Tree Bumblebees and Blackbirdsong

 It is fairly obvious these days that insects are declining quite dramatically. You can walk through long grass and where once tiny moths and flies would flutter out around your feet, now there is likely to be nothing. Many flowers are disturbingly lacking any insect visitors. The decline is real and genuinely worrying, but there are still places where you can see lots of bumblebees. 

In the past few days, I have seen good numbers of various species of bumblebees in clumps of bush vetch and comfrey. Today in Crafty Green Boyfriend's mother's garden, a good number of tree bumblebees were gathered on the rhododendron bushes (there's a nest of tree bumblebees near one of the trees in her garden). The tree bumblebee is a relative newcomer to the UK, it arrived by itself (rather than being introduced) and is a pretty looking bee, as you can see from these two that were on the rhododendron today

Meanwhile up on the top of a tree, a blackbird sang almost continuously.

Garden Wildlife for 30 Days Wild