White-tail Snoozing

Another chilly start to the day and outside insect life and animals were either nonexistent or very slow.

Consequently...you have a very slow bee... in fact I think it was having a snooze as I'd time to get my tripod and flash out before it moved on!

This is a Bombus Lucorum or white-tailed bumble bee which is fairly widespread and abundant here. Head deep in the aster I thought it made an attractive and colourful image which is more than can be said of this fly which looks more like Hannibal Lecter as the black hairs on it's white face make it look like a mask which has been sown together. Quite spooky! What is amazing about the fly is that you can see the hairs on the end of it's proboscis and if you follow that up to the face you can also see the tiny hairy maxillary palps. But... not pretty!

I would add that the colours haven't been tampered with :)