What's flowering as forage in your area

[Antipodes]

We have had a couple of apricot trees with varied results but peach leaf curl was always a real problem with them.

The birds here in our garden would get every single one without netting. They get them just as the sugars are building up nicely.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Bullfinches have been busy

Haven't seen one since I was a boy! Numbers rising?

 

[Swarm]

Haven't seen one since I was a boy! Numbers rising?

Not very common sighting but I did see a female Bullfinch at the apiary yesterday. I've also noticed a decline in Chaffinch numbers lately.

 

[The Poot]

Not very common sighting but I did see a female Bullfinch at the apiary yesterday. I've also noticed a decline in Chaffinch numbers lately.

This year we have lots of chaffinches - where usually there are few. It seems some have bumblefoot (I think that’s what it’s called) and have trouble hopping. They flutter from place to place. We get the odd bullfinch here.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Haven't seen one since I was a boy! Numbers rising?

We regularly see a pair in the garden. We have a cherry plum that is always stripped bare of flowers. Honestly they are welcome to it.
Sometimes there are more than there used to be on the blackthorn buds in one of our fields and I have occasionally seen a family later in the year. As for rising....they seem to hold their own around here

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We regularly see a pair in the garden. We have a cherry plum that is always stripped bare of flowers. Honestly they are welcome to it.
Sometimes there are more than there used to be on the blackthorn buds in one of our fields and I have occasionally seen a family later in the year. As for rising....they seem to hold their own around here

it's weird to think that it's not many years ago that bullfinches were removed from the quarry list (they were on there due to the damage they caused to fruit crops in Kent especially) in fact the smaller calibre 'garden gun' (I think it was the No2) was designed specifically for shooting bullfinches without damaging the trees or fruit.

 

[Antipodes]

bullfinch

I've never seen one and had to google it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfinch,_Western_Australia

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've never seen one and had to google it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfinch,_Western_Australia

not to be confused with the much more common Bullshit which seems to be thriving

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

We regularly see a pair in the garden.

Lucky you. Bullfinches are magnificent. Always a source of wonder when we see one, though, come to think of it, I don't think I have in the six years since I moved south.

 

[Swarm]

Flowering currant,

 

[JamezF]

Flowering currant,

The flowering currant is currently flowering?

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Flowering currant,

“ Older beekeepers often say that when the Flowering Currant, or Ribes Sanguineum, is in full bloom, you can do the first inspection of the year. ”

 

[JamezF]

“ Older beekeepers often say that when the Flowering Currant, or Ribes Sanguineum, is in full bloom, you can do the first inspection of the year. ”

Historically this may not have been a bad guide, much like "shirtsleeve weather" (assuming that at the time the saying became common, beekeepers generally wore a long-sleeve shirt, waistcoat and a jacket). At least it refers to the prevailing conditions in the locality rather than something like "inspections can be carried out from the third Tuesday before Easter" or whatever.

The problem now of course is that we don't seem to have any reliable prevailing conditions: bucketing down and hailing one day, factor 50 the next. Come the May Bank Holidays it could well be snowing.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

quite a few dandelions flowering around here

 

[Erichalfbee]

Diddly squat here thank heavens. Got a few buckets of dandelion honey last year.

 

[Nannysbees]

Sowing the wildflowers, should be a colourful sight if we have the weather

 

[Swarm]

The flowering currant is currently flowering?

James

Yes, in full flower. We all know what that is supposed to imply. Plants seem to be very early this year, Willow has been flowering for weeks and Dandelions are quite numerous, there were a lot in the roadside verges when I was out today.

 

[Macbear]

Flowering currant,

Yes, ribes is in flower in my neck of the woods, but when the weather app says the easterly wind makes the 7 degrees C feel like -2 even a cursory lifting of the crown board seems like a poor idea. Bees are bringing ribes in, but we've also got snowdrops, hellibore and willow.

 

[Newbeeneil]

First few flashes of yellow today.

 

[The Poot]

Seems mainly celandine here, but willow just starting. No dandelion.