Friday 26 July 2013

Buzzing Bees and Clashing Colours

We've had a few days of rain and cool mists but today so far has been hot and sunny (though it's clouding over just now). Crafty Green Boyfriend and I walked round Corstorphine Hill at lunchtime. I love the clashing colours of the rosebay willowherb and the ragworts which are both out in prfusion at the minute
Lots of bees, wasps and hoverflies were buzzing round, the first phto shows a species of bumble bee and the second is a honey bee. Both are feeding on ragwort.


Also plenty of butterflies, which we dutifully recorded for the Big Butterfly Count. We saw ringlets, meadow browns, whites and a small tortoiseshell.

All the insects seemed to be enjoying the hit weather. Indeed, this hot weather has allowed British butterflies to bounce back a little bit after their populations have been declining drastically over the past few years.

Finally, here is a photo I took last week of common spotted orchid, also on Corstorphine Hill. There are more of these orchids in the orchid field by the Water of Leith, but here on the hill, it's possible to get close and photograph the whole plant, showing the spotted leaves, which give the plant its name.

(Weather update, it's raining again now!)

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11 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

beautiful flowers and happy bees.

Little Miss Titch said...

beautiful as always the places you visit,xx Rachel

Ms Sparrow said...

I'm so glad to hear your butterfly populations are rebounding. Hooray for the butterflies and the bees! I have seen only one butterfly so far this summer and I think it may have been an escapee from the butterfly tent over at the zoo. It's only a couple of miles away (as the butterfly flies).

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Bees are captured in a great atmosphere here! I was reminded of The Bees by Carol Ann Duffy!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Lovely photograph Juliet but here we try our best to eradicate ragwort, although I know it is good for the insects. My friends two donkeys were killed by eating ragwort and we live in really horsy country.

eileeninmd said...

The bees must be happy there! lovely flowers and colors. happy weekend to you!

Kat Mortensen said...

In my immediate region we have a real honeybee crisis. Many of them dying off because of farmer's use of neocoitinoids(sp?) Local beekeepers are fearful of losing their livelihood, and are appealing to the government of the province to do something. I hope it can be resolved.

Your photos are wonderful.

RG said...

Sun, flower, flower, bee, bee, flower, rain, ... I think I got it!!!!

Crafty Green Poet said...

TexWisGirl, speedyrabbit, Tommaso thanks

Ms Sparrow, sorry you're not seeing any butterflies, that's sad

Weaver - I know, you don't want ragwort near horses!

eileen _ the bees certainly seemed happy

Kat - we've got the same honeybee crisis here, it's tragic

Rabbits Guy - yes, that's it!

Irma said...

Beautiful photos of the flowers and the bees.
Colors are great.
Thanks for visiting my blog.

Bill said...

Great shots