Today we had a trip out to the vet. It was time for Penny to have her annual vaccine boost. For once she wasn't very keen to get in the car. She used to love the idea of a car ride. I think all the recent months of prodding and testing has made her wary of the real intention of having to get in the car. Also as she ages she finds it harder to leap from ground level to the back seat. The way round that was to move the front passenger seat forward so she can get in the foot well first and then on to the seat.
A couple of days ago I took down a thick wooden shelf from the side of a shed and found this wasp had been sheltering, or possibly hibernating, there:
Today, as the temperature headed up to 17C, I spotted a few bees taking advantage of the warmth and a couple of open Crocus flowers:
I also watched a large bumble bee trying its hardest to fly forwards in a blustery wind.
Yesterday we had wall to wall Sunshine.
The second day where the temperature has reached 14C by the afternoon.
Returning from our mid morning walk the first thing which caught my eye ...
... the various growths on the Hibiscus bush.
Its branches always looks well and truly dead this time of year.
Next spotted were the first opening flowers on ...
... the tete-a-tete miniature narcissus bulbs.
Nearby were in the order of 20 ...
... 7 spot ladybirds scattered about.
I decided to wander over to have a look at my heather plants.
Even more of them there ...
But almost deafening was the sheer number of ...
... bees busy buzzing from flower to flower.
Lots of background twittering from the House Sparrows.
Amazing what a bit of warmth will produce this time of year.
Not just humans gleaning an Autumn harvest from the hedgerows. Recently the Ivy around the village has been swarming with bees making the most of a final harvest of pollen, leaving with bulging pollen baskets. Some Ivy growths have so many bees visiting that the hum from their wings can be heard well before nearing the plant.
I have noticed there seem to be far fewer wasps around this Autumn. Normally by now they would also be swarming over the Ivy but I have only seen the occasional one.
Yesterday started cool but the Sun soon came out so I decided to trim some of the evergreens in the front garden. Pleased I had my trusty pocket Nikon with me as I saw some 7 spot Ladybirds:
Some bees enjoying a feed on the Heather:
But what caught my eye was about five Small Tortoiseshell butterflies on the Heather:
One looked very much well worn and tatty but the rest appeared pristine.
Not many bees around now that Autumn is well under way. This was the one I was watching on an Autumn Crocus when I spotted the micro moth I wrote about yesterday:
It was busily collecting pollen.
Towards the end of these video clips you can see it scraping the pollen in to its pollen sacs:
A large flowering bush overhanging from next door has been attracting scores of honeybees and bumble bees. This is the first time I have been able to see clearly how a bee uses the hooks at the end of its legs to hold on to a flower as it moves around. Also the influx of tiny Pollen Beetles can be seen.
I have a feeling that the bee I found earlier in the week which I couldn't identify may have been a genetic aberration as I couldn't find any photos with anywhere near the same markings.
Have a great weekend observing the wildlife around you and if you live in the South East of the UK don't get too wet!
OK. So the Buddleia Bush is usually known as the Butterfly Bush but my Globular variety has been attracting scores of bees so far this year so I have christened it my Bee Bush:
It's no wonder the weather is a major topic of conversation in the UK. Once the kerfuffle about the partial solar eclipse was over the afternoon turned out to be glorious for the time of year. Here anyway. Temperature up to 14C, wall to wall Sunshine and more importantly not a breath of cold wind to spoil things. It even got me in the mood for pottering outdoors. Cleaned the pond pump so that is now back to full flow. Grass trimmed for the first time this year.
I was not the only one busy in the garden. The catkins on the corkscrew hazel were attracting dozens of bees. Right little fidgets they are to capture close shots:
Bumble bees were not so active. I saw several on various Sunny PVC windows soaking up what heat they could find:
Last but not least my first sighting this year of a 7 spot ladybird:
Today is completely the opposite. Cloudy and dull all day with a biting Northerly wind which cuts right through you. Makes the 7C feel more like 0C.
Not many in the way of flowers for insects to feed on these days. The one exception is Ivy. This must be the best years I have seen for the amount of flowers on my Ivy. Some in the front hedge and a clump at the back have been attracting scores of flying insects.
While the Sun was out yesterday one clump was attracting bees which were filling their pollen sacs.
Outnumbering the bees were flies by the score:
They are making the most of the dwindling pollen and nectar supply as the flowers are fading fast.
On the few occasions recently when the Sun has shone my heather plants have been swarming with bees. I would guess they are coming from a local smallholding where there are lots of bee hives. They were making the most of a sunny period with the temperature reaching 14˚C.
I only saw one bumble bee. Usually it has been the opposite, lots of bumble bees and few honey bees.
They were not alone - seemingly basking in the Sun was this lone hairy caterpillar:
It appears to be the caterpillar of the Ruby Tiger Moth which feeds on heather, amongst other things. The adult can be seen here on the ukmoths site.
Before the rain arrived a few days ago the exceptionally warm weather had brought out many insects. Most were taking advantage of the Ivy plants which were in full flower. The flowers don't look much to us but bees, wasps, flies and butterflies were swarming around them.
Comma
Speckled Wood
Small Tortoiseshell
Common Darter
Always plenty of Crows and Rooks on the Cricket Field
Great Tit still roosting every night in the nestbox
