Tag Archives: wildlife

Goldfinch

Posted on July 11, 2020 by blackwatervalleycountryside

I spotted this tame Goldfinch harvesting seeds from Forget-me-nots. Senior Ranger Stuart

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Common Carder Bee

Posted on May 15, 2020 by blackwatervalleycountryside

This fluffy bumblebee looks like a Common Carder Bee (Bombus pascuorum), with the ginger top of the thorax and cream & black hairs in the abdomen. ID can be a challenge as colouring varies a lot between individuals, location and … Continue reading →

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Is it a Podgy Hoverfly?

Posted on May 14, 2020 by blackwatervalleycountryside

There’s been a bizarre black buzzing insect in the garden. It zips speedily around flowers then loiters with expert hovering, like a podgy Hoverfly. In a few lucky photos, I managed to identify it as a Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora … Continue reading →

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Unlikely place to find Bees #1

Posted on April 25, 2020 by blackwatervalleycountryside

I’m now attracting strange looks from the neighbours as I stare at the patio in my back garden, – not the first place you’d think of to discover wildlife. An insect was darting around the holes dug between the patio … Continue reading →

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The Birds and the Bees

Posted on April 23, 2020 by blackwatervalleycountryside

Well it didn’t take long for the solitary bees to start breeding, after only starting emerging a couple of weeks ago. The Red Mason Bees (which I’ve found out have been renamed to Osmia bicornis) are already nesting in holes in … Continue reading →

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Spy inside a solitary bee nest

Posted on April 20, 2020 by blackwatervalleycountryside

It’s fascinating watching the bees buzzing around the garden. Last week I took a peek inside one of the nest boxes for solitary bees. This design allows you to take the front panel off to reveal the clear plastic nest … Continue reading →

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Queen Bumble

Posted on April 16, 2020 by blackwatervalleycountryside

On my bee hunting challenge, I found this huge bumble bee on the pavement (thankfully before I stood on it).  This bumblebee was far bigger than the average length of 10-16mm. Once I’d carefully put it onto a wallflower in … Continue reading →

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Red Mason Bees Emerge for Easter

Posted on April 14, 2020 by blackwatervalleycountryside

Over the Easter weekend I was delighted to see bees emerging from my bee houses in the garden, ready to pollinate the mighty 4ft apple trees. Solitary bees nest in cavities like hollow plant stems and beetle burrows, which make … Continue reading →

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Holly Lodge Animal Explorers at Snaky Lane

Posted on June 14, 2019 by blackwatervalleycountryside

This week sixty year 5 pupils from Holly Lodge Primary School joined us at Snaky Lane Local Nature Reserve to survey the animals. The children counted birds then charged around with sweep nets  to unearth wildlife in the meadow, including … Continue reading →

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The trees are alive with the sound of … buzzing?

Posted on March 23, 2019 by blackwatervalleycountryside

Honeybees are out in force on the blossoms of Goat Willow (Salix caprea) down at Ash Green Meadows. Willow is a useful nectar source for bees early in the season before leaf burst, which is just getting underway with Poplar … Continue reading →

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