Ivy

At the moment I seem to be unable to keep up with blipping - a couple of days away last week, when I took a lot of photographs, together with a busy work schedule, overwhelmed me. No doubt I'll eventually manage to fill in the gaps.

Now it's report writing time of year, with competing deadlines that again don't leave much time for photography. However, I couldn't resist spending some time watching the hedge in our front garden, that's currently smothered with flowering Ivy. As well as the usual Honey Bees there were masses of Ivy Bees - such smart and busy little creatures, though this male seemed to be having a bit of a rest. We've never had so many before, which suggests that there must be a colony somewhere in the neighbourhood....

I was also fascinated to watch a Garden Spider making short work of a Honey Bee that flew into her well placed web. I have a whole series of shots of her wrapping it in multiple strands of silk - a process that was completed surprisingly rapidly with ruthless efficiency! (See extra if you're not squeamish).