For illustrated talks on natural history and history see www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

For illustrated talks on natural history and history click here for www.peterlovetttalks.co.uk

Wednesday 25 March 2015

Hairy-footed Flower Bee - Anthophora plumipes. How can you identify it?

How can you tell if this is a Hairy-footed Flower Bee - Anthophora plumipes ?


Get a picture with its hairy leg on a Daphne flower petal.  That's one hairy leg!


Tuesday 17 March 2015

Wolstonbury Hill, West Sussex this afternoon

Celandines were in flower and the tiny Adoxa moschetelina, the Town-hall clock plant, was also putting up flower buds.

Thousands of ant hills.





Joyous songs of Skylarks filled the air.

A Kestrel flew past and settled briefly in a distant tree.  A great day to be up on the Downs.


Thursday 12 March 2015

Bumblebees today in Cuckfield, West Sussex, plus a Comma.

It was a good day for insects in today's sunshine with the first sighting of a Comma in my garden.

Buff-tailed and red-tailed bumblebees were very active, feeding on a Daphne bhuola and flying away.

A tree bumblebee has decidedly lethargic; not feeding even though it was in the Daphne bush and not reacting even when I broke off the twig it was on to take a closer look.


It was put back on a flower but didn't feed.
It seems to be carrying a number of mites and I wonder how they might affect it.

Wednesday 11 March 2015

Bumblebee queens, frogspawn and a Goldcrest in Cuckfield, West Sussex

In bright sunshine yesterday, Bumblebee queens were foraging on Daphne bhuola in Cuckfield.
A Buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris above and a Red-tailed bumblebee, Bombus lapidarius
below were active and feeding.
 There is no mistaking that red tail.


Frogspawn has appeared, the tadpoles from which will be eaten by numerous newts, dragonfly and damselfly larvae no doubt.


A mixed flock of birds was making a lot of noise and included a goldcrest.

 This was a delightful little bird to see in a domestic garden; well a domestic garden being allowed to develop into a mini-nature reserve.


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