The importance of bumblebee nest box bedding and preparation
Bumblebee nest box bedding material “ The instructions included with the Nurturing- Nature Bumble Bee box were very comprehensive. Most other Bumblebee box suppliers give little emphasis to the nest box bedding but the NN box gave excellent instructions and emphasised...
Rusty the Red Mason bee, pre-copulation courtship display video
Red mason bee pre-copulation display I have often seen males on females and filmed them. Yet they were not actually copulating. If anything the males were simply 'piggybacking' on the females. I watched as males thrust their whole body forward making a fast vibrating...
Defra’s Report 2015: Birds, pollinators, habitats are in decline
Debra's Report 2015: Birds, pollinators, habitats decline - download report link According to Defra birds, pollinators and habitats are in continuous decline. That is Defra's assessment of the UK's wildlife. This is just a snippet of some stats for stats lovers!...
Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) life cycle updated 2016 video
Red Mason bee life cycle updated filming New films and new editing. The complete life cycle of Red mason bees filmed in my wildlife garden, using my observation nest boxes, sprinkled with a little humour! I hope you like it! Looking forward to 2016 and seeing what...
Winter active Bumblebees at the National Wildflower Centre, Liverpool
Winter, Mahonia and bumblebees seem to go together! I have heard many reports of Bumblebees working on Mahonia down south. This is my very first sighting of them so early in the year here. There were two sections of mahonia, separated by several other bushes and...
Do neonicotinoids harm/affect other wildlife besides bees? Yes!
My article "Do neonicotinoids affect other wildlife as well as bees? The new DDT?" made me realise that to keep abreast of this mounting evidence that they do affect other non targeted wildlife, I decided to collate science papers and corresponding press articles...
‘Memory Cafe’ Christmas Wreath making at the National Wildflower Centre
Christmas wreaths from natural materials We would like to invite you to the next 'Memory Cafe' at the National Wildflower Centre, run by WEA Tutor George Pilkington. The session will be held on Monday 14th December 2015, starting at 12:30pm with a finish time...
Queen Tree Bumblebee cleans my nails video
Queen Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) cleaning my nails! This particular garden nest was a roaring success as regards producing queen bumblebees. I saw this one actually fly from the nest and then fall to the floor and start crawling. Her wings looked fine and she...
Free BTO Garden Birds and Wildlife book. Makes a great present!
Join Garden Bird Watch and get a wonderful Christmas present free!! Get a free copy of the acclaimed ‘Garden Birds and Wildlife’ book, worth £14.99, and the quarterly magazine Bird Table when you join Garden BirdWatch. Personally and in my opinion, this is one of the...
Converting a boring lawn to a wildflower meadow! pt 1 video
Do you enjoy mowing your lawn? Yes I know we have lost around 97% of our flower-rich meadows and in the whole scheme of things, my tiny lawn will not make much difference to that loss. However, it makes a significant difference to me, the interest and pure pleasure I...