Queen of the Mountain The Bilberry, or Mountain, Bumblebee, Bombus monticola, (bombus meaning ‘bee’, and monticola meaning ‘mountain’) is a relatively small, but gorgeous looking bumblebee with a distinctive orange/red behind making up two-thirds of its abdomen and two lemon yellow stripes on its thorax, or middle parts. The queens, workers and males all haveContinue reading “The Bilberry Bumblebee”
Tag Archives: #Bumblebees
The Wild Primrose
The Wild Primrose, Primula Vulgaris, can be seen now in sheltered parts of the hedgerows and woods, poking its way through the frozen earth to introduce a hint of spring, and livelier times to come, to the winter landscape. Its scientific name simply translates as ‘first’ and ‘common’ as it is often the first floweringContinue reading “The Wild Primrose”
The Dog Rose
The Dog Rose, Rosa canina, is a deciduous shrub native to the British isles, it is found in a wide variety of habitats but prefers hedgerows and scrubby patches of woodland, where it grows in a sprawling manner, its stems arching over each other and getting entangled with other briars and shrubs. It usually reachesContinue reading “The Dog Rose”
The Wood Mouse
The Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus, (Apodemus deriving from the Ancient Greek for ‘away from home’, and sylvaticus coming from the Latin for ‘of the woods’), is a very common rodent of the British countryside and quite a handsome looking wee beastie, with a dark brown back, yellow/brown flanks, white chest and belly. They are oftenContinue reading “The Wood Mouse”
The Teasel
The Teasel, Dipsacus fullonum, is a tall, distinctive looking and handsome wildflower found throughout the British isles wherever nature has been given free reign to do whatever it likes, for this reason some refer to it not as a wildflower, but as a weed. In the first year of its growth it is a fairlyContinue reading “The Teasel”
Bilberry Season is here!
Bilberries Bilberry, or Whinberry, season traditionally begins at the start of August and doesn’t last long, although this year it looks like it’s going to be another fairly productive one. There are many regional names for Vaccinium myrtilus, in some parts of Ireland and Scotland it’s called a blaeberry, in the South of England aContinue reading “Bilberry Season is here!”
Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria, is a common wild flower in the countryside, found growing in damp meadows and woods, on roadside verges, along hedgerows and near streams, it usually flowers between June and September. Its frothy tufts of delicate, graceful, creamy white flowers have a distinctive, sweet fragrance, possibly one of the reasons for its commonContinue reading “Meadowsweet”
The Heather on the Moors
Three main species of heather There are three main species of plants which fall under the collective name of ‘heather’ and can be found growing on the uplands of the British isles. All three are native and evergreen, with Bell heather and Cross-leaved heather flowering from June to September, and the more plentiful Common heather,Continue reading “The Heather on the Moors”
Northwest Nature and History 