The new bee hotel at Underhill Wood Nature Reserve

On my way home from Dorset I visited Underhill Wood Nature Reserve just over the border in Wiltshire, which our friend JT has created from scratch as an environmental asset and educational centre. I have visited a couple of times before and taken a lot of photographs to document the wildlife and follow the amazing progress being made.

JT wasn't there so I spent most of the time around the lake he created about three years ago, watching dragonflies in particular but also butterflies, moths, bees, and countless other insects. I saw buzzards high above the woods, a jay flitting between trees and swallow swooping down to dip their mouths into the lake to get water.

On the way out, i noticed this bee hotel which has been added to the new barn built since my last visit. I also took some close up pictures of bees investigating and popping into the drilled holes in the ends of the timber. It made me smile and I could have spent a long time there just watching them.