Just a few yards down Downton Lane was enough of an amble for me this morning. Close inspection of the hedgerow revealed various insects soaking up the soporific sunshine.
See if you can spot them. The first two are easy. If in difficulty click on the imagos’ images. (WordPress didn’t like the first piece of this alliteration. It persisted in changing it to the second. An alternative plural of imago is imagines. The site would have been happy with that). Apart from the ordinary fly, I think the others are all hoverflies masquerading as something more harmful. 
The hollies are sprouting new leaves and blossom. Spiders keep out of sight of probing lenses. One has only trapped dandelion seeds in its web. 
Struggling through the ground ivy are what I take to be wild strawberries.
At home Aaron has begun to lay the projected rose garden paths.
A pair of goldfinches has taken to joining us for dinner. Note the male’s bright red poll. We enjoyed Jackie’s beef stew; boiled potatoes, cauliflower, and carrots; and roasted peppers, onions, and garlic, followed by sticky toffee pudding and cream.
The birds preferred their niger seed. I drank Madiran Reserve de Tuguets 2012. Jackie drank water from the fridge. Our visitors possibly drank later.
A new word for me (not counting Madiran Reserve de Tuguets)!
That”s what I admire most about photographers is their ability to see and capture what the rest of just walk on by!
Thanks GP
Funny you should mention Niger seed. I was talking with a friend about where Niger seed comes from. I joked that Niger seed comes from Niger – but I doubt that’s the case.
Ethiopia. Thanks for barking
It’s wonderful what we can see when we look! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
I love how photography makes me look at things I wouldn’t usually notice. 🙂
I love your little finches. This afternoon, while sitting outside talking on the phone to my mother, I spotted a small woodpecker working the bark of a hemlock. Consulted my bird book and found it was a hairy woodpecker. I would have to buy a whole new bird book in England–A friend who did her MA at Oxford remembers asking what some little birds were and being given an incredulous look before the answer “robins” came. Nothing like what we call robins here. Thanks for the buggy pictures. It’s good to note them and know what they’re up to!
Thank you Lisa for your usual thorough response. It is much appreciated
Lovely photo captures, and the stew and toffee treat sounds divine!
Thank you Elle