Six on Saturday – 12th June 2021

Mid June – and like The Propagator my garden “has been running away from me” too. Weeds everywhere but particular the vegetable path. So I am not going to show you that – just some pretty flowers (and a few insects) instead!

First this week a pink geranium – sorry don’t have a name, with a visiting hoverfly (Rhingia campestris).

• 

  Pink geranium with Rhingia campestris

Next one of my favourite June combinations – buttercup and red campion – these are both flowering under the hedge.

• 

  Buttercup and red campion

Delphiniums are another summer favourite – just coming out now.

• 

  Delphiniums

The garden is busy with bees at the moment – always a joy to see. The white tailed bumblebees seem to particularly like the lupins.

• 

  White tailed bumblebee on lupin

Sitting on the lupin leaf I spotted this lovely blue damselfly too.

• 

  Damselfly

And finally this week a red and yellow aquilegia. The white tailed bumbles also like this one.

• 

• 

Thank you to The Propagator for hosting Six On Saturday.

Hoverflies

Hoverflies are important pollinators of our crops. There are about 180 species of hoverfly in Ireland. Some like the one below resemble wasps or bees. They don’t have stings, but by pretending to a species that does they can perhaps avoid predation!

Chrysotoxum bicinctum

Various Volucella species all mimicking bumbles

Various Volucella species all mimicking bumbles

Various Volucella species all mimicking bumbles

 

Bees, brassicas and comfrey

Those of you that are regular readers will know I have a soft spot for bees and pollinators in general. Today, with a bit of sunshine, and the bees seemed to be out in force. Over the last week I have seen the first of the workers bumblebees though the queens have been around since mid March. At this time of year there is not a lot flowering in my garden (something I am trying to address), so I always leave some brassicas to flower. The bees don’t appear to have any preference. There is purple sprouting broccoli, brussel sprouts and three types of kale all flowering at the moment.

Bumblebee and brassica

Today I counted four different bumblebee species feeding on the flowers, and both queens and workers. Usually the workers are considerably smaller.

White tailed bumblebee, Bombus Lucorum

Common Carder Bee, Bombus pascurum

There were also four different hoverflies and a single species of solitary bee. Some of the pollinators were also feeding on the comfrey flowers.

Hoverfly, Rhingia campestris

Dronefly

Then, while in the greenhouse, I noticed an unusual bee. It had a white tail but only one yellow band. I went looking for my identification guide and I am pretty sure it is a Forest Cuckoo bumblebee.

Forest Cuckoo bee, Bombus sylvestris

Not the best photo I am afraid. The cuckoo bumblebee, as its name suggests, lays its eggs in another bees nest and does nothing else to rear their own young. The forest cuckoo’s host is the Early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) which also occur in our garden.