Bombus pratorum – Jill Orme Photography

1 Mar 2026

Early Early Bumblebee

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

Just to prove that bees other than the Hairy-feet do exist in my little world, this is an Early Bumblebee queen (Bombus pratorum), who finally allowed me some photos today at the third time of trying. It’s not just the … Continued

27 May 2025

Damp

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

Today we finally received at least some of the rain we so badly needed, along with some fierce winds – a combination that kept me at my desk, crunching digital files, until mid-afternoon. As soon as I was sure the … Continued

17 May 2025

Spiffy

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

There’s something absolutely luscious, I think, about a very fresh male Early Bumblebee. We have a lot of these Bombus pratorum boys in the garden at the moment, so at least one nearby nest has just released its ‘crop’. Their … Continued

23 May 2024

Reprise

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

Today’s photo is essentially a reprise of yesterday’s, but with less water and more bee. The bee is a male Early Bumblebee (Bombus pratorum), which is demonstrated by his unique colouring. Male Red-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius) are also yellow, black … Continued

24 Jun 2023

Busy

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Flowers and plants, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

I’ve had one of those days when you work pretty much flat out, but don’t feel you have much to show at the end for all the effort. I’ll just have to console myself that I can see the difference … Continued

1 Jun 2023

Magnet

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Invertebrates, Wales | 0

While R was pushing a napping grandchild around the park this afternoon, I went on an invertebrate hunt. The spring bedding has been dug up and all the flower beds are standing empty, waiting for the summer planting scheme to … Continued

3 Apr 2023

Fluffy pink bum

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Flowers and plants, Invertebrates, My garden, Trees, Worcestershire | 0

I did so much gardening today – completing the renovation of the big rose bed, and then mulching the whole thing with rotted wood chips from the pile left for me by the tree surgeon last autumn – that I’m … Continued

30 May 2022

Competitive feeding

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

The alliums are out, and seem to be permanently covered with a little gang of first-brood Bombus pratorum males, feeding competitively. These little bumblebees are so fast, skittish, and erratic that I find them hard to photograph even on a … Continued

4 May 2022

Early

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Fruit and vegetables, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

It was dark and rainy during the early part of the day, so I used the opportunity to get some boring but useful things done, and happily I was free and able to rush outside with the camera as soon … Continued

19 Jun 2021

Weedy

by JDO | posted in: Bees, Flowers and plants, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

Purple toadflax is native to Italy, but has naturalised across much of Europe, including the British Isles. Because of the kind of gardener I am (lazy and incompetent) it has colonised several areas of my garden – a fact that … Continued