Bees in the Willows

Bees on the Willows at Embercombe - Spring 2011

What a joy it has been to see the bees out around embercombe. The willows, which are in flower now, are particularly busy, some trees covered in bees of all types, including lots of our honeybees (and I wonder if anyone elses...).
I feel like I've encountered a healthily large number of big beautiful bumble bees this year as the earth is reawakening. They join the honeybees on the beautiful willow trees colecting leg-fulls of pollen.

Honeybees collect pollen by gathering it in 'pollen baskets' on their back legs, which are basically a number of hairs designed to hold the pollen particles. Look closely at a hive entrance and you can watch returning foragers carrying a whole spectrum of orange and yellow pollens.