the next week!  13km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 27 km/h. 

I have been walking every day, but this weather does not look good for getting out.  Only 4C yesterday, but blue skies, sun and no wind and I walked an easy 8.2 kms.

Sunset.

Number 105 taking a rest.

Probably not a good route at this time of the year, hi-vis- vest necessary as the hunters are back out! 

Spindle tree berries (Euonymus europaeus),

Calendula and bee...

As above.

Oak leaves in their autumn colours.

Just saying hello.

Wow, this has to be twins!!

Gorse, oddly flowering in late November.

Mushroom of some sort.

Think this might be a couple of Marmalade Hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus).

Still quite a lot of green around in some places.

Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea).  There are several very similar so this could be wrong!

A slightly bedraggled Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

Last day of November and the cranes are still flying South. Common crane (Grus grus).

I don't generally do not show photos like this, but this is sadly the third one now I have found that has been run over. This is a farm track where I see almost no vehicles at all. The Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) generally only comes out at night, though if raining will appear during the day. They like to lie on the roads for warmth and they are very slow-moving creatures.  I have yet to see one alive!  They have very long life spans so it seems, but these are having a very hard time.  I find it very upsetting.

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.

 

10/11/2020 I went for a walk......

 Maximum temperature here today 16⁰C, minimum 9⁰C.  1 mm rain measured this morning.   9km/h South-westerly winds with gusts up to 27 km/h.  

I went for a walk on Saturday, with my printed form saying I was allowed out (lockdown rules), and within my 1 km radius of the house.  Blue skies and sun and so many surprises!!!  It was like spring!.

Fabulous weather looking across the fields.

I have never seen so many acorns as this year, they are everywhere.

Spindle (Euonymus europaeus).

Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris).

Blue Echium (Echium vulgare).

Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) and Greenbottle-fly.

Common chicory (Cichorium intybus).

Clouded Yellow probably (Colias crocea) but there are 4 different Clouded Yellows and I cannot tell the difference!  I saw at least 5 different Clouded Yellows while I was out, but they all might have been the same species or not!!

As above...

As above.

Caterpillar of a Fox Moth - (Macrothylacia rubi)....

I moved it off of the road onto the verge and it rolled up into defence mode.  I waited a while to see if it would uncurl, but I gave up after a couple of minutes as I was only allowed out for one hour.

An abnormal growth on a dog rose caused by a species of gall wasp (Diplolepis rosae). The adult wasp lays eggs in the buds or developing leaves during mid-summer period.

More photos to follow - our connection seems to be slower than normal if that is possible!!!!!

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