first bee of the year?

A couple of days ago I saw a Bumblebee and a Honeybee resting in my garden.

I think the warmer weather has woken them up.

I agree, very early but so are the flowers

Yes they are buzzing around here as well Fran and yesterday I saw a ladybird as well........

Me too - isn't it lovely?

got a double first, saw a butterfly today; just something large-ish and brown fluttering around my new raised bed. maybe the plants aren't ready to "harvest" yet.

Saw couple more of each while i was working out in the front garden, so I got a couple of shallow plastic lids and made up some sugar water, left one in each garden. didn't notice any customers, but then I'd not colour colded them - really must have a go at making nectar feeders, I've got a stack of plastic storage boxes that have red lids, and I bought a bright yellow t-shirt at a charity shop just because of the colour. it's getting round to putting the two together ...

I saw one a couple of weeks ago Fran! but none since last weekend. The warmth of the sun brings them out.

they do indeed seem to have started early, Kaen - saw them flitting around but not settling, so windered if it was still too early for most plants to st art producing nectar, or at least in enqough quantities.

But, a butterfly in my garden... sigh ...

I have seen 2 or 3 ladybirds and have seen a tiny bright yellow butterfly fly past.

can match you re ladybirds, Alex, or at least a ladybird. Was out the front, finishing off the bulbs, and starighted a bit to ease my back, and a ladybird landed on my forearm. wished I had my camera handy! though getting it out of my pocket, out of the case, turning it on and taking a snap would have been a prob one-handed, and I'd probably have moved enough to make it leave.

So I just admired it for a while then gently blew it away - lol didn't feel like telling it its house was on fire!

wish there was an Insect site to go alongside the Garden and Bird ones, but I suppose it'd be pretty idle for part of the year

I have seen bees and butterflies Fran ! I hope this is a sign of a good summer !

Fran there is a site called Ispot where you can send a photo or a good description and somebody will identify it for you.

wow, thanks, Stera! will go there right now and save the site. That'll be very handy - lol provided I can get a non-blurred photo - or any photo at all! I have to go and get my camera, take it out of hte case, switch the camera on, and then go back to where I saw it and hope it's still there. Never has been so far, but one day ...

and this is one of the joys of a community - eeryone knows something that is useful to someone else

Hope it works out for you Fran.

lol yesterday there were bees buzzing around the Flowering Quince, and i got my camera, but the so-and-sos wouldn't cooperate; i could follow them in flight, but when they landed, I lost them, so just took general pics of where I thoght they'd landed. Now got to check the pics inch by inch to see if I can find them!

I did buy a "nectar feeder" from Amazon, it turned out to be just a foam tube on a stick! i thought, evaporation will soon dry it out before the butterflies and bees get a look-in. so I made a prototype nectar feeder and put it out, but no takers yet (that I've seen) - there are so many chances to do it wrong, from materials to sugar water mix to placement. i'll see how it goes. -