When the sun shines on the bee-hotel, the occupants come to their front doors to say hello. #Staffs #garden #bees #biodiversity

I see a few of these in our #Staffs garden every year; the wasp Crabro cribrarius. The males have strange shield-like appendages on their front legs. They're a ground-nesting species but a few males visit our bee-hotels and sometimes spend the night! #wasps #WaspLove

More Beech hedge biodiversity. Lots of invertebrates are attracted to the south-facing Beech section of our #Staffs garden hedgerow, to warm-up on the leaves. Another varied selection! #biodiversity #pollinators

It's that time of year again when the south-facing Beech hedge in our garden is coming into leaf. It's a favourite place for invertebrates to visit and warm-up. I do these composites every year to show the biodiversity. #Staffs #garden #biodiversity #pollination

First Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria) of the year, in our #Staffs garden yesterday. One of my favourites; this female warming-up on my finger. #bees #SolitaryBees #garden #pollinators

A Humming-bird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) visiting our Staffordshire garden this morning. Even managed to get a reasonably-uncluttered (and in-focus) shot! Don't see many of these in our garden ...

Just putting the finishing touches together, I hope some of you can make it. Open 11.00 - 16.00 hrs daily; free admission, free parking.

Always a treat to see; a lovely Ruby-tailed Wasp in our #Staffs garden yesterday. #wasp #CuckooWasp #SolitaryWasp

First Bee-fly of the year in our #Staffs garden today; Bombylius major. #bees #SolitaryBees #pollination #biodiversity

Found on the beach in Anglesey at the weekend. A seabird sternum perhaps?

A lovely fresh-looking queen Bombus pratorum (Early Bumblebee) in our #Staffs garden this morning. I think that what it is anyway! #bees #SocialBees

First Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) that I've photographed this year. Lots active in our #Staffs garden today. #bees #SocialBees

Psocid (Barkfly) in garden leaf-litter this morning. #Staffs #garden #Psocid #Barkfly

An "elongate" springtail in garden leaf-litter this morning, just a few millimetres long. #staffs #collembola #mesofauna

Announcing an exhibition of my still-life photography at the Rose Paterson Art Gallery at Weston Park. Will run from 27 March to 29 April. Parking and admission free. The Art Gallery is open daily from 11.00 to 16.00 hrs. Weston Park situated on the A5 near Shifnal, Shropshire.

I was photographing a globular springtail (Dicyrtomina saundersi) in the garden, when a juvenile "elongate" springtail came scurrying into view. Remarkably, they're both reasonably in focus with this single shot. Two for the price of one! #collembola #mesofauna #macro #photograph

A selection of globular springtails found under fallen leaves on our garden lawn this morning. A Dicyrtomina species at the bottom and Sminthurinus aureus (dark form) and S. elegans at the top. #collembola #mesofauna #Staffs #macro #photography

The globular springtail Dicyrtomina saundersi in our #Staffs garden this morning. Between 1-2 mm long. #collembola #mesofauna #macro #photography

We're fortunate in having a few Fly Agaric mushrooms growing in our #Staffs garden. Being a photographer, I couldn't resist a bit of additional Photoshopery on this shot! #macro #photography #shallowDoF

More fungi from our front lawn today. I know very little about mushroom identification, but wondered whether this could be one of the Laccaria species (Deceivers)? #Staffs #fungi #macro #photography

We have a nice selection of fungi on our front lawn, including Fly Agaric. #Staffs #macro #photography #fungi #mushrooms

My morning leaf-litter hunt didn't result in any springtail photographs today, but I did snap this little psocid (barkfly) that was under a Laurel leaf. #psocoptera #Staffs #garden #macro #photography

The globular springtail Sminthurinus aureus (dark form) in the garden this morning. Very small (< 1 mm). #Staffs #collembola #springtail #LeafLitter #mesofauna #macro #photography

I found a tiny little wasp (~2-3 mm) under a wet leaf on the lawn this morning (was looking for springtails actually). #WaspLove #Staffs #macro #photography

Still lots of social wasp workers collecting nesting material in our #Staffs garden. #WaspLove #macro #photography

I'm fortunate in knowing someone with a fine collection of vintage automobilia. He lets me borrow bits to photograph; here's a lovely old jack (apparently supplied with some early Rolls Royce and Bentley cars). #vintage #stilllife #torchlight

Female Field Digger Wasp (Mellinus arvensis), leaving her nest hole in our #Staffs garden. They're out hunting early today! #WaspLove #macro #photography

A globular springtail - Sminthurinus elegans - under a fallen Beech leaf in the garden this morning. I'm a bit out of practice photographing things this small (~0.5mm) but will improve as the damper weather progresses! #collembola #mesofauna #macro #photography #Staffs

Nice and damp in the garden this morning so thought I'd do a little springtail hunting. Didn't find many, but DID find this tiny (~2mm) wasp with a minuscule parasitic mite on it! #wasplove #acari #Staffs #parasitism #macro #photography

When it brightened-up a bit, I spent some time at the garden Ivy to see what visited; lots of things (naturally)! Just a reminder that if you really have to remove Ivy, please wait until it's finished flowering. #Staffs #biodiversity #pollinators #macro #photography

First Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) that I've seen in our #Staffs garden this year; a male. Lots of other invertebrates on the Ivy too, showing what in important resource it is. #bees #SolitaryBees #pollination #macro #photograph #biodiversity

Was having a tidy-up in the garden shed yesterday, so thought I'd do a bit of still-life photography. #photography #stilllife #still-life #vintage #flowers #dried

Attractive little sawfly in the garden this morning. The black head, "shoulder pads" and wing margins, suggest it could be the Turnip Sawfly (Athalia rosae)? This individual was on a rhubarb leaf. #macro #photograph #Staffs #sawflies #Symphyta

A Dock Bug (by the look of it) in our #Staffs garden yesterday. It was very warm but unlike most insects in the garden, this was sitting-still on a plant. Makes life somewhat easier! #maro #photography #TrueBugs

A Honeybee (Apis mellifera) nicely positioned in the centre of a garden flower. She just had to be photographed! #macro #photography #bee #honeybee #pollinator

European Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) as it should be; in our garden today. #macro #photograph #spider #Staffs

Female Coelioxys (sharp-tailed) bee in the garden this morning. These are cuckoo bees that lay their eggs in the nests of leafcutter bees. #macro #photography #Staffs #bees #SolitaryBees #pollination

Just a record shot, but first Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) that I've seen in the garden this year. #macro #photography #Staffs #butterflies #garden

Male Field Digger Wasp (Mellinus arvensis). This is the first time I've photographed one in July in our #Staffs garden. The first ones usually turn-up well into August. #macro #photography #garden #wasp #WaspLove

An attractive little wasp feeding on a garden Eryngium flower today. One of the Ancistrocerus species possibly? #macro #photography #Staffