I saw my first one two weeks ago and ever since on the warmer days have seen quite a few visiting the flowers that are starting to open on my Victoria plum tree in my back garden ... sometime two or three at a time.
I have had several large (Queen?) bees in the garden for weeks now-buff tailed and feeding from daffodils and Winter Jasmine. More unusually we had a peacock butterfly feeding from a daffodil in our front garden this week! I don't recall ever seeing peacocks around at the same time as daffodils!
I live in the north west and no bees have been recorded but only blue bottles which appear to be very sleepy eg a bit disoriantated.
The daffs and the snowdropps apeared as usual at the same time of the year, in the pots.
What I did not expect was when changing pots for the hosta which I dearly like because of its show in my back yard, as I live in a terraced home, was a great number of whte grubs, quite fat and orange type heads but small. I have had my hosta for some years - for some reason I picked up it wasnt well last year - three flower heads when it had lots of flower heads for some years previous.
Down here in Cornwall Bumble bees have been out and about for several weeks - lets hope they survive these temperature changes - sometimes as much as 10 degrees over 7 days ! Don't you think that the grubs in the Hosta pot sound like the dreaded weevils ?
Further to the earlier post about Peacock butterflys - I've often seen them in March and occasionally in February - 14th was the earliest many years ago. Haven't yet seen one this year although I have seen a comma butterfly last weekend.
The first bee we saw was over the heathers in the Winter Garden in Cambridge University Botanical Gardens in mid/late winter.
We have seen about 3 bumble bees in our garden: one on winter aconites and one on Jack Frost (like forget-me-not).
We have seen 2 butterflies too - a yellow brimstone about a week ago and a small white today flying around and settling on the magnolia stellata flowers. It seemed to be sunbathing!
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More unusually we had a peacock butterfly feeding from a daffodil in our front garden this week! I don't recall ever seeing peacocks around at the same time as daffodils!
The daffs and the snowdropps apeared as usual at the same time of the year, in the pots.
What I did not expect was when changing pots for the hosta which I dearly like because of its show in my back yard, as I live in a terraced home, was a great number of whte grubs, quite fat and orange type heads but small. I have had my hosta for some years - for some reason I picked up it wasnt well last year - three flower heads when it had lots of flower heads for some years previous.
Any ideas about the grubs?
I have kept some of the hosta roots in water.
Marie
Don't you think that the grubs in the Hosta pot sound like the dreaded weevils ?
a few bumble bees.
We have seen about 3 bumble bees in our garden: one on winter aconites and one on Jack Frost (like forget-me-not).
We have seen 2 butterflies too - a yellow brimstone about a week ago and a small white today flying around and settling on the magnolia stellata flowers. It seemed to be sunbathing!