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Swallow arrived 15th April to North Devon Barnstaple 2022

Return of the Swallow – Like clockwork

14th/15th April each year we see our first swallow. This morning I woke up and said “Today the swallows will return”. This afternoon we heard it’s twit twit twitting sitting on the phone line (sorry photo is not that good).

I am no oracle, looking into the future. Its absolutely amazing how they turn up on the same day each year. (Give or take a day either side) incredible!

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Honey Bee on New Zealand Flax Flower in the UK

Bees are all over our New Zealand Flax Flowers

This year, in our garden (North Devon, UK), the New Zealand Flax’s have sent up some beautiful long flower spikes with small tubular flowers delicately displaying in reds and oranges.

The anthers protrude from the top of the tubular flower. Here the high protein orange coloured pollen can be collected by the bee.

But where the bees seem to spend mot of their time is climbing right into the flower to collect the nectar.

Tail of a Honey Bee poking out of a New Zealand Flax Flower
Tail of a Honey Bee poking out of a New Zealand Flax Flower
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