Tickled Pink

This Bumble-Bee was having a lovely time on the Himalayan Balsam which grows in large swathes along the riverbank. It has a distinctive scent, a beautiful complex flower and I love the colour. 

Sadly, this non-native and highly invasive species is rapidly crowding out native plants on which local wildlife relies for food. As with so many other problem species, it was the Victorians who introduced this in the mid 19th century, growing it in their gardens. Little did they know!