garden – Page 26 – Jill Orme Photography

1 Jun 2024

Mahoosive

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

This was by some way the biggest bumblebee I’ve ever seen – easily as long as the end phalanx of my thumb, and heavily built. For scale, check out the honeysuckle leaf she was sitting on. If she’d been in … Continued

31 May 2024

Rabbit ears

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

It’s not particularly uncommon, though the Shire is probably towards the northern and western end of its range, and this specimen is a bit battered, but the sight of a Chrysotoxum hoverfly always lifts my spirits. All of them are … Continued

30 May 2024

Dark lady

by JDO | posted in: Arachnids, Flies, Hoverflies, Invertebrates, My garden, Worcestershire | 0

Another crazily busy day saw me having to scoot into the garden to do my invert hunt in what turned out to be the worst light of the afternoon. But flat light can work for you, of course, and I … 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

22 May 2024

Sodden

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

I stayed dry in the house for most of the morning, while keeping an eye out of the kitchen window for even the briefest let-up in the downpour. It never arrived, but in the end the need to put the … Continued

21 May 2024

Sang-froid

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

We seem to be heading into a period of unsettled weather – for most of today it was overcast and not especially warm, and by dinner time it was raining. I dare say the local farmers won’t be unhappy about … Continued

20 May 2024

Expansive

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

This female isn’t the first Large Red Damselfly to emerge from our ponds this season, but she’s the first I’ve caught in the act. By the time I saw her she’d reached the stage of rocking slightly back and forth, … Continued

19 May 2024

Blue boy

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

I haven’t seen any Azure Damselflies emerging from either of our ponds so far this year, but today while I was touring the homestead in search of inverts this mature male drifted past me and landed on the Viburnum juddii. … Continued

18 May 2024

Jewel wasp

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

I spotted this tiny jewel wasp on the pond sedge in the wildlife pond this afternoon, during a brief cloudy spell in an otherwise sunny day. It was running around the gently waving leaves like a thing possessed, and (as … Continued

17 May 2024

Faded

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

The season marches on. My beloved male plumpies are all gone now, though the females are still zooming about, working on their nests. There are fewer and fewer mining bees around, and I haven’t seen a bee-fly, of any description, … Continued