Out in the garden, the sun shining, bulbs erupting everywhere, most of the climbers showing signs of life, the buds on some of the azaleas just showing colour, its happening, Spring is almost upon us at last. I was attracted by the bees making the most of the warmth and harvesting nectar from the crocus, when a large Queen bumble bee passed close by and settled on a shrub. Having studied it a bit closer, I could see that it didn't look like the usual ones seen in my garden, so I legged it indoors and grabbed a book on British insects. After a good hour of darting about the borders, I think that I have identified two Bumble Bees, Bombus Terrestris and Bombus Lapidarius. The frogs have been busy also, as one pond is full of spawn, another batch of helpers for the summer slug patrol
