Solitary Bees Busy on the Fruit Blossoms.

The few days of settled sunny weather has seen many bees out and about.In particular foraging solitary bees on the early flowering plants.Our plum tree is now in full bloom and female Yellow-legged Mining Bees Andrena flavipes,were busy gathering pollen,as seen below in the first two photos.The third individual is as yet unidentified.

Bumblebees Busy in the Winter Garden.

The first sunny day of 2020 and Buff-tailed Bumblebees are buzzing in my garden around the flowering Mahonia shrub.Along with other flowering plants at this time of year this nectar enables species such as the Buff-tailed to remain active throughout the winter together with the mild temperatures in the south of England.The following photo's are of  a worker bumblebee,probably one of up to one hundred at a winter colony maintained by the queen bumblebee.