Hawthorn flowering in one of the Garden’s two native hedges.
Hawthorn behind the meadow pond.
Hawthorn above the ivy slope.
The ferns are uncurling in the fernery where dog-tooth violets have just finished flowering.
The Garden is awash with hawthorn and the ferns are uncurling!
Not all roses are equal for pollinators. Open, simple flowers offer accessible pollen and nectar, while heavily bred double varieties often provide very little. Plant choice can make a real difference for pollinator support.
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Spotted small mounds of soil on a path? You may have seen bee “tumuli”, little piles left behind when ground-nesting bees dig their nests. These ones here were found on a footpath in an apple orchard.
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Pollinators are vital for food production. Around 1 in 3 bites we eat depends on them. That includes foods you might not expect, like chocolate and vanilla. Protecting pollinators means protecting our food systems.
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That’s so nice! I normally see them on shorter flowers
Bee-flies (Bombylius major) are parasites of ground-nesting solitary bees. They lay eggs near nest entrances; once hatched, the larva sneaks inside and consumes the host’s food stores. Have you seen any this year?
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That’s another great annual meeting wrapped up!
Thanks to everyone who joined us, always a pleasure to catch up. We hope you left feeling inspired and connected, with fresh ideas to support pollinators.
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Two people carrying out a FIT Count in a flowery meadow, using a quadrat made out of tape to mark out the target flowers for the count. One person is using the FIT Count app, the other has a paper recording form on a clipboard.
Welcome to the new season for #pollinator FIT Counts! Our latest e-news was sent out this morning - read it here mailchi.mp/7e658beeba40... and subscribe at ukpoms.org.uk/subscribe As soon as the weather is warm enough we hope that you will enjoy watching and counting insects on flowers with us.
Andrena bicolor is a teeny tiny solitary bee that you can spot early in the year. The females are about 9-11 mm! They are fairly common, and can have two generations per year.
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Willow trees are a great source of pollen. Some bees, such as Andrena clarkella, exclusively visit willow flowers. Females of this species are slightly larger than a honeybee but look otherwise quite different. They’ve got a gingery thorax with black haired abdomen.
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Great shot!
You can typically spot queens of the Early Bumblebee from March onwards. These common bees can be recognised by their orange bum and yellow bands. They are a relatively small species. Have you seen any this year?
Picture: @gallenbees.bsky.social
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Bumblebee on a yellow dandelion flower
Dandelions are starting to appear! They’re a vital source of early nectar for bumblebees, butterflies and other insects - and birds feed on the seeds. So please let them grow!
More tips to help nature:
www.littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/5-t...
Join the Pollinating London Together Annual Meeting on 30 March (5:30–8:30 PM) at Tower Suites. Reflect on the past year, explore 2025 survey findings, hear future plans, and connect with others working for a greener London.
Free to attend! More info on the website.
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Hairy footed flower bees are out and about, often one of the first solitary bees you can see in the year. They prefer to forage on long flowers such as lungwort. The females are all black with red hairs on the hind legs, the males are brown with hairy middle legs.
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Bumblebees are the superstars of the insect world. Here are five more things you didn't know they can do 🐝
How many of these bumblebee hidden talents did you know?
There's less than a month until the start of the 2026 FIT Count season on 1 April! The Flower-Insect Timed Count survey asks you to spend 10 minutes counting all insects that land on a patch of flowers, to help monitor abundance of #pollinators. 🪰🦋🌻🪲🐝 More info at ukpoms.org.uk/fit-counts
Did you know? Every part of the daffodil is poisonous to humans? However they also contain galantamine, a compound used in drugs that slow the progression of Alzheimers disease.
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The Narcissus bulb fly (Merodon equestris) is a bumblebee mimicking hoverfly that can be a pest of flowers like daffodils. This is as larvae, the adults don’t mess with the bulbs. These fluffy flies have a small triangle on the hind leg as an identifying feature.
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#thicktrunktuesday - plane trees in Bunhill Burial Ground, EC1.
While we're wrapped up, it’s summer for the blue-banded bee (Amegilla spp) in Australia! Despite the name, not all blue-banded bees are blue. Some have white or green bands for example. Gotta love common names!
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Bumblebee on apple blossom
Growing an apple tree or two could help bumblebees, butterflies, birds and bats - orchards and fruit trees are fantastic for biodiversity! Need help choosing a variety? We’ve put together some suggestions:
littlegreenspace.org.uk/features/cho...
The Adonis Blue butterfly is currently overwintering as a tiny caterpillar on chalky grasslands. When they pupate, they will be carried underground by ants into the safety of their nests. Here they will be tended/milked until they come out as adult butterflies.
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🌿🐝 New Monthly Blog: Creating Pollinator Habitat in Wintertime
How winter actions can support bees, butterflies, hoverflies and more. Practical ideas for gardeners, communities and businesses to help pollinators thrive year-round.
Find it on the website!
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You can, and maybe should, start some flowers indoors now for spring blooms!
Think of sweet peas, begonias & geraniums. You can find pollinator friendly planting suggestions on our website.
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We’re excited to welcome our new PLT Ambassadors! They are leaders from within our partner organisations who have stepped up to champion urban biodiversity. We will start introducing them soon. Look out for the official Ambassador logo on email signatures across the City.
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Did you know the City of London is a haven for wild bees? Our 2024 surveys recorded 8 different bumblebee species, 39 species of solitary bee, and 27 hoverfly species right here in the Square Mile! Not much longer to wait until we share our results from last year! Stay tuned…
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Maybe if I stay here, Monday won’t find me ... 😴
🔎🐝 Early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum)
📷 Claire Fidler
Up to 4 billion hoverflies migrate to and from Britain each year!
They head south in autumn and wait for the right winds to carry them between Britain and mainland Europe.
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POV you're a Peacock butterfly soaking up every last scrap of winter sunshine
We'd hiss too if someone was blocking our sun!
📹: Jake Hearney
