Buzzing Ivy by Moretaine Manor

I knew there was only a slim chance of windsurfing activity at Brogborough as there had been a big event over the weekend on the South Coast, so I put minimal camera gear onto my bike, so that the journey might at least serve as exercise, and any way I could check out signs of insect activity lakeside, then choose a different location thereafter. On arrival there was no action, so spotting that some of the windsurfing wetsuits had blown from the line, I did my bit and rehung them on the line to give them a chance to dry. Before cycling back, I cycled past the club area and headed to Lidlington, where a single pink rose swayed in the breeze with an ichneumon wasp resting on it, there were also a few what I took to be red wild roses, and a short distance away a tree laden with crab apples.

I took a few shots here, one of which was a giant concrete Lego Brick; an increasingly frequent sight in this neck of the woods due to the nefarious parking of itinerant travellers’ vehicles who seem to delight in wrecking any available green space that they can find before the authorities can muster the paperwork to evict them. I then returned to take a wander close by Moretaine Manor, which is now a hotel.

At the entrance is a large ivy bush, and it was alive to the silent activity of late pollinators, so my journey was undoubtedly not wasted. I put the Canon 7D and 100mm Macro to use capturing them and was there for a reasonable time before cycling back to create another gallery of images. The majority of the pollinators appeared to prefer the shade to the sunlit side of the bush, which meant having to operate at 1000 to 1600 ISO making it difficult to freeze them when in flight, and I am certain that if I were not there with a camera they’d have been in the warmth of the sunny side! I am convinced that all wildlife is fully aware of photographers’ kit, as when I take a long lens to a kingfisher spot, they perch close by me knowing that I cannot focus so close, or they sit on a branch at a reasonable distance from me, but shielded by a thicket of intervening branches and leaves.

But my trip did provide both exercise and some images, so it was an hour well-spent, and provided me with some card imagery as well as fresh air, now I need a piece of kit called Printer Potty ordered from the Internet to arrive so that I can put my printer back together, as it is taking up valuable space in the kitchen, stripped right back to its chassis! For anyone facing an overflowing ink reservoir on their printer, I cannot recommend the man selling this item, enough; he is absolutely charming, exceedingly helpful, and the product receives excellent reviews.

Stockwood Discovery Centre – A Floral Abundance for Bees

Due to plan changes I decided a visit to the Discovery Centre at Stockwood in Luton would be worth a visit; and so it proved. I was able to move in close on bees going about their business of pollinating. I was watching one bee in particular, and I was convinced by what I saw that he was becoming intoxicated, because he came out from within the flower head really dozily, and landed on a nearby leaf where he would wander somewhat and also try to clear some of the pollen from the top of its head, then return to the same flower for more of the same!

Elsewhere the Echinops were a favoured flower of the bees, and again the bees would seem to stay longer on the same flower, likewise the giant thistle heads, giving me half a chance to capture the bees in flight.

These gardens hold a wide variety of species in a limitless range of colours, that are laid out in a manner that invites the visitor to wander, and the peace of this place is only shattered when the numerous aircraft fly low into Luton Airport, as this is the busiest UK holiday flight period. When each has passed, the sounds of chattering children reasserts itself, and if you are close to the flowers, the hum of insects takes over again.

I also got a chance to visit the greenhouses, and when I came back out I was dripping and grateful to feel the warm dry breeze waft across my shirt, but no pain, no gain, and I had been able to get shots of grapes and a ripening lemon and also an abandoned nest with a single egg. Outside a white butterfly was also less flittery and would land briefly several times leaving me just about enough to time to capture a shot. Luton should be justly proud of this wonderful free amenity and it is always worth a visit.

Island of Flowers – Caddington

In front of the Village Post Office and a couple of Sandwich bars lies a recently rebuilt traffic Island, edged with stone blocks heralding from China, which apparently are extremely durable, and were chosen for this and their increased height to protect the flower beds from being wrecked by careless drivers. This is currently an island of flowers, and it is in full bloom.

