What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Garry R]

Yes some people use far too much; a small shallow half-filled plastic plantpot saucer is enough for a stack of boxes.

A low volume with a good surface area helps the vapourisation.

 

[E&MBees]

Stood in the forest on the longest day and absorbed the atmosphere amongst the myrtle, sassafras and leatherwoods with hope that the bees are working in the crowns of the latter.

What bird is that, singing in the background?

 

[Antipodes]

What bird is that, singing in the background?

…would anyone be willing to have a guess?

 

[The Poot]

…would anyone be willing to have a guess?

Something akin to our blackbird?

 

[ericbeaumont]

…would anyone be willing to have a guess?

No, but I did find that the Forty-Spotted Pardalote is under threat, and fancied repeating the name. Swift parrot? Not as ripely named, but you have others that surprise: the Grey Shrike-Thrush, Eastern Spinebill, Grey Fantail, New Holland Honeyeater. Came across other mammalian oddities: the quoll, the pademelon, and the cuddly Tasmanian devil.

 

[The Poot]

Today in the sunshine. Two colonies that each had a bought in Buckfast queen in June. The green based one on the left, from BMH, (Maltese), the yellow based one from Exmoor. The busyness was reversed an hour later with the Exmoor girls “going for it”.
The left hand one has needed a lot of Autumn feeding, following removal of supers and is walloping through fondant, whilst the Exmoor girls refused to fill any supers, packing it into the upper brood box. So, they have not been fed at all and are still very heavy.

Both Buckfast, but very different to each other.

View attachment IMG_6654.MOV

 

[Antipodes]

Something akin to our blackbird?

Not a bad guess as it can do a perfect imitation! It's a superb lyrebird.