A Day in Lincoln

 A train ride to Lincoln then, for my sister to retrieve her bag from a nightclub, and then for a spot of lunch and a mooch around. 

Bag rescued, we headed to the Arboretum, where a community cafe staffed by trainees served up some excellent food for a mere fiver while we enjoyed looking at their extensive painted rock collection, before we walked round the park itself. 

I've been before, but on a dull September day when there wasn't much life around, but on this visit, the spurge plants were alive with various bee species, a pond had ducklings on it, and a fountain water feature was full of tadpoles. An overlooking song thrush sang its repetitive song for us while we poked around in the plants. 

Well I did, my sister has more dignity than that. I on the other hand, probably spend a lot of time looking strange to other people while I'm staring at dandelions.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 18.04.24

Solitary Bees in the Library Garden

 Just back from a little stroll to the library garden, the one saved by the "Stop the Chop" campaign back in 2022. It has become a lovely little space, with a wildlife pond currently under construction, and with a spot of sun in the late afternoon, it is a wonderful place to spot pollinators.

Recently it has become busy with solitary bee species. 

In the last few days I have seen early mining bees, nomad cuckoo bees (too hard to photograph!), the characterful and also hard to photograph hairy footed flower bees, and also grey patched mining bees, a species I've never seen before but suddenly seem to be everywhere. 

"Have you lost something?" asked a passing Polish woman, as I rummaged around in the long grass looking at dandelions and forget me not. 

I do look strange sometimes, I suppose!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 08.04.24

Spring Finally Sprung

 It's taken a long time, with endless wet weather and only occasional fine days that were however rather windy. Poliinators have been slow to take to the wing, and butterflies have been in very low numbers for the time of year - I've barely seen a brimstone up, which I normally consider to be a true sign of spring.

Hence, my first butterfly photo of spring was of a green veined white, which is a first for me. 

That being said, this past few days has seen the emergence of worker bumblebees, various species of solitary bee, lots of lady birds, and of course, the loud singing of chiff chaffs in wooded areas.

Photographing a grey patched mining bee and a two coloured mining bee - or maybe an early mining bee - are both firsts for me. Not seen by me is the remarkable sighting of a black kite at RSPB Langford Lowfields. I wonder if I should cycle out and try and find it. 

I hope you have seen such sights and heard such sounds. I intend to fully enjoy the spring as much as I can. And I hope, show them to you. I'm disappointed to not have had a lot to show you in recent times; this will change. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 04.04.24

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

Still life on the Ivy Flowers

Deep into October, and there are still little pockets of flowers offering food to our pollinators. 

I speak mainly of  course of ivy flowers, aside from a few lavender and verbena that are still hanging on, these are the most numerous source of pollen around at the moment. 

All the bushes seem to come into flower at different times; while some have now gone over and all but transformed into berries, others have now come into bloom. 

With the colder weather, honeybees and bumblebees are no longer active, but there are still flies and wasps about, and of course ivy mining bees too, who will keep going into November providing it doesn't get too cold.

It seems strange to me that until a few weeks ago I'd never seen one in my life, and now I'm coming across lots of them when I'm out and about.

They are certainly a beautiful species, up there with female tawny mining bees in my view, with the orange-yellow stripes on the abdomen being a colour that seems so vivid without there seemingly being any reason for it being out of the ordinary. 

Goes to show, always keep an eye on the ivy!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.10.21

A Red Mason Bee

 The weather has been staggeringly dreadful today - seriously I can't remember a spring as dreary as this for years - but luckily we had a couple of warmer days at the beginning of the week.

This means that there's been plenty to see on the hawthorn blossom, and I've been happy to see that my wildflower meadows are now full of buttercups, while birds foot trefoil and ox eye daisy are now starting to emerge.

The red tailed bumblebees are already starting to zone in on the trefoil, they love feeding off that. 

A new species at work, although I've seen them investigating my garden brickwork and ignoring my bee hotel, is the red mason bee. I came across it feeding off the blossom, recognisable because of its hairy body with firey ginger colouring. 

This one was a little bedraggled from earlier wet weather I think, but it was really so vivid and a very pleasing find.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 20.05.21

Bimbling to Farndon

 This afternoon I decided to head out to Farndon, specifically to take a look at Cottage Lane nature reserve to see what I might see. 

As it turned out, there wasn't actually a lot going on, it seems to be a place that explodes into colour later in the summer. The chief plant growing was I think lady's smock, and not a whole lot else. 

However, as is often the case, the journey is better than the objective, and today the dandelions were a fruitful source of photo opps, with honey bees, solitary bees and a stunning peacock butterfly all nectaring off the mini yellow suns.

The fields next to the river will soon go yellow too, with buttercups, but not quite yet. 

Swallows are around over the river, but not seeing any house martins yet. Soon there will be swifts, although signs indicate they will be late this year.

I don't blame them, given the cool weather.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 26.04.21

Got some Buzzers for you

 We've had a couple of bright days so far this week, and I'm pleased to be able to present to you some really nice bee shots - some interesting species too.

I've got a super capture of a buff tailed bumblebee queen from by Balderton Blue Lake, a slightly lower quality set of what I think is a vestal cuckoo bumblebee judging by the yellow edging of the white tail, some shots of a solitary bee on dandelion which I can't ID, and finally from our cricket ground a hairy footed flower bee working quickly around the ground ivy. 

Too cold for flutterers though, I really haven't seen that many yet this rather chilly spring. 

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.04.21