Some photographs of the flowers I’ve seen out and about in Cornwall and in my backyard during the last couple of weeks. I wish to see what’s in flower and out there for the bees.
Beneath is my miniature apple tree. I primarily see hoverflies and bumbles visiting this. Honey bees are inclined to favor massive collections of 1 kind of flower, so this wee tree might be not value it for them.
One of many first bees of the yr I see in my backyard is the enchantingly named feminine Bushy-footed flower bee . I at all times see them on the deep blue flowers of lithodora, which they may go to all day till the early night. I say ‘see’ them however I normally hear them first, as they’re noisy little bees and really quick, environment friendly movers – which is why my photograph is blurry!
Feminine bushy footed flower bee
Beneath is the male bushy footed flower bee, which I first begin seeing a few weeks after the females. They go to the lithodora flowers too.
Male bushy footed flower bee (Anthophora plumipes)
Bluebells, daffodils and primroses develop in profusion in Cornwall. I can not recall seeing as many primroses anyplace else I’ve lived within the UK. Many of the primroses are yellow, however there are some pink blooms too.
Bluebells and daffodils
Primroses
I went for a stroll alongside the coast by St Mawes, the place quite a lot of white flowers embellished the verges.
Those beneath are usually not wild garlic, though they smelt very garlicky! Wild garlic flowers have a extra star-like, upright form.
Three cornered leek
Assume these flowers beneath are three-cornered leek, which may be recognized by the inexperienced stripes inside their flower. An edible plant which can be utilized like spring onions.
Three cornered leek
Beneath are stitchwort flowers, these develop alongside hedgerows and in woodland
Stitchwort
Sadly my bees, having survived the winter, by some means turned queenless round March. I am now bee-less for the primary time in years. I’ll in all probability put out a bait hive quickly because the bee yr is starting once more. I nonetheless reply emails for my native affiliation and the queries about swarms and bees in chimneys are simply beginning!
