What's flowering as forage in your area

[philipm]

Dandelions have come into flower again lawn is covered with them no cutting the grass this week.

 

[alancooper]

Hi, I just thought I'd start up a thread on what's flowering as forage in your area. ( Locally)
Here in South Shropshire ( clee hill ) there's hazel, gorse, mahonia. There might be more but this is what's around my apairys.
All pollen sources.
Thanks mark.

Hazel? At this time of the year?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hazel? At this time of the year?

Titterstone Clee is a strange place

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Titterstone Clee is a strange place

Does that old police box still materialize from time to time?

 

[Murox]

Hazel? At this time of the year?

Well it was written in January 2019. Though the Tardis still works.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Well it was written in January 2019. Though the Tardis still works.

Blimey time has flown or was I time travelling .
It’s not a strange place it’s a Buetifull place that produces the best honey I’ve tasted .

 

[Macbear]

Bright orange pollen in quantity on foragers from both my hives puzzled me a little. Dahlias? I grow several, but is that all? Hawksbeard? Looks a little like dandelion, but clearly is not, and plenty of that about... It prompted me to buy a book recommended elsewhere on this forum: Kirk: "A Colour Guide to Pollen Loads of the Honey Bee". It would be good to try to discover what forage is "in season" and being harvested. I suspect it may be a bit of an inexact exercise for a while, though.

 

[Moobee]

Bright orange pollen in quantity on foragers from both my hives puzzled me a little. Dahlias? I grow several, but is that all? Hawksbeard? Looks a little like dandelion, but clearly is not, and plenty of that about... It prompted me to buy a book recommended elsewhere on this forum: Kirk: "A Colour Guide to Pollen Loads of the Honey Bee". It would be good to try to discover what forage is "in season" and being harvested. I suspect it may be a bit of an inexact exercise for a while, though.

Fleabane here (Sussex) - loads of orange pollen.

 

[Moobee]

The eupatorium is attracting lots of bees and the big tamarisk has just come into flower - that’s always a good late August source and regularly crops up in my pollen report. Talking of which, those results must be due soon?

 

[juno]

I’m my area, Asters, Solidago, Rudbeckia, ragwort, lots of other compositae species, some single flowered roses still about.

Ivy not quite ready yet.

 

[alancooper]

Well it was written in January 2019. Though the Tardis still works.

Well said and apologies to Curly green fingersfor my error. It does help to check dates.

 

[Macbear]

Kirk: "A colour guide to pollen loads of the honey bee" arrived today. Two first impressions are: 1. it certainly seems comprehensive and well produced; 2. how helpful to offer some idea of the time when the plants are in flower. I grant that since Kirk was writing for quite a wide audience, and with climate change too, this may have been a challenge. My next challenge will be to identify the significant local flora as the number of species is considerable and some will not be relevant to me.

 

[Sutty]

Kirk: "A colour guide to pollen loads of the honey bee" arrived today. Two first impressions are: 1. it certainly seems comprehensive and well produced; 2. how helpful to offer some idea of the time when the plants are in flower. I grant that since Kirk was writing for quite a wide audience, and with climate change too, this may have been a challenge. My next challenge will be to identify the significant local flora as the number of species is considerable and some will not be relevant to me.

Is it UK based?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is it UK based?

yes, it's built around and meant to be an updated version of F.N. Howse's classic 'Plants and Beekeeping'

 

[Macbear]

Kirk published it when he was at Keele University and part of his research was done in the UK and part in Germany. As it is in English, German and French there is a clear appeal beyond the UK. Flora included seem to be, at first sight, commonly found in the UK, but it may be that there are those that would not be common. With some 268 species listed there's probably more than enough for the likes of me! Each entry has a range of shades, so some interesting detective work is in prospect for users.

 

[user 819]

Quite a bit of Blue hued /Purple pollen in my garden colony , looks like they have found a good source of Phacelia or RBWH. One expects the latter is more likely.

 

[Sutty]

HB going strongly enough for a swarm from earlier in the year in a single brood box to be rapidly drawing out a super of foundation

 

[Nannysbees]

Any idea what this is? Poor photo I know but a friend sent it and said it was covered in honeys

 

[Erichalfbee]

Snowberry

 

[Nannysbees]

Snowberry

Gosh I haven't heard of that!!!