The Magic of the Willow Wand
Discovering the Willow Wand Whilst cycling along a country lane a couple of weeks ago, I came across these beautiful and most unusual willow trees growing in flower pots. Upon closer examination, I saw that they were called 'Willow Wands' and was very impressed. It is...
Red mason bee male drags newly emerged female from inside her natal cavity
Red mason bee (Osmia bicornis) males have home ranges when searching for females Red mason bee male home range Seidelmann states that Red Mason bee males, search for females within their own home ranges, in a non-aggressive manner towards other males. There is no...
Common yellow face bee using Dufour’s gland secretions to seal nest entrance
Common yellow face female (Hyaleus communis) bee using Dufour's gland secretions when sealing her nest entrance What is Dufour's gland? Well according to Mitra, it's a gland, although it and the poison gland are associated with the sting, its actual function is to...
Birchwood Fire Station -Raised Bed No Dig Gardening and Hugelkulture
Birchwood Fire Station Raised Beds A few years ago I was asked to advise firemen at Birchwood Fire Brigade Station as they wished to grow organic vegetables and invite local schools to tend the crops. When I visited I noticed that they had been pruning and cutting the...
How a leafcutter bee make her nest?
How does a leafcutter bee make her nest from leaf pieces? What do leafcutter bees actually do with the piece of leaf or flower petal, that they carry back to their nesting cavity? This film shows exactly that in more detail. Having watched leafcutters making their...
Staffordshire Invertebrate Science Fair ’20
'The Staffordshire Invertebrate Science Fair This is an annual wildlife conservation event aimed at families, students, amateurs and pretty much anyone with a passing interest or enquiring mind about invertebrates. This year it is on Saturday, March 7th from 10:30 am...
Blue tits, snail shells, caterpillars and spiders
Birds diet and calcium Let's start at the beginning, nestlings are 'wrapped' inside the hard eggshell. Calcium is an essential element in the diet of birds, particularly when they are producing eggs which need calcium to be viable. Insects are low in calcium and in...
A six year study of flowers that bees actually use by rosybee
Plants for bees: a 6-year study The following information along with a link to a more detailed report may be of interest to many of you wanting to help bees by having the flowers they will actually use. I hope you find it useful. From rosybee plants for bees Summary...
Dancing drone tree bumblebees outside nests new film
A 'swarm' of bumblebees is usually a mating ritual by Bombus hypnorum males I have had many different bumblebee species nesting in my wildlife garden and found many wild nests over the years. In 2001 (Goulson and Williams) found the first recorded Bombus hypnorum...
Common Yellow-face bee starts her new nest but dies near the entrance
Common Yellow-face bee starts her new nest but dies near the entrance This female Common yellow-face bee (Hylaeus communis) did nest in another cavity and as she neared the end of that nest, she flew around in search of another nest site. I was on hand to view this so...