OSR Watch

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Currently travelling across the country from Ipswich, at the moment having a break in Coventry (not the one SWMBO usually sends me to! - that begins tonight)
Everything in blossom in Ipswich it seems (apples on the roadsides and blackthorn) saw OSR before Cambridge fully open, the firther West I go the less progressed OSR seems to be - trying to open around Northampton Some flowering and a lot budding. I suppose the closer I get to home the less advanced it will be.
Not that this will excite the more sanctimonious on this forum as they wouldn't dream of putting their bees near the OSR until it's pure as the drivfen snow - what with them being treated with Neonics and the like!

 

[craigavonb]

Just been to Burkes of Cornascrebe came home via Laurelvale and passed field of OSR just coming into flower

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Just been to check on bees without opening them. The osr field is starting to flower. Seemed a lot of activity on both hives lots if yellow pollen coming in, still unsure if this is a flow....

Can someone check huge amount of bees going in hives compared to normal.

http://youtu.be/yG8epxUPhZw

 

[Norvic_chris]

My bees are sited in the garden here in sunny(ish) Norfolk and I'm surrounded on 3 sides by several acres of OSR -- flowering started about a week ago -- it's really going for it now and the field is a wonderful yellow. Fourth side is just sheep -- I've heard they don't give much nectar...

Not looking forward to spraying -- farmer is very good about letting me know in advance -- also read that the seeds are coated in neonic. pesticide so it's potentially already in the pollen/nectar without the spray.

Cherry and plums are in blossom (blackthorn but not hawthorn or apples), bluebells out, wild angelica and alexanders on the way. Nice crop of dandelions!

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Anyone able to clarify if that's just a lot of pollen coming in or a flow from the video I posted?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Anyone able to clarify if that's just a lot of pollen coming in or a flow from the video I posted?

a close up of the bees would have been handy - I'm struggling to see the hives! I believe flying tail end down is a sign of nectar carrying

 

[Elaine]

Went for a short drive round yesterdy evening to see what we could find in 'bee flying distance' from our hives - and not a lot in flower, just the odd patch of yellow on some very stunted looking plants

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Been starting to come out around these parts for the past week. Stunted though

 

[steve nicholls]

Just starting to flower in Reading (Berks)....

 

[YorkshireBees]

Still by no means in full bloom but 4 days after my previous photo.

The hives were bringing in buckets loads of yellow pollen, no idea if their is any nectar coming in yet!

 

[sandysman]

I am right on the Notts Derby boarder and haven't seen any fields of OSR around us this year so far.

 

[notagain]

looked like a couple of fields coming in to flower locally( draycot) sandman

 

[steve56616]

OSR is rubbish here in Northants. Usually surrounded by yellow fields... not one this yr just a few fields with a few patches.

What are the black boxes on your hives in the video herefordshirehoney?

 

[hallshoney]

OSR has finally come out here in North Devon. Just checked Beebase and confirmed EFB in the area so no movement over there then

 

[cjhart2]

Will try and give you the ultimate OSR report as i had to fly back to UK for a family emergency .

Flew back over IOW , nothing showing
Hampshire hardly anything showing
Berkshire hardly anything showing
Bucks more than Berkshire
Hertfordshire lots of yellow showing
Bedfordshire lots of yellow showing
Cambridgeshire lots of yellow but some fields have large brown patches
Essex same as Cambridge but lots and lots of brown patches

Can not tell you how high the crop is it is but the south looks hard hit the mid counties have faired ok and the east has been hit as well .

 

[m100]

Around half a dozen fields seen along 15 mile stretch of A1 and A64 in West Yorkshre. Most appears quite stunted and only just flowering.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Around half a dozen fields seen along 15 mile stretch of A1 and A64 in West Yorkshre. Most appears quite stunted and only just flowering.

Most is quite stunted and only just starting to flower!

The best osr field I have seen is the one at one of my out apiaries and that is only waist height at best! Last year the fields were chest to head height!

Also of the other fields I have seen, one looks like a brown dirt patch with a bit of osr flowering round the border and the others are starting to flower at ankle to knee height at best!

The predicted rain this week may help a bit as the fields are bone dry!

 

[thorn]

Every year in early May I drive from Leeds to Chelmsford. Generally there are fields of OSR in full flower all the way. This year there were very few that were fully out, and a lot with a few stunted plants around the edge and a bare centre.
On the plus side there were a number of fields where it looked as if a few days of sunshine might do the trick. But the yield is going to be considerably down along the whole of my route.

 

[Andre cardona]

Hitchin

 

[BeeJayBee]

I was in the north west (of England) at the end of last week, could only see what was happening near the main roads, but the difference in crop progress and the 'arrival of spring' was quite startling.

More fields were in flower in and around the midlands than anywhere else, the same with the leaves on the trees. Further north there was virtually no rape anywhere near flowering, and most the daffodils were still waiting to open.