Honey bees on viburnum tinus, crocus, rosemary and gorse.

 Photos from sunny intervals today and yesterday.

Pale purple crocus.

Purple crocus in full bloom.

The stakes at the end of the hive were to hold it down during our winter storms.

The Rosemary was covered in bees.

There were many bees on the Viburnum tinus.
The honeybees appeared to be collecting an off-white pollen .

 Gorse.

 

There was a bumble bee nest under this pile of stones last summer.

 Now the early tete-a-tete daffodils are enjoying the shelter provided.

There were at least 6 Bombus terrestris  queens enjoying the crocus today too.

The season of frog spawn.

 Frog spawn underwater in the pond.

During the day the pond is thick with frogs but as soon as anyone goes near they disappear.

Alfie looking at the frog spawn.

Angus and Alfie looking at the frog spawn.

The following photos are from last spring...

Common frogs on their way to lay spawn in the pond.

Common frogs on their way to spawn.

Honeybees on gorse, crocus and snowdrops.

Pollen gathering has begun in earnest.
All these photos are taken here this morning.

 

On Gorse.

 

 On Snowdrops.

 The purple crocus are just beginning.

 

  Just as the yellow crocus are starting to fade.

 

Earth stars

 

 I continue to see Geastrum fungus, commonly known as earth stars, in the small tunnel beside the asparagus that grows under the peach tree.

Zoe's frost photos

Sometimes in winter, after a cold night, these patterns form on the outside of our velux window.

On this occasion (February 4th)  Zoe thought to take photos.

Garden helper

On cold windy days (and cool sunny days) I love to have picnics in the polytunnel, before long we are both working away.

After tea and play in the polytunnel Alfie lops some old stalks.

 Have I mentioned that the kitchen gets over run with seedlings in the spring? and this is still winter!

 Alfie filled dozens of flower pots, I love how he pats the soil down.

When there were no more pots to fill Alfie started to empty them!

Honeybees on Snowdrops, Crocus, Rosemary and Mahonia.

There has been so much rain recently but the bees are out when they get the chance.
All these photos were taken this morning.

On the Rosemary.

 

 On the Mahonia. This is a second bush and a different variety to the Mahonia Charity that was in flower in December.

 On the Snowdrops collecting pollen.

 

 On the Crocus.

 

 The crocus are increasing their appearance. Hives in background.

 No shortage of water, for which I remind myself to be thankful.

Photos can be deceiving! This photo (and all the recent rain) makes the pond look quite large.

I took the covers off the windows for a quick photo.  These are the two small swarm colonies with unfinished combs.

Great to see the bees out today, however winter is far from over.......