It was such a grim day, weather-wise, that I walked twice round the garden before managing to find a single insect. Then the sky lifted slightly and the temperature went up a degree or two, and suddenly I heard the buzz of bumblebees attacking the small flowers of a cotoneaster. This one is a male Early Bumblebee – a species that lives up to its name in being one of the first to complete its spring nesting cycle, by producing first males and then new queens. The males have been out for a few days now, hanging around feeding on their favourite flowers – green alkanet seems to be the top choice, but they also like herb-robert and catnip, as well as cotoneaster – while waiting to perform their one task, which is ambushing the new queens when they appear, and impregnating them. Then they will die off, while the queens set up their own nests and get to work producing a second brood. They’re efficient, low-key little bees, and though they’re also fast, and therefore not the easiest to photograph, I like them a lot.
Before I go, I’d like to thank everyone who said nice things about yesterday’s Little Owl – I’m very pleased that you enjoyed it.
R: L2, C9, D16.
