Where the bee sucks...

Thanks to everyone for all the lovely comments and good wishes for Russell. I've been out working most of today, but briefly saw him sitting in a tree watching me whenI arrived home, so I know he's doing OK so far. One of the parents wasn't far away so I think they're taking their duties seriously.

I only took a few photographs today, snatched hurriedly in the garden before I left for Milton Keynes. I was amazed that this capture of a hovering bee came out half decent. I've singularly failed with most of my previous attempts. It's a common carder-bee Bombus pascuorum which can be identified by its gingery brown colouring, often with numerous black hairs on the abdomen, but with no yellow markings on its rear end. It's frequently found in gardens, although it is much less common in the countryside than formerly.

It's a surface-nesting bumble bee which constructs its nest in cavities such as old mouse runs and among mats of moss in lawns (so we have lots of suitable habitat for it!). If a nest is disturbed, the workers quickly divide their labour by splitting into groups of builders, defenders and protectors. The builders spread out and form lines, using a combing action (hence the name) and pass materials from one to another, the last in line repairing the nest. The defenders buzz angrily around the source of the disturbance to act as a deterrent, whilst the protectors fan the nest with rapid wing beats to prevent the eggs from overheating. Isn't that amazing?

This is a long-tongued bee which prefers flowers with a long flower tube such as red and white clover, lavender and members of the mint family. Here it's feeding on hairy canary-clover Dorycnium hirsutum. This is a very attractive small shrub with silvery leaves and the softest pink flowers, all covered with silky hairs.The reddish-brown pods are also very attractive later in the season. It likes full sun and free-draining soil, though it's thrived on our clay for many years.

It's certainly popular with the common carder-bees - numerous individual visit constantly throughout the hours of daylight.