Yet More Spring Finds!

 Today's walks were on a duller day, but still a productive one. 

The first tawny mining bees were out today, seemingly country wide judging by my social feeds, and I came across one at the edge of someone's front garden, seemingly not operating at full throttle yet, but its colours were glorious. 

Then I found a female hairy footed flower bee foraging off red dead nettle growing out the pavement. This one seemed rather mad at me. 

My final find, at Rumbles Cafe on the park, was a beetle with a beautiful metallic sheen. Possibly a rainbow growclock beetle, this was another new find for me. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 

A New Species! The Common Mourning Bee

 Was walking through the library gardens nature reserve during today's glorious spring weather, when I noticed a very dark bee feeding off dandelion. 

While I was photographing it, I knew it was a species I was unfamiliar with, and a long walk and some research later, I was able to identify it as a female common mourning bee and indeed this is a new species to me. The female is entirely black, with only a few pale patches of hairs on the abdomen and the legs. 

We are at the north edge of its UK range here, and it is a parasite, or cuckoo bee. It parasitizes the nests of hairy footed flower bees, which explains its presence in this little nature reserve, which is full of hairy footed flower bees whizzing about. 

It was a fine start to a fine day out in the sun, seeing what local nature I can find. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 31.03.26 

Today's Critters

 A very blustery day today, very much your cliche "Four Seasons in One Day" type day you get this time of year. 

So far, it's not been a great spring for butterflies round here, but other pollinators have been about in between sharp showers. I took a walk round Sconce Park and the Library Gardens to see what I might see. 

So, what I have for you today is a vestal cuckoo bumblebee, an unidentified mining bee that I thought was a yellow legged mining bee but has iNaturalist stumped, and finally, lucky chance shots of a hairy footed flower bee on the wing. 

Warmer, less windy weather is forecast, so we will see what's around tomorrow! 

I love spring. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 30.03.26 

The First Butterfly Photograph of the Year

 Without making an extensive trawl through this blog, I'm not sure what is my most common first butterfly photograph of the year, but I have a feeling that the last few years it has often been a comma. 

Not this year!

In 2026, the honour of being the first butterfly to fall to my eager mobile phone camera was a peacock, a peacock feeding off blackthorn blossom is the library gardens nature reserve. A peacock that was friendly enough to allow me to get a decent photograph. 

Oh, those glorious colours!

I have a horrible feeling that this is going to be a poor spring for butterflies thanks to the terrible wet weather, and indeed on the warm days I haven't seen the number of brimstones I'd expect. 

We are in another spot of cooler weather at the moment, but when it warms up again, perhaps we shall see. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 24.03.26 

Rampant Hairy Footed Flower Bees

 Spring has sprung big time here in Newark over the last few days.

I have so many critters to show you, it will take more than one post to show you them all. So I've decided to start with what are one of my most difficult targets - the hairy footed flower bee. 

These fast moving solitary bees - they aren't bumblebees despite their appearance - emerge early in spring and are only active for a few weeks. They love the library gardens nature reserve, whizzing around the star of bethlehem and red dead nettle flowers, settling only briefly, especially if another male comes close.

So to take photographs of them is rather challenging, good photos even more so. I think these are ok, my Pixel 10a seems up to the job, but the focus is often a bit soft because of their rapid movement.

Have you seen any? 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 21.03.26 

Blue and Yellow Rule in The Friary Gardens

 Friary gardens has essentially two main flower flushes each spring. 

The first is the time of the snowdrop and aconite, the first signs of renewal after the dull months of October, November and December. 

The second, as the sun climbs higher into the sky, is when glory of the snows, followed by daffodils, emerge from the ground to turn the gardens blue and yellow. 

All watched over by the giant oriental plane tree, the biggest tree in the town. 

As always, it's a sadly short display, only there a couple of weeks. But it is very beautiful. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 17.03.26 

My Planter Crocuses

 My crocus planters needed a refresh, so back in October I bought some new bulbs, moved the planters to a windowsill where I thought they'd get more light, tucked the bulbs into bed, and waited to see what would happen. 

There were two varieties, dwarf ones and standard ones. and all was quiet in the planters until January, when they began to sprout and grow rapidly. 

They avoided the rat based fate on my allium bulbs - rat repellent is going to be bought to sort that furry four legged problem out - and have brought me a crop of gold, purple and white flowers. 

Sadly they've barely been open, because there's been so little sunlight to be had, especially in my little yard. And they've not attracted any pollinators either, because bees and bumbles haven't been flying in this dull weather. 

But I'm pleased anyway, to have brought a little colour to my concrete corner of the world, rat or no rat. 

Si 

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 10.03.26