What's flowering as forage in your area

[Moobee]

Bees out flying in the brief bit of sunshine today. All kinds of stuff flowering that shouldn’t be. Hellebores are early, goat willow has catkins in bud, erigeron never stopped flowering. I’ve even seen cape daisies out.

 

[Antipodes]

The bees are getting something from the leaves of the hazelnut trees this morning. Dozens on them. What is it that they are collecting do you think? No aphids that I can see....
View attachment VID_20221204_065643857.mp4

 

[Ian123]

Is that water on the leaf.

 

[Antipodes]

Is that water on the leaf.

No...it's not water.

 

[Antipodes]

Is that water on the leaf.

I just licked a leaf. Whatever it is it has a sweet taste.

 

[Sutty]

Probably aphids on the underside of leaves above

 

[Antipodes]

Probably aphids on the underside of leaves above

Yes, that's it. Thousands of them

 

[Sutty]

Yes, that's it. Thousands of them

Thought as much! They are often only on the underside, no idea why! I often see it on sycamore.

 

[Swarm]

Thought as much! They are often only on the underside, no idea why! I often see it on sycamore.

Rain?

 

[Antipodes]

Rain?

Here they are

 

[Ian123]

I just licked a leaf. Whatever it is it has a sweet taste.

Lol………..**** never tasted so good!

 

[Antipodes]

Lol………..**** never tasted so good!

It's got a bad reputation honeydew....
Tastes fine before the bees get hold of it

 

[JamezF]

Thought as much! They are often only on the underside, no idea why! I often see it on sycamore.

Hiding from predators, I'd imagine.

We have loads of sycamore and a memory I will always treasure is lying on the ground underneath some with my daughter whilst swallows were stuffing themselves on the aphids flying between the leaves. As long as we stayed still the birds didn't care about our presence and often flew past within a few inches of our faces, darting back and forth below the canopy of leaves. It was an absolutely amazing thing to be able to do.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hiding from predators, I'd imagine.

I think it's because there are more stomata on the underside for the aphids to get at the sap.

 

[richardh]

I think it's because there are more stomata on the underside for the aphids to get at the sap.

Unlikely..... stomata are for gas exchange

 

[Erichalfbee]

I thought stomata were for transpiration. Do plants not lose water through them? Might aphids therefore have easier access that way?

 

[richardh]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoma
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stomata

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mind you....they look as if they are along the veins in antipodes" snap.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I thought aphids “plugged” themselves into the veins of the leaves and the pressure forced the sap through their gut. I believe about 90% goes straight through them!

 

[W0otz]

Bees out flying in the brief bit of sunshine today. All kinds of stuff flowering that shouldn’t be. Hellebores are early, goat willow has catkins in bud, erigeron never stopped flowering. I’ve even seen cape daisies out.

and on the theme of everything being confused, I found these on the morning dog walk:

The bramble and laurel were just odd flowers, but the hawthorn was covered in mature buds with some already out. As far I could see it was just the one very confused tree though.


Fatsia is also flowering at the moment, though the season's correct for that.