Camouflage
Having cleaned the alloys of R’s car yesterday evening, the Boy Wonder was desperate to wash the rest of it. R said (truthfully) that there wasn’t time before bed, but promised that if B still wanted to do it this … Continued
Humblebumblebee
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term “humble-bee” predates the use of the word “bumblebee” – the former having first appeared in print in 1450, and the latter in 1530 – but they were then used almost interchangeably until … Continued
Garden Bumblebee
Bombus hortorum is one of the most common bumblebees in the UK. It’s also one of the biggest, with queens coming in at close to 2cm in length, and males and workers at around 1.5cm. It’s commonly called the Garden … Continued
Common Carder
My day began well, with a productive invertebrate hunt while the morning was still cool after overnight frost. Then things went badly awry, when I decided to tidy up the little free-standing container pond on the patio, and discovered that … Continued
Aromatherapy
It was sleeping bumblebee day in the garden today. I followed this huge Bombus terrestris queen around the Viburnum tinus as she sipped from some of the flowers, then watched her land on a leaf, tuck in all her legs … Continued
Eye of the storm
There’s a luxurious patch of ivy growing along the top of the tall old farm wall that borders our yard, which flowers later than any other ivy in the area. Given that it’s south-facing, I have absolutely no idea why … Continued
First off the blocks
Yesterday evening the heatwave broke and it started to rain. I lay in bed listening to the grass growing outside, and reflecting on the fact that having recently bought just about every mower and grass trimmer available to man, it … Continued
