It’s been a week since we returned from France, I didn’t get any time to explore the local area with my camera, what with cleaning the house and doing a bit of gardening followed by some shopping for gardening equipment and electrical goods.

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We introduced ourselves to some of the residents in the hamlet and one was from Accrington, on introducing himself

he said please don’t say Stanley.

He told me about some of the local birds he has seen, one being Hoopoe that was in the garden next to my property

and Slow-Worms.

Whilst I was in the garden cutting some hedges I could hear a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming in the wood across the road.

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View looking over next doors garden towards the woods that has the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker drumming in.

The warm weather encouraged the local butterflies to emerge from their winter sleep and

Fire Bugs to group together to catch some winter sun.

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Firebug: Pyrrhocpris apterus

 French name: Gendarme