The Rescue

Another walk this evening, and now the house martins have arrived back at their nest site near the Magnus School, circling the trees by the hockey pitch where the insects fly. Soon they will be nesting under the eaves of the houses opposite, one of the few sites they have left in a town where they once dominated the town centre in summer.

Even more swifts are around. It looks as though it may be a good summer for them here. How amazing to spend virtually your entire life in flight. The duller evening didn't stop them, indeed they are probably still up there now, circling ever in the warm night.

Feeling like the narrator in "War of the Worlds" when he finds The Parson, I came upon a dead bee lying on the pavement. I thought it was dead, but as I looked down, its legs trembled. It was alive!

I had no sugary water to hand, and decided to carry it to a flower to drop it on so it might have a chance to regain strength by nectaring. However the bee in question, a red tailed bumble queen, was enjoying the warmth of my hand so much she had no wish to get off, and I ended up carrying her 200 metres along Millgate until I found a garden full of flowers and was able to pop her off onto a wall next to them.

I imagine she won't survive, but I did try.

It is important to make friends.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.05.16