Thursday 7 April 2016

Spring Bees and the Cetti's Warbler Challenge

I love warm, sunny weather in late March/early April - because I get to inspect my bees for the first time after the winter. I now have only two hives and I've been desperate to have a good look under each roof to see what's going on in the colonies. But I have to wait until the weather warms up, because I can't expose my bees to the cold.


Last week - when there were several days of perfect, beekeeping weather - I was able to lift all the frames out of the hive and study the bees.  And I soon realised I'd found a tale of two hives...

One hive is thriving and is already filling up with honey. I'll have to watch this one, because if the colony is building up fast it may be ready to swarm soon (especially if it finds a banquet of oilseed rape in the fields). The last thing I want is to see a cloud of honeybees leaving the hive and flying over the horizon.

The other hive, meanwhile, is doing less well, because, just before Easter, it had been knocked over again and the colony has lost many of its bees. At the time, I thought the queen had been lost as well, but I've since seen eggs in the comb, which means she's there and laying.  It's a huge relief.  I've been feeding this colony with sugar-syrup and pollen patties, so hopefully it will also build up quickly.

White-tailed bumblebee
My honeybees have been foraging on the pussy willow growing just behind the hives - and the bumblebees are enjoying this, too.

I'm also starting to see other bees in the garden...

Dew-covered Buff-tailed Bumblebee.
Male Hairy-Footed Flower Bee on erysimum
I know a fair bit about honeybees but I don't know so much about the other types, so this year I want to learn more about them. I do know that there are over 250 species of bee in the UK, so this will be a bit of a challenge! I'll take photos and record sightings, and note down the flowers that interest them in my garden. In early summer I'll be joining in the Great British Bee Count 2016 organised by Friends of the Earth with Waitrose and Buglife. The aim of the count is to get a picture of bee populations by encouraging people to send in information on the bees they see in May and June. It's a great piece of 'citizen science' and the link is here

As well as my bee challenge, I've set myself a bird challenge because there's a bird I'd also like a decent photo of as well this year - the Cetti's Warbler.  This little bird has a very loud burst of song but I find it very difficult to see (given that it hides itself in reeds and bramble). I've spent too long staring at scrub where it's been singing looking at an invisible bird.  So I'm now beginning the 2016 Cetti's Warbler Challenge.

It doesn't help that when I set out to see it, I'm usually distracted by other birds that I can see flitting about such as this Chiffchaff...


and Bullfinch...


Male and female Blackcaps, nesting Long Tailed-Tits, a Treecreeper and others appeared, too. But there was no real view of the Cetti's Warbler.  So, for now, I'm having to make do with the occasional glimpse - as seen in this photo, (where it looks as though the branch is going to swing round and knock it out)


 Cetti's Warbler (latest pic below - a little bird determined to get away from my camera!)

I also wish I could take a photo that'll do justice to my beautiful primrose bank on our front verge. Each year more native primroses appear and this year I've counted nearly 300 clumps of primroses on it.


When they finish flowering, wild garlic appears with a few bluebells and then the hedge casts a greater shadow over the whole bank (it faces north) and the grass grows up. I'd like to see other wild flowers growing here then. Some do grow naturally in the lane (like bugle - loved by bumblebees), and so it would be great to see them spreading over the bank. That way I can have a verge full of different wild flowers throughout the summer.

26 comments:

  1. I am pleased that your second hive is recovering from being knocked over and that the Queen is present and laying eggs. I do like the little white-tailed bumblebee foraging in the pussy willow but all your photos are lovely.

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    1. Yes it's some good news about the hive. The colony wouldn't have a future without the queen and I would probably have to unite the two hives, ending up with only one (and making the large colony extra large!)

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  2. Interesting to read about the contrasting fortunes of your bee hives, I imagine it is very hard to get the balance right between too much help and not enough.

    The bee survey sounds interesting, indeed I hadn't seen anything about it before so thank you for the link. However I think I will have to swot up on my bee ID skills since I do struggle with many of the less common species!

    Good luck with the Cetti's Warbler challenge, it will certainly be a challenge that's for sure! The best view I ever had was at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire but otherwise in some 10 years of birding I have had only brief glimpses as they move from one bramble thicket to the next. Still I wish you the best of luck :-)

    The Primrose bank looks wonderful and lovely pics of the Chiffchaff and Bullfinch.

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    1. I'll have to swot up on my bee ID skills, too! Cetti's warblers are always so hidden and with everything greening up I imagine I'll soon stand even less chance of seeing one. But I'll still add it to my list of birds I'd love to take a good photo of this year.

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  3. Glad to read that although it toppled over the second hive is recovering I do hope that with all the extra feeding all will be well. I was watching Monty Don on Gardener's World check his bees and provide extra food. Lovely photos especially of the bee in the pussy willow and of the primroses and birds too:)

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    1. When it comes to my honeybees, so much depends on the weather now. If it rains and turns colder, then the weaker colony might struggle as the bees can't get out for food. But if the weather's good then it should build up OK. I don't really want to provide food in April when there's so much natural food out there for them.

