26 June 2012

Local wildlife

It's even grayer and rainier this morning than it was yesterday, when it rained all day. And now it's blustery too. Here are a few pictures I've taken over the last three days, with a wildlife theme.

This creature, nearly 6 inches long, greeted me when I went outdoors
yesterday morning. It fled when it saw me, but not quickly
enough to prevent me from taking a photo.


Callie and puddles out on the road, just to give context

Caution: Snail Crossing

Sunday afternoon, we had a few periods of sunshine. These next two pictures are happy memories.

I'm sure somebody will tell me what this insect is.

Two donkeys came out to watch Callie and me walk by.
This one was especially curious.


The weather forecast says it will be sunny and hot for a few days starting tomorrow. We have friends coming to visit from California on Thursday, and it looks like their timing is impeccable.

18 comments:

  1. Right now it's a slug-fest out there. Literally.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The beetle is possibly Mylabris polymorpha and it feeds on pollen but I am sure that Susan will confirm this. The slugs are a real pain at the moment!! Diane

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks, Diane. I found a site in French showing the Mylabre inconstant, described here:

    Le Mylabre inconstant, Mylabris variabilis, est un Coléoptère d'environ 15 mm de la famille des Meloidae ... [avec] sa carapace luisante à coloration noire et orange. C'est un insecte assez velu qui fréquente plutôt le sud de l'hexagone dont les larves se nourrissent notamment d'oeufs de criquet...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really feel for you guys when you should be enjoying your summer now. It seems almost like an Aussie winter.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I was going to recommend a day trip. It wouldn't get you out of the drizzle necessarily, but it would get you out of the house. But if you have company and sunshine coming, well then, you'll enjoy being at home.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Glad to hear that sunshine is on its way there-those California friends are arriving at the right time.

    Love today's photos- that donkey is adorable and Callie seems to be smelling that moist air of yours.

    Enjoy your sunshine.

    ReplyDelete
  7. We have plenty of those -huge- slugs too 'sigh'. So we were pleased to see a hedgehog scurrying around. The more of them it eats the happier we'll be.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Whew, at first read, I thought you had written, "Here are a few pictures I've taken over the last three days, with a wildlife team." I was impressed! A whole TEAM to help you out with your blog! heh heh :))

    I was just thinking that it seems time for summer visitors to start showing up chez vous as part of your fun summer routine, and, sure enough!

    Judy

    ReplyDelete
  9. Judy, no, no team here, just us chickens.

    Antoinette, our hedgehogs seem to have decamped. Too bad. Callie and Bertie don't seem to relish the taste of slugs and snails.

    Evelyn, the sun came back this afternoon. It's muggy but that's better than gloomy.

    Leon and Sue, well, that's the weather. You have to make do, always hoping it will improve.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The beetle is Trichodes alvearius. It doesn't really have an English name.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Susan, I'm more interested in the French name, because if anybody around here uses it I'd like to know what creature is being referred to.

    Trichodes alvearius (Fabricius) ou Trichode des ruches ou Clairon est un insecte de l'ordre des coléoptères.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Except your link shows T. apiarus, not T. alvearius. Clairon des abeilles or Clairon des ruches is probably close enough though - they are very similar in appearance and life cycle.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The colors on that beetle are beautiful. The slug made me think of California's banana slugs, big critters.

    ReplyDelete
  14. CHM, I made your "Japanese bread" today- it's so easy, healthy and delicious. I did the dough cycle in bread maker and then put it in a loaf pan for another rise before baking.

    Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Evelyn, I’m so glad you like my “Japanese bread”. As I said, I’m extremely lazy and probably not as fussy as you are so I let the machine do the whole thing, but I bet you version is better than mine. Happy baking!

    ReplyDelete
  16. CHM- my bread machine's loaves look like a square brick. That's why I seldom bake in it. The bread slices don't fit in our toaster if I let the machine bake.

    Your bread recipe is really good and I'll use it again. Using milk gives us extra protein which is healthy.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Is a slug a snail without a shell? They look the same to me.

    ReplyDelete

What's on your mind? Qu'avez-vous à me dire ?