not quite the magnificent seven

A tour around the garden today on a team bumblebee hunt and DIY bumblebee ID session.

Rain. Cold wind. Not auspicious. A bumblebee must keep its core temperature at 30 degrees C*. With temperatures of around 15 degrees C excluding the effects of the cold wind it was surprising to see any busy bees.

early bumblebee (bombus pratorum)

But six species of bumblebee were identified:

Species of bumblebee     No     Location

1. Early                       1      Lamium; lavender
2. Garden                    1      Monkshood
3. Red tailed                3     Thalictrum; lavender
4. Common carder     12     Feverfew; foxglove; fuchsia; lavender; rose - nest in Picnic Wood grass
5. Buff tailed                1     Foxglove
6. White tailed             1      Rose

Davies mining bee and hummingbird moth were among other invertebrates that braved the cold wind.

common carder bee (bombus pascuorum) nest

We have seen tree bumblebees here at Cordwood. If we had seen her today we would have hit a 'magnificent seven' species. But this disappointment won't keep the theme tune from this wonderful western out of my head for the rest of the day...

Were's mah hoss..?

Do doo, doo doo do doooo...

* Dave Goulson 'A sting in the tail'.