Nature Blog by Jenny Bourne

Jane snapped this thickly covered bee at her plot, more pollen than bee…whatever the flower it was foraging in, the pollen was prolific!

The RSPB has recently produced new advice on feeding birds in response to a disease that can be spread when birds congregate, for example around bird feeders: “Research has shown a worrying decline in some of our much-loved garden birds due to a disease called trichomonosis.

An Easter Monday of perfect spring weather up at the plot, sunny and warm enough to bring out brimstone, orange-tip and peacock butterflies along with the staycation plotholders and buzzing bees!

In the past few weeks my eye’s occasionally been caught by an erratic and haphazard flight path around the plot; it’s a queen bumble bee emerging groggily out of her winter quarters and on the search for quick energy refuelling.

Flowering plants come in all shapes, sizes and colours but there are some essential requirements for attracting pollinators to your allotment or garden. As well as the bumbles, solitary and honeybees that create that buzz around our plots, other pollinators are also available