Birds, newts and pollinators

The weather was not in our favour (again) this week; first we had a lack of sunshine and later a lack of warmth with temperatures resembling early March, not late May. So it is not surprising that we have not seen a lot of pollinators this week. Just a few tiny bumblebee workers, 3 solitary bees, no honeybees at all and some flies. We wonder if the pollinators are just hiding somewhere or if the wet summer last year and the cold spring this year have affected pollinator numbers in general.

So here is our week in pictures:

A nice flower-rich road verge in Whitley, but where are the pollinators?

This church in Southampton Street has a wildlife-friendly churchyard

A tiny Red-tailed bumblebee worker in the Laburnum flowers

Cranesbill with wallflower: a nice colour combination

Bombus pratorum (Early bumblebee) in a Ceanothus bush

Even Badger does not appreciate this cold weather

A blue tit waiting for us to go away so it can feed its chicks

And here it is finally flying to its nest where the chicks are calling

Andrena haemorrhoa sheltering in the grass

This beautiful garden pond was full of wildlife

A pond snail and some tadpoles

A Common newt male

Another Common newt

Ellen has found not one cat to cuddle ...

... but two. Here is the other one

This cat seemed to like our data sheets and did not want to move

Next week we will be starting the sampling of our perennial meadows in Reading. Fingers crossed for better weather and more pollinators. Watch this space to see how we are getting on.