Wildlife Wednesday – Ode to the bumblebee
Finally some warm weather (then cold again…warm). However, spring is here and in the past couple of weeks Corydalis and Dicentra cucullaria, some of the first here, have not only flowered but started to set seeds! Watching the Corydalis solida and Dicentra cucullaria flowering and the bumblebee hungrily foraging them, I realized that I was awaiting its apparition as much as that of the first spring flowers.
I won’t get into details on the bumblebees since I am sure they are well known; this is for sure the mother queen which is busy building the future colony. Of course, Corydalis grown from seeds will always come in various colours :)
Note: The wiki stub on Bumblebees is excellent if someone needs an extra read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee.
And a few more images, since last month I had a very short post on Robbie, which seems to get into a territorial dispute with the cardinals lately.
A lady bug sleeping(?) on Narcissus flower
Few other images taken in the wild recently: a solitary bee on Cardamine, woodland hawks (maybe Cooper’s Hawks) and an unknown insect (for now) on the spring beauty flower (Claytonia caroliniana).
Yes, spring beauties are all around!
I hope everyone enjoys them, their garden and the outdoors, and will join in the wildlife celebrations hosted by Tina at My gardener says.
Great captures, all! The bumble is so beautiful–I just love to see bees all up in a flower’s face–something so gratifying about that. And the ladybug did look snug in her floral bed. Could your unknown insect be some sort of katydid? Thanks for joining in this month. I always love to look at your blooming things–they’re so different from what I can grow.
So happy to see adult bumble bees the other day flitting from catkin to catkin on a ‘Hakuro-nishiki’ willow shrub. But overjoyed to see many wee ‘baby’ bumbles. A good sign indeed. Hope to see flowers in a few days on a three year old claytonia from seed. Your blooms are about five days ahead of ours.
I really identify with your thoughts on looking forward to seeing the Bumblebee as much as the Spring flowers, the interaction between flowers and bees is an absolute pleasure to see. And seed already, how long will that be viable for? Do you have to sow this year?
Thank you Tina. The unknown could be what to say. I only took those last pictures two days ago while having a quick walk in the woods, so didn’t check it out yet.
I have to look better for the ‘baby’ bumblebees then! :) I think Claytonia started to flower last week, only had time to check them on Monday though.
Yes Julie, I await quite anxiously for the first bumblebee to show up. It doesn’t feel ‘right’ until then. Having the Corydalis and Dicentra always helps :) All these ephemerals set seeds quite fast;
probably they’ll start to mature in 2-3 weeks (depending on how warm it gets). The are best sown right away, or if kept moist they can be sown throughout the season (like I do with other spring flowering species).
In some cases they will germinate even if they dry out, but in lower percentage and it will take a longer time.
the bee looks so large on your flowers, nice to see bees and sun, Frances
Yes, sun, bees and flowers are all welcome in the spring!
Great to see your bumblebees enjoying the Corydalis and Dicentra so enthusiastically. My most reliable bumblebee attraction at this time of year is the flowering currant bush in the front garden, but I must try growing corydalis too. What is Robbie?
Thanks! Corydalis and Dicentra are a good match for bumblebees but I guess they will enjoy anything else available. Robbie is the nick name I gave to the first American Robin that showed up in the garden this spring :)
He has a pair now but I don’t know where their nest is. The cardinals (the red bird) are always nesting in evergreen trees but the robins will nest in whatever place they think suitable (sometimes odd places too).
Birds, bees, ladybugs–beautiful! There has been a tremendous resurgence of Cooper’s hawks here in the Victoria area. It’s good to see.
Thank you. Well, I assumed they were Cooper’s hawks, but other species are possible as well.
Beautiful photographs, I especially love the little ladybird tucked into the narcissus bud.
Thanks Gill. It would have been hard to miss it in the evening, given the colour contrast.