After the cold weather last week we recorded 14.9C on Thursday Jan 1st. On Friday (yesterday) it was sunny and the bees were all out in the sunshine, even though it didn't get above 10C.
Honeybee collecting pollen from Viburnum × bodnantense 'Dawn.
The pollen can be seen collecting in the sacs on the back legs.
This is a wonderful viburnum, flowering all winter with a lovely scent too. The long tubular flowers are well suited to bumble bees who can be seen foraging on the viburnum during any reasonable weather.