What's flowering as forage in your area

[Moobee]

Bumbles & the girls enjoying the celandine at the back of the border

 

[Curly green finger's]

Driving around Worcestershire and Warwickshore the Blackthorn is starting to blossom.

Some sallows in flower in south Shropshire when I was travelling up the A49 to work

 

[alancooper]

Honey bees seen on Hazel catkins collecting pollen and carrying Hazel pollen loads. This was on a calm, mild (8 deg C) sunnny day, late Feb. This a first for me after years of looking - usually it is too cold for the bees to work Hazel before it stops flowering. Has anyone else noticed this?

 

[Moobee]

Only 9 degrees here yesterday and they were out collecting pollen from celandines, some willow and primroses that I had potted up about two weeks ago.

 

[The Stung]

It looks as though the build-up for spring is just getting started here in Nottinghamshire.

I noticed a few crocus and other bulbs in bloom in nearby gardens last week, although not enough for the bees to show much intrest in them. I'll be planting large swathes of Crocus sativia and Camassia quamash for future years under the orchard area.


The bees initially showed interest in a few large Forsythia shrubs 60ft from the hives for a few days, even going out in the snow for it, so I figured they must be running low on stores and gave them a helping hand. They've now found the local Blackthorn and brood rearing seems to have started up in earnest. In a week or so the pear blooms will be fully open and then there will be abundant forage all the way until the Summer dearth.


This has always been my favourite time of year, and since keeping bees I feel even more connected. It's always a privilege to watch them at work and try to understand their lives in such detail.

 

[Newbeeneil]

The willow in one of my apiaries was alive with the girls in the sun yesterday.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What a stunning picture.
She matches the flower.

 

[jimcrowch]

Have had an A ccacia flowering since January but the bees dont visit, presuming this is because it is not warm enough for the fglowers to produce nectar/pollen - have the same issue with Leptospernum - Manuka bush - lots of flowers but bees never visit

 

[Antipodes]

Have had an A ccacia flowering since January but the bees dont visit, presuming this is because it is not warm enough for the fglowers to produce nectar/pollen - have the same issue with Leptospernum - Manuka bush - lots of flowers but bees never visit

It can be challenging at times here to see bees on both those flowers, but then at other times you'll see quite a few....it's somewhat mysterious. Even when I don't actually see bees on the wattles and acacias, I'll still see bees bringing in the pollen to the colony.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Blackthorn blossoming with a vengeance which bodes well for the plums etc. this year, forsythia flowering and the first of the willow catkins are opening. Bees piling in the willow pollen during yesterday morning's sunny interval.

 

[Ambler]

Just seen my first dandelion of the year. In the cracks in the patio.

 

[JamezF]

Just seen my first dandelion of the year. In the cracks in the patio.

Whereabouts in Somerset are you? We've had dandelions popping up here and there through most of the winter. It's been very odd to see them.

James

 

[Wilco]

Willow, flowering cherry and blackthorn here. Damson about to flower.

 

[JamezF]

Willow, flowering cherry and blackthorn here. Damson about to flower.

We're only getting the very first few Blackthorn flowers here. Feels like we're way behind many others.

James

 

[Wilco]

We're only getting the very first few Blackthorn flowers here. Feels like we're way behind many others.

James

I wonder if spring is happening at a more traditional time in general this year rather than early.

The blackthorn next to dual cariageways here has been open a while but I don't really count that.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I wonder if spring is happening at a more traditional time in general this year rather than early.

The blackthorn next to dual cariageways here has been open a while but I don't really count that.

Yes, I don’t know if you have noticed the blackthorn on the A3 at Stag Hill? That always seems early!

 

[The Poot]

The blackthorn South of me - around Weymouth has been flowering freely for a while, but only odd individual bushes in sheltered spots open here. The bees are bringing in lots of yellow (I’m assuming willow) pollen when the weather allows. My neighbour tells me his Winter honeysuckle is buzzing, as are his Viburnums.

 

[Xander]

Loads of buttercups on an embankment near me but I don't know if the bees forage on them?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Loads of buttercups on an embankment near me but I don't know if the bees forage on them?

Only in extremis. The pollen is toxic
Are they celandines though ?

 

[Murox]

Everything other than gorse is very reluctant to show its colours here. Saw the first dandelion (just the one ) a couple of weeks ago but nothing since then, even colts foot which often blooms in sheltered spots is absent at the moment. Ho hum.