Wash and brush up

I had a couple of hours at Swaddywell Pit this morning, making the most of the soft sunshine on a glorious September day. Highlight of the trip was spending time with the large colony of Ivy Bees that occupies part of the south facing slope, where the soil is suitable sandy and free draining. Clearly all the male bees had emerged, and there were thousands of them flying low over the nesting area, waiting for the emergence of the females. I was hoping to photograph the ensuing scrum, where many males try to mate with a virgin female as she emerges, but this wasn't to be. 

After watching from the edge of the colony, I spent some time lying down among the bees, so that I could photograph them emerging from their nests. I was careful to avoid any obvious holes, and they were not at all bothered by my presence. It was fascinating to watch them so closely, with a constant background hum from the many pairs of wings.

In the evening we went over to Ben and Sarah's house where we were joined by Chris and Lizzy for a scrumptious meal of slow cooked gammon with all the trimmings, followed by a delightfully gooey cake containing apple and maple syrup. A very autumnal meal which was much enjoyed.