For their position, I believe less would have been more; more appropriate, and more attractive ultimately, allowing individual flowers to flourish, and naturally less expensive. That said however, they do add a glorious splash of colour to the otherwise functional area.

It was because of my observation that they were generally at their peak I decided I would go back for a camera, and record them for posterity, or at least to serve as possible images for cards, and give me yet another chance to focus on the amazing sophistication of some of the common pollinators of our flowers, in this instance mainly the hoverflies. To collect some thirty acceptable images from my short sojourn on my knees, precariously close to parking cars is a testament to their beauty.

Stockwood Discovery Centre Pollinators

Having visited Luton Hoo's Walled Garden and found that the pollinators had at long last arrived in force, I decided to pay a visit to the Stockwood Discovery Centre where I hoped similar conditions would prevail. I was not disappointed, but I noted there seemed to be fewer different bees; but that was not a scientific assessment, simply a personal observation, and I do not profess any knowledge of the subject.

I did notice a couple of bees that appeared to have wallowed in pollen, hence the header picture, and on one there was a tiny insect, and though I did wonder whether this was the dreaded varroa mite, upon checking images on Google it was very different, so no cause for alarm, especially since it was not a honey bee.

There seemed to be just three or four species of butterfly, Peacocks, comma and two white varieties, one of which was likely Cabbage White, which were as nervous as ever of landing for more than three nanoseconds, so do not appear in my gallery. The hoverflies seemed smaller than I remember, but that may simply be a matter of maturity, but their flight was more amenable to my capture.

Of fruit, there were a few figs coming along, and I find the shape of their leaves fascinating.

Speaking briefly to Jan, one of the gardeners, I heard that she had seen a dragonfly in the gardens a while back, and so far this year I have only briefly glimpsed two both close to reservoirs, but I have photographed precisely none, which disappoints me greatly. However, I do now know a location that has at least three, and I did manage to grab a couple of poor photographs of them, at Ashridge by a stagnant pool. I vow to return!

Luton Hoo Walled Garden – the Pollinators

The place was buzzing – and it was not only visitors taking a look around – the flowers were out in all their glory and the pollinators were hard at work, there were three distinct types of bees that I spotted, though I have no doubt there were more than that. There were wasps, there were hoverflies, various flies, and butterflies.

I soon learned that the white butterflies loved the purple flowers, and they spent more time on each flower head than I had generally come to expect, so for a change I was able to focus accurately in the time allowed!

Also there was a pleasant breeze so I was not drenched in sweat as I concentrated on getting the shots. I did have a distraction though somehow a tiny insect had got above the ground glass screen and whilst I was trying to focus on say, a bee, it was gently strolling across my field of view and in focus! I also spotted a melon leaf and flower trying to escape the greenhouse!

Walled Garden, Luton Hoo – Early Summer

Well, there looks to be a chance of some settled and more Summer-like weather this week, with even the potential of lasting into the weekend. I have not had much of a chance to visit the Walled Garden of late as I have had to contend with preparing my own garden and surroundings to improve my chances of selling the house. But having made some corrections to the new Estate Agents’ work on the brochure, and my desk being clear I dashed out for an hour to see what was on show.

I never tire of seeing the leaves on the erstwhile Garden Manager’s Office, as they start green and then change to red and white, so after some shots of that I made my way into the garden itself and whilst close to the wall and capturing a close-up, I heard the somewhat unusual twittering of some young Mallard ducks, and they then tentatively emerged from the back of the garden beds onto the path towards the grass beneath the fruit trees. A short time later a male pheasant also skittered away from near me, and not long after took to the air and departed.

The layout of the gardens has changed from earlier years, with much more fencing appearing, and unless I am mistaken a different range of plants. I spent just on an hour wandering around occasionally patiently watching bees doing their job of pollinating, and just before leaving taking a shot of the beekeepers working around the hives behind the potting sheds. Overall there were a lot of volunteers this Wednesday almost certainly due to the improved spell of weather.