Mason Bees nest in bee home

Mason bees have started to use the bee home I made at the bee work shop I ran for the Shoreham Beach Local Nature Reserve - Bees on the Beach Workshop.

I made my bee home using various sized canes and a cut-off plastic drinks bottle to secure them together.

The female mason bee carries mud in her jaws and seals up the entrance to the tunnel where the eggs will be protected from predators and the weather.

Female mason bee nesting in unusual place.

Yesterday I noticed this solitary bee checking out this rawl plug in the back wall. This is a female red mason bee, she is carrying pollen on the side of her abdomen.

This will be food for the bee larvae when they hatch in the spring.

Today the entrace has been sealed, protecting the eggs from predators and weather.

Damselflies and ants

A few days ago I noticed the empty skin of a newly emerged damselfly.

Today I noticed several damselflies around the pond. They are the Large Red damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula.

While working in the green house I noticed that black ants had moved in and were nesting in some of the containers.

In a seed tray I found these ants with larvae

Red Mason Bees

My favourite solitary bee species, the red mason bee, appears to be nesting in the window box in our garden. I have seen them coming and going via two of the irrigation holes drilled into the bottom of the window box.

I have not planted anything in this particular window box for a couple of years and the soil has dried out, possibly making it easier to tunnel.

Slow worm

This charming slow worm was underneath a bag of garden rubbish I was about to take to the tip.

Snake-like in appearance this is infact a legless lizard and a useful natural pest control.

More swifts

There are now 6 swifts screaming around the houses - hopefully all will nest in the eaves of our neighbours aagin this year. Last year there were three pairs, the year before there weer 4 pairs.

Injured fox cub

While I was on the telephone, (9.00pm) I looked out the window to see if the pipistrelle bats were hunting in the back alley way. I noticed that they were, then out of the gloom a fox cub, hobbling on its back left side leg. It disappaered down the road before i could do anything, but will keep an eye out.

Return of the swifts

The first swift has returned to nest in the eaves of our neighbours house on the 5th May. Today, it was joined by 3 more swifts.

Early bee, the main pollinator of my raspberries.

The raspberries are just starting to flower and the early bee Bombus pratorum has started to visit the flowers. This two banded, red tailed bee is the smallest of the bumble bees.