red mason bee – Jill Orme Photography

18 Apr 2026

Synchronicity

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

I got a bit more work done in the garden this afternoon, trimming the little mixed wildlife hedge that R and I planted as a set of two dozen whips a few years ago, but I’m a bit under the … Continued

11 Apr 2025

Masonry

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

I present here another instalment in my occasional series: Orange(ish) Bees on Pink Crab Apple Blossom. If you saw yesterday’s post you might remember the rather spiffy Common Carder queen I caught on the same tree in almost exactly this … 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

9 May 2023

Domestic goddess

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

When R described me as a domestic goddess this afternoon, I raised an eyebrow at him and waited for the punchline, but it turned out that he was being sincere. Compliments tend to make me laugh uncomfortably and reel off … Continued

2 Apr 2023

Picnic

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

“Is it,” I asked myself, “maybe a little too early in the season to be posting predation porn?” I considered the question for all of about two seconds, before deciding that it’s never too early. Plus, it seemed only fit … Continued

11 Apr 2022

Masonic

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

I recorded three season firsts today, and I’m posting photos of two of them this evening. The main image, featured at least partly because he was the hardest subject of the day to capture on camera, is a male red … Continued

11 May 2021

Osmia bicornis

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

This morning was very wet and stormy, but the thunderstorms cleared around lunch time and the afternoon was mostly warm and sunny – though scudding clouds still blew through and changed the light quite dramatically from time to time. The … Continued

14 Apr 2020

Speckled Wood

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

I was stalking a tiny and uncooperative Holly Blue around the garden with a long lens this afternoon, when I was distracted by some butterflyish fluttering up in the top of the weeping pear tree. It took me a while … Continued