The nectar garden at Strumpshaw Fen has been looking a little threadbare since its revamp earlier in the year, but in the last few days it has really filled out and is starting to bloom. Dame's violet, thyme and geranium all pulling in nectar hungry insects. The star of the show is always the swallowtail, and today one visited just long enough for me to grab this photo. The thyme was literally buzzing with at least eight different kinds of bumblebees. We added a new "bee post" during the revamp - a recycled chestnut post with more than 100 holes drilled into it - and already plenty of bees and solitary wasps have been taking an interest. Some have already moved in and one of these is the sleepy carpenter bee. The "sleepy" bit of its name comes from the habit of the male bee sleeping in buttercup flowers in cloudy weather. While it might not match the swallowtail in looks, this is a scarce bee in Norfolk with less than 10 recent records. If you want to get some inspiration for helping insects in your garden or you want to get that perfect swallowtail photo, now is the time to visit Strumpshaw Fen.
Hi Tim. Good post and errr... good post; the Bee post that is! Nice addition to the garden. I love bees (over 7,000,000 years old, helping pollination and making all that honey too!). I posted a "Early Bee" pic here somewhere; thought it was a Red-Tailed, but was swiftly corrected by a knowing member. The Forum seems under used. Can we publicise it a bit more?