PhotoPlus Magazine

I'm very pleased to have the back page of the current issue of PhotoPlus magazine devoted to one of my Common Blue butterfly images. The accompanying text explains how I took the image. (The image  of the magazine page below was taken with my iPhone).

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Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)

I've recently noticed several bees in my garden that I didn't at first recognise. It turns out they are the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum), a relative newcomer to the UK. The first UK sighting of this bee was in Wiltshire in 2001 and since then it has spread rapidly throughout the country.

While many bumblebees are in decline, this one has bucked the trend in part due to its liking of suburban gardens. Originally it favoured woodland clearings but has adapted nicely to garden habitats and looks set to stay.

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Here a Tree Bumblebee is feeding on Flowering Redcurrant