As I’ve said… it was very well behaved… obviously trying to fool me… 
A different perspective:
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not a good photo, sadly… a leaf-cutter bee going down to its nest in a geranium pot…
as soon as the leaf-bearer left… another bee arrived… empty-handed… perhaps just to check that the leaf had been properly placed in the nest…
we watched the comings and goings… absolutely fascinating…
This last photo shows the leaf bearer much more clearly… this is what we saw arrive… time after time… but is not our photo…
In actual fact, it seemed as if there were 2 different variaties of bee visiting the same hole in the pot… with speedy regularity… wish I could see inside…
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Over the last few days, I have seen lizards, for the very first time, drinking at the bird bath. I wondered whether snakes would. And bugger me! Excuse language! A snake slid across one of the bird baths, twice, in two of yesterday’s videos.
Don’t know what it is - does anyone know what this might be?
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Looks like a whip snake to me (not harmful to humans🙂)
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Thank you. The head is marbled I see, from the internet- hope to get that on film. I assume snakes drink, so maybe see that sometime.
Sat out on the terrace having dinner this evening and suddenly dozens of white storks circled and settled for the night, truely amazing sight
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what a glorious sight… 
Very interesting I love watching insects this is a Potter Wasp Delta unguiculata filling a mud chamberand egg with its paralysed food source
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Similar spider from Deux Sevres.
Different markings on the back and a more pronounced zigzag on the web.
Can we please be quite clear… I’ve not found such spiders as these (yet) and I don’t want any of you to send your spiders in my direction… such generosity is not necessary… 
(of course, it’s possible these spiders are already holidaying here… but I don’t want to see 'em)
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Whip Snakes…
I’m sure the last sentence will be giving me nightmares!
“Above all else they are a powerful snake, though normally discreet, they can be obstinate and quite aggressive, thrashing the ground with their tails and hissing when angered, sometimes tilting their head back and then striking and ‘biting’ with force. It is this force which gives them the ability to easily overcome quite large prey, but they are of no serious concern to humans, and given the chance, will flee rapidly. They are also agile climbers weaving their way rapidly through bushes and hedgerows. Prey are swallowed alive”.
they are local to us… often in the garden… never seen any nasty behaviour, in fact they disappear if they realize we are around… I do notice the lizard population drops when Mr Whippy is with us…
I thought I was sharing my house with a shrew, but I see shrew has a friend – a mouse - though there isn’t a grainy old photo of them together!
Shrew prefers ham to chicken, so that’s ok, and I’ll have to put something there that mice like to eat.
Once they are trained, and when the weather outside isn’t going to bake them alive, the saucer will be replaced with a trap – then they can be released.
If you don’t want them, like pestering relatives, to return into your abode, remember to release them as far away as possible. They do know their way home you know. 