Tag Archives: white tailed bumblebee

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #108 – Sanctuary

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Nature is my Sanctuary. Being out in nature’s open spaces……..

  • Looking across to Achill Island, west coast of Ireland

Be it beach or hills…..

  • Croaghmoyle Natural Heritage Area

But also enjoying the wildlife in the garden………………

  • Blackbird
  • Juvenile robin

But above all getting up and close to our amazing bumblebees…………….

  • white tailed bee on knapweed

And butterflies…………………..

  • Peacock butterfly

And all of mother nature.

  • sow-thistle seed head

Bumblebee Sunday

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The bumblebees have been around for about a week. But it was only yesterday that I saw them feeding on the willow tree in the garden. Willow is an important early pollen source for bumblebee queens coming out of hibernation. This is what they are after.

Yellow willow pollen

Yellow willow pollen

There appears to two bees, the White-tailed bumble and the Buff tailed bumble. These are usually the first bees we see here in the west.

Buff tailed bumblebee
White tailed bumblebee
White-tailed bumblebee

 

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White tailed queen bumblebee

Bumbles are back!

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Yes, spring has finally arrived! Today, we finally had some sun after many grey and wet days and I saw the first bumblebees – white tailed and maybe buff tailed too, but they were high up in the willow tree.

White tailed bumblebee

White tailed bumblebee

The first bee I saw in my parent’s garden. I only had my phone but you can really see that this bee has plenty of parasites. Hopefully they won’t have a detrimental effect on her ability to get a nest started and a new colony going.

There are still couple of places available on this Friday’s Pollinator Course at Lough Lannagh in Castlebar – click here for more information.