Hairy-footed flower-bee

Another beautiful spring day, ideal for a gentle potter through Castor Hanglands. Rosie and I visited the eastern part of the site, which was formerly planted with conifers, but was cleared some time age and is now open access land, with wide grassy rides fringed by mainly broad-leaved trees. The edges of the rides were thick with sulphur-yellow primroses, perfectly matching the many brimstone butterflies cruising along in the sunshine.

We made a circular route by walking through the neighbouring National Nature reserve, where I was very excited to see a pair of ravens, the first I've seen in the Peterborough area. I knew they were about, and indeed had nested at a nearby site, but this is a very recent re-colonisation. In the time of John Clare, ravens quite regularly nested in old trees, but they became locally extinct through persecution by gamekeepers, and like many other predatory birds, retreated to the north and west, where they routinely nest on cliffs or crags. It's so good to have them back, and to be able to hear that 'cronk-cronk' call that I associate with holidays in the uplands or coast.

After lunch I did a bit of work in the garden, and then spent some time trying to get a shot of a hairy-footed flower bee Anthophora plumipes, number 250 on our garden list. This is a large, bumblebee sized species, that often nests in the soft mortar and exposed cob of old walls, although occasionally it will nest in the ground, preferring bare compacted clay soils. It's common and widespread in much of England and Wales, especially in towns, cities and villages and flies from late February to mid-June.

The males and females look quite different, and could easily be mistaken for separate species. It's tricky to photograph as it has a rapidly darting flight and very rarely stays still, although it often hovers in front of flowers. This is a male, and is largely gingery brown with a dark tail; the cream markings on its face distinguish it from all bumblebees. It has very long hairs on its mid-leg, which give rise to both its common and scientific name (plumipes = hairy foot). The female resembles a small, black bumblebee with orange-red hairs on the hind leg and often approaches flowers with the long tongue extended.