Has anyone got an increase in bee numbers yet? I can't say that we have had a decline because when the grass was long we had anything upto 20 bees at anyone time on the clover, Now the grass is cut they are making the best from our buddleia & our nasturtiums. We have noticed between 6-10 on the nasturtium & I have just looked out the window now & even though it's dull I noticed about 4.
I have noticed a few on the last of the lavender, lemonbalm, nasturtians, artichoke, verbena, cosmos, last of the foxgloves, borage, buddlia and purple loosestrife! Definitely more than three weeks ago.
On walks I have noticed many more bees since the weather became dry, there at least 10-15 of several different species on some flowers (not sure what they were I'm afraid) a few days ago. It was heartening to see. It is such a wonderful sight seeing a bumble bee lazily moving from flower to flower seemingly without a care in the world, and I haven't seen it enough this year.
I have noticed more collecting nectar too, even though the weather has been far from good the last three or four days. There still doesn't seem to be anywhere near as many as usual though.
From the 'ya just never know what you'll come across' files:
I moderate at a genealogy site (which used to be strictly Lancashire, but now includes the entire UK), and one of the gentlemen there provided some links for Caithness, Scotland.
http://www.strathnavermuseum.org.uk/museum.htm
If you look, you will see on the right hand side that a 'Bumblebee Project' was being held at the 'Bumblebee site'
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Kingfisher
Thanks for the link, sounds like an interesting project. It would be good fun trying to spot all the different species.