A hot day in mid March.

Today was 12-14 C around lunchtime, several Small Tortoise butterflies flew around and on a flowering Willow on a sheltered bank plenty of insects were taking advantage of free pollen.3 bee species and 4 fly species made the most of the opportunity.

Queen Bombus terrestris

This bees pollen sacs were full.

Honey bee

This might be Cheilosia grossa a hoverfly.

A Dung fly

A Flesh fly.

The Dock beetle (Gastrophysa viridula) a lot of these were in evidence too,this is a female with a swollen abdomen.

More Signs Of Spring

The lovely warm days recently enticed 6 of the 7 Marsh Fritillary caterpillar groups recorded last September  to come out and bask in the Sun.More info in a post last Oct.

I also saw 3 Bumble bees, my first this year ,nectaring on crocus,mahonia heather and snowdrops.

They have been identified as a Bumble Bee (Bombus Cryptarum) this is a rather enigmatic species and is generally lumped in with B. lucoreum.Some regard the faint S between the neck and wing joint as being diagnostic  although this is darker in northern area records that southern records.

the Eritalis drone fly was also working away.