Sunbathing Dragonflies

 For some reason, the cycle track bridge over the A1 becomes a favourite sunbathing spot for dragonflies this time of year. 

More specifically, common darters, and even more specifically today, female common darters, three of which were out enjoying autumn sun on the bridge today, their huge brown eyes following me as I tried to get photographs. 

Most of the time, dragonflies are pretty skittish and hard to photograph, but at this time of the year with colder nights - and it was chilly last night - they take a while to warm up and are a bit more amenable to posing for irritating photographers.

The coralberry bushes were busy too today, lots of bees going like hooligans at the last of the flowers. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.09.25

From Bumbles to Honeys

 As well as bumblebees, obviously the brighter weather has seen plenty of honey bees on the wing, with orange saddlebags full of crocus pollen!

This is my favourite time of the year. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 08.03.25

Well I'm Still Finding Things!

 I've been doing a fair bit of running again, and getting faster to boot! This seems to be spurred on by the purchase of a new semi-smart watch, an Amazfit Bip 5 with onboard GPS. Sadly, because I live in the centre of town the GPS is often borked on one one of my main running routes and has me running 2km before it even registers one, but outside of that one road it seems fairly accurate, and I'm now running 5km in just over 29 minutes.

We are still getting days of mild weather, often preceded by grimly misty mornings for me to cycle through. Lights are on all the time now, including my head torch at night. Sadly, I haven't been able to see Comet A3, town lights are too intrusive. 

So that's running, cycling and being rubbish at astronomy covered, what of nature? We have entered the autumn holding pattern, with goldfinches flocking up and robins the only birds still singing. Meadow pipits have arrived at work for the winter. When I can find something in flower, there's still the occasional hiney bee around which gives me joy and delays winter sadness. 

Counting down already to the first snowdrops.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.10.24

Life on the Sedum

 There's nothing at work but bristly ox tongue, but on Sconce Park there are still plants in bloom that the pollinators love. 

The deep pink sedum that grows in the "Mini Sconce" in front of the cafe is proving particularly attractive to honey bees, and after I have had my cup of tea and old school can of Barr's lemonade, I like to go over and have a look and see who is having dinner there.

This post then, is just an excuse to put up a lovely photo I managed to get of two bees. I hope you like it.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 24.09.23

The Nature of Berlin and the Tiergarten

 A few more Berlin photos for you, focussing on the nature I found on my sister and I's long walks around The Tiergarten and Kreuzberg.

Apart from our Kreuzberg day, the weather was pretty chilly and wet and so there wasn't a lot fluttering about, and what there was, was pretty much the same you would find in the UK. However, the honeybees looked different to ours and may be of the carniolan sub-species.

So the hope of finding fritillaries or camberwell beauties I'd seen in photos from Germany ended up being rather dashed!

Enjoy!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.05.23

Some Solitary Bees

 There's been plenty of solitary bees about this spring - when the weather has been ok! - mainly feeding off dandelion, which I've recently learned is not as amazing a source of pollen as many people think. 

However, this time of year, it is clearly still important as it so abundant compared to other food plants round here. 

I'm not sure of the species id of the non honeybees here; the tiny one is a lassioglossus of some kind, while another is an andrena mining bee. My bee identification skills are not up to the task and neither is Google lens, it seems!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.04.22

First Bee for a Hot Minute

 We've had milder temperatures - I'm sure I don't need to tell you that! - and even a bit of sunshine, but nature's calendar has been rather slow to catch up after the two frozen weeks we had. I've seen a glimpse of a small tortoiseshell on the wing, and the queen bumbles are on the move again, but the chiff chaffs aren't singing yet, nor have I seen a beautiful lemon yellow brimstone butterfly on the wing yet. 

Indeed, I've only just seen another honeybee on the wing, a very skittish individual feeding off glory of the snows in Friary Garden, which is well carpeted in blue with them at the moment. 

I hope things are getting more spring like where you all are!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 22.03.23

The Buzzers are Out and Very Much About!

 I've had a decent stroll today, taking in Sconce Park, the Cemetery and the Blue Lake. But what I'm here to talk about today is what I found in the Castle Gardens. 

It was markedly cooler, but much brighter, than the weather we have been having recently, feeling quite pleasant if you could find a sunny spot. I'd gone to the gardens merely to photograph the golden crocuses that grow there every year, but as soon as I got to them, it was clear that they had other visitors enjoying the weather. 

It's February 5th. And the honeybees were out earlier than I can ever remember seeing them before. 

It wasn't just a single, brae pioneer either. It was quite the gathering in the welcoming orange pollen cups! 

I've read that the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch has indicated that there has been a lot of nest building and early courtship happening amongst our feathered friends - indeed I've got blackbirds paired up in the area of my garden - and it seems that apian has followed avian. The question is how they will all withstand the coldish snap that is happening this week. 

That aside, I was glad to see them, even if it just for today.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 05.02.23

Why are you Guys Still Out?

 Been off work for three days. Two of those have been misty, mizzley, cold and grey, weather to hide from. Get the TV on, pull the fleece blanket up round your neck on the sofa and stay as cozy as you can.

Saturday, however, was just glorious. Mid November, and it was shirt sleeves weather. I went to Rumbles cafe at the park, and watched a red admiral - always the last butterfly on the wing each autumn - flutter over my head as I sipped on my tea. 

Because of this warm November, there's still some flowers in bloom in the lovingly cultivated beds outside Rumbles, and unbelievably there's still some other pollinators on the wing. 

A hoverfly and a honeybee, still awake and feeding! 

It's an absolutely beautiful thing to see and a privilege to photograph it. But really, is this what we should be seeing so deep into the autumn? Flowers in bloom and insects feeding off them? 

I know that a lot of nature lovers are worried about this too. They wonder why there are trees in bud, orchids sprouting in meadows and other manifestations you would expect in March, not November. It feels wrong to them. It feels wrong to me. 

Something isn't right out there.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 14.11.22

Now, Trying with Coloured Pencils

 This weekend has been so utterly grey and wet, there's been barely anything of note to see.

That being the case, I bought some coloured pencils and decided to have another go at sketching. Using pencils is rather more time consuming than doing big toddlerish swipes of felt tip pen, and produces a rather more subtle result - hardly a surprise!

So, I present to you a honey bee, drawn from a photo in a blog post from a couple of weeks ago. 

Looks about the standard of a ten year old, I'd say.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 06.11.22

The Buzzy Coralberry

 As I've alluded too in other posts - well at least I think I have - the tiny flowers of the workplace coralberry bushes are proving to be a vital source of late season nourishment for the honeybees still on the wing. 

Even in the rain, the bees visit, dangling upside down from the tiny pink drooping flowers, not stopping for long, hard to photograph. Where their colony is, who knows? How many colonies do they come from? How far have they flown to get here?

Questions questions questions.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 22.10.22