Lethargic

I'm not sure whether the plumpies or I were more torpid today, but certainly none of us was moving at any kind of speed. To be fair, it was very cold - technically over 10°C, but with a fierce easterly wind that chilled the blood - and we all kept having to pause for a moment to rest and regroup. The boys were more motivated than me, being intent on finding a mate as soon as a female might emerge, but no females did emerge (why would you, in these conditions?), and in the end bickering with each other was all they could find to do to cheer themselves up. When I saw two of them sitting on neighbouring leaves and ignoring each other, it was clear to me that we'd all run out of steam.

As I was moving in to take this photo I hoped I might be able to find an angle that let me cut out the intruding blade of grass. It was only when I got very close that I realised the bee was clinging to it with two sets of claws, poised to launch himself into the air at the least sign of danger. As it was though, he was so cold that the danger was able to home in until the lens hood of its macro was casting a shadow across him without him being able to take off. It was only as I backed off again that the sun finally raided his temperature to flight level, and he promptly disappeared off after his rival so they could resume their aerial antics.