Mois : juin 2016

Hedgehogs at Dawn

rambling ratz

Dawn this morning was a rather bright pink affair. We usually perceive the sky as blue because when sunlight hits small molecules such as oxygen and nitrogen, the shortest wavelengths of light, the blues and purples get scattered. At sunrise and sunset the sun is at a different angle and the light takes a longer path through the atmosphere meaning that much of the blue wavelengths have been scattered before we see them, leaving us with the red wavelengths. Animals that can see different parts of the spectrum to us, such as ultraviolet, will see the sky very differently to us.Photo of sunrise

As for the saying « Red sky in the morning, shepherd’s (sailor’s) warning. »; in the UK, generally speaking, weather systems come in from the west. A red sunrise indicates that high pressure has already moved east to be followed by a low pressure wet and windy system moving in behind…

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Mining Bee

rambling ratz

I have been informed that this little bee is probably a mining bee of the genus Andrena.Photo of mining bee

There are approximately 65 different species of these in the UK alone and they are apparently difficult to ID down to this level, so I shall not even attempt to do so. However, if anyone is able to from my photos I would be grateful for the information.Photo of mining bee

They often dig a nest in lawns or paths, but don’t cause any problems for the lawn. They also have a very weak sting and are non-aggressive.Photo of mining bee

They are known as solitary bees as they do not live in a colony, although they may nest within close proximity to other solitary bees. They are considered to be more efficient pollinators than honey bees. There is more information about solitary bees here.Photo of mining bee

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