Beginning to hum, buzz and whir

Finally, it is starting to warm up enough that lots of things that have been quiet are beginning to appear. I have taken down the suet feeder, and I am slowly decreasing the seed availability in my seed feeder (I don't feed during the summer), but the hummingbird feeder went up on May Day, and the first hummingbird arrived yesterday (4 May). I had my first Cabbage White Butterfly today (we get used to them, but the first ones are still a change) and a brilliant green Six-spotted Tiger Beetle showed up on my sand patch.

If you happen to have a pot of pansies or violas or something else outside, now that most nights (cross your fingers) are likely to be frost-free, you may notice them alive with bees if, like at my place, even the dandelions aren't out yet. The violets in the lawn are just getting going, and the black raspberries are leafed out, and flowers will come soon. And if you happen to have willows around (I don't), the bees will find those as well. The queens of several bumble bees are getting out and about, and they tend to be easier to photograph.

So, sit by those potted plants and snap some photos. With bees and other things, unlike birds, you may have to wait awhile before someone can confirm an identification, but iNaturalist will suggest something, and it is amazingly accurate much of the time.

Posted on May 5, 2022 07:40 PM by rlongair