For 2 days the weather at the Quinta has almost reached mid 20s and the skies have been clear blue. It is no surprise that this has kick-started spring. Today the garden was full of Violet Carpenter Bees that have appeared out of hibernation.
Here a couple of shots of these giant Bees from today.
{Click image(s) to view on Flickr - opens in new tab}The recent cold spell is over and the daytime temperatures are back in the low 20s, the evenings can still be chilly though. This morning I was out walking the dog and noticed something I’d been missing, the smell of the Esteva, in English it’s called the Gum Rock Rose and its latin name is Cistus ladanifer.
This extremely tough evergreen shrub covers most of the Algarve Serra which is why the hills look green. The plant produces a resin and its this very sticky substance that gives off the amazing smell. As you can see in the photo, there is new growth on the top of this branch. The small leaves are extremely sticky hence the return of the smell. I mentioned “tough”, yes this shrub can withstand extreme drought and requires very little water.
Woodpecker pecking at a Concrete Post, is it mad? I don’t think so, read on……
Firstly, apologies for the terrible video quality, I was out with the Dog this morning when I heard this and had my phone zoomed on max. You can just about make out the Woodpecker at the very top moving around.
I’ve heard this noise before and knew it was a Woodpecker by the pattern of the noise, but why? My explanation continues below the video
{Remember to watch in HD if possible}
It’s still January and although we had a cold spell last week, the temperature has picked back up again.
Tonight at dusk, the birds were singing away like it was a Springtime evening.
I took a quick recording on my mobile which you can play below.
