Honey bees on Rosemary.

 The Rosemary bushes have been flowering for a while but yesterday was the first time we saw the honey bees foraging on them this season.

 Temperatures remain mild with lots of activity.

 The hive entrance. 

The bumble bees have been foraging on the winter Jasmine, it is in full flower now.

 There are several honey bees exploring but they only stop briefly where the flower has dropped off.

 The winter Jasmine has long trumpet shaped flowers and the honey bees cannot reach its nectar.

When the flower drops off this remains and this is where I have seen the bees stopping briefly.

Perhaps when the bees resume pollen gathering next year they will find the Jasmine more useful.

The bees are still busy.

Temperatures have been up to 11C, calm and sunny the last few days.

Bombus Terrestris Queen on Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn. 

 We have seen up to 4 at a time foraging on this shrub including one collecting pollen.

Honey bee on Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn, I think this bee was only exploring.

 

I have not seen more than one honey bee at a time  on Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn and no sign of gathering nectar. 

EDIT - In Jan 2015 I saw honeybees collecting pollen from this viburnum.

Hoverfly on Viburnum Bodnantense Dawn.

 

 Honey bee in a Penstemon flower, foraging, exploring???

Here she is climbing out after being in there about 2 mins.

The bumble bees enjoyed the Penstemon in the summer but I haven't seen honey bees on it before.

 The Mahonia is still covered with foraging honey bees.
The bumbles love it too.

Poached Egg plant.

Borage.

Still in flower!

November sky

Fabulous Sunsets this month. There are several photos to follow the progression of colour.

Rainbow over the weather station at 9am Nov. 3rd.

November14th

 

Sunset on November 15th

November 15th

And an even more spectacular sunset on the 26th....

 

The pole that appears in so many sky photos is Angus's anemometer.

Honeybees enjoying the Mahonia.

It was 11C  today and the bees were busy on the Mahonia. It is such a great shrub, evergreen and growing in the complete shade of a hazel and holly.

November garden

 Looking down over the vegetable garden this morning.

 Leeks.

Turnips have done well, Celery is poor but will be good in stock.

Angus, Alfie and Zoe shredding the sweetcorn stalks earlier in the month.

 
Swiss chard. 

View December garden.
View October garden.

Autumn moths

Zoe took a few moth photos.......

There is a moth amongst these lichens on the roof of the bird table.

 Here it is, a Merveille du jour.

In November, A Feathered Thorn.

Angus took this photo In October, It is a Vestal, an immigrant species.

November bee pollen

Angus took these photos 2 days ago with the camera he uses for moth close-ups.

 There is lots of pollen of different shades going into all 4 colonies.