Bee-auty

Nonchalantly hanging on a Gooseberry flower, soaking up the rays of the spring sunshine, this female Tawny Mining Bee looked resplendent in her foxy-red jacket. She extended one shapely black leg flirtatiously. How could any of the male bees resist her in this pose? 

It was a good day for solitary bees in the garden - at least six species were on the wing, stopping now and then to sunbathe in sheltered corners (the wind was still bitter) or fuel up on the gooseberry and redcurrant blossom. Tawny Mining Bees are present every year in our garden, but this year they're particularly numerous - we must be doing something right!

Alex and I deferred our fieldwork until tomorrow as the Met Office were predicting a 60% chance of rain in Cambridge today. I think we made the right decision as it we had lots of sunshine in Peterborough.