Monday 15 March 2010

Third bumblebee of the year

A funny title you'd think. Well, I saw my first bumblebee on the 10th, then another on the 13th (both flying over and unidentified) and today, finally I saw one close enough for identification: a Buff-Tailed bumblebee or Bombus terrestris on a pot. Flew quickly away before I could take out my camera (the photo on top is from october 2008) but at least I got a clear ID. It hasn't been particularly sunny today, but it is noticebly milder, around 10 oC, and things are quickly changing in the garden. The Grape Hyacinth flower spears are pushing through the leaves, box buds are bursting. The two last dormant ladybirds on the monkey puzzle have finally broken their long sleep and are moving about.

3 comments:

Threadspider said...

It's so good to see the bumblebees out and about. I spotted three different species today, but no honeybees yet.

Africa Gomez said...

How south are you Threadspider? Here there are so few plants flowering that I wonder how the bumblebees are feeding.

Threadspider said...

I am in Wiltshire, south of the M4. They are feeding on crocus flowers and just starting on the rosemary.