Sloe bee
Since coming into the care of new owners, the hay field down the lane from our house has been allowed to go to wrack and ruin, and because of this it’s no longer the butterfly and pollinator paradise that it … 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
Citizen science
Well, this is exciting. To me, at any rate: I get quite fizzy whenever I’m able to add a new species to my life list, and this is one I never expected to encounter in the Shire. It’s a Four-banded … Continued
Bedraggled
This Peacock was one of three I saw on the blackthorn in the hedgerows near the house this afternoon. It was probably the most damaged of the trio – and certainly far more worn and torn than the individual I … Continued
Blossom time
Bee-flies and blossom: what could be nicer? Blackthorn is flowering in all the hedgerows in the village (though sadly not in our own little wildlife hedge, which isn’t yet mature enough), and the early emergers among the season’s nectar feeders … Continued