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  4. Beautiful photos Wendy and I'm pleased the Queen survived in your second hive. I do so enjoy reading about your bees.

    Wish I could take part in the Bee Survey but my ancient pay as you go mobile doesn't even connect to the internet let alone accept apps :(

    Bee id can be rather difficult - I had the new Field Guide by Falks and Lewington for Christmas but even so I can see I will struggle !!

    Good Luck with the Cetti's Warbler challenge - I hear them more often than seeing them and never managed a photo!

    Your Primrose Bank looks lovely.

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    1. I think bee ID is difficult anyway, whether new technology or good old fashioned field guides are on hand to help. So many of the bees look like each other and I'll need good photos and a good view before I even start the ID!
      The Cetti's Warbler is such a frustrating little bird to see. I've never known a bird that can call so close and keep so well hidden at the same time (apart from the Corncrake)

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  5. Hello Wendy, nice to see your bees busying themselves too and I do hope your second hive recovers well. Fascinating that there are so many different species...I had no idea! Your primroses are so pretty, and I must say I find the lovely bluebells hard to photograph, birds too, but don't get me started on those flitting butterflies!

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    1. I agree about photographing bluebells. Photographs never really capture their true beauty. And butterflies can be so frustrating: I've followed them around the garden with my camera too many times only to see them get away without a pic! I expect the Cetti's Warbler will elude my camera, too.

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  6. It's great to hear that you keep bees - I don't know anything much about the subject. Glad your queen survived.

    Love the Chiffchaff photo - even they are hard to get photos of as they flit about, but I know what you mean about Cetti's Warbler! We heard a number of them on our recent camping trip as we were birding around marshes. I've only ever seen them twice! So good luck. :-)

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    1. I agree that Chiffchaffs are easily heard but often so difficult to see, especially when the leaves come out. And it seems you've had the same experiences with the Cetti's Warbler - it really does specialise in hiding.

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  7. Golly, I know what you mean about the Cetti's Warblers, Wendy. I swear they have the power to turn themselves invisible. The very best of luck and patience! I'm guessing the skulking Dunnock that you caught with the branch obscuring its head was sitting just near your Cetti's (not only invisible, but with the power to throw their mighty voices, lol).

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    1. Hello Lucy and thanks for visiting. I think it may be the wildlife watching achievement of the summer if I get a decent photo of this little bird!

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  8. Lovely Bee keeper images, the Cetti's Warbler is one that I can't get. Beautiful photos.

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    1. Thanks Bob. I know some beekeepers who have a special camera just for hive shots, so that their main camera doesn't get covered in sticky honey and propolis. Taking my gloves off to take a photo and not getting stung is quite a challenge, too!

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  9. I saw my first bumble bee in the garden the other day. The solitary bee I took an image of a few weeks ago on the pussy willow has become my desktop image and delights me every time I see it! I have also been taken images of birds to identify - just like you branches and brambles sometimes get in the way! Sarah x

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    1. I walked by the pussy willow today and it was buzzing with bees in the sunshine. It really is one of the favourite sources of bee-food at the moment. I'm seriously thinking of planting another one for them this year.

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  10. You take great bird photos so I look forward to seeing warbler portraits! Excellent news about the queen in the second hive,I hope it soon recovers. How do you stop the other one from swarming? I love your primrose bank. Good luck with the wildflower expansion plan.

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    1. I hope to manage the hive to check swarming. This will involve replacing the old frames (which need replacing anyway) so that the bees will have to work hard to fill the new ones up. Hopefully this will preoccupy them - but it's no guarantee, though. The bees are building up fast at the moment because the oilseed rape has just started flowering here.

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  11. I am pleased to hear that both your hives are doing well, how do you stop bees from swarming? I have much to learn about bees too, we have all sorts of bumbles around here, many I don't have a clue about, so I'm happy for you to do all the hard work for me, I'll enjoy your studies. Lovely photos of the birds too....there always seems to be a few elusive ones that you can hear but never spot. Lovely post.xxx

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    1. I wish I could always stop my bees from swarming. Sometimes doing an 'artificial swarm' i.e. tricking them into thinking that they've swarmed works, but it hasn't always for me (it involves splitting the colony into two). Often if the bees are ready to go, then they'll just go. But although it's annoying for the beekeeper, it is a natural process and the sign of healthy bees.

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  12. Sorry missed your post some how. Have read it now very interesting and I look forward to seeing how many Bees you manage to find, a subject I would love to get better at too.
    Have sighed up to do the Bee count.
    Amanda xx

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    1. That's great that you've signed up for the count. It's really going to test my bee ID skills but I'm going to be fascinated to see which bees actually visit my garden. I think I have an idea - but this might surprise me!

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  13. Sarah at Down By the Sea recommended your blog to me because I have started beekeeping. I am so glad that she did. I love it. I will be following along with great interest.

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    1. Hello Pagedogs. It's great to hear from you! That was kind of Sarah and thanks for your own kind words. Good luck with all your beekeeping - I'm sure you'll enjoy it lots.

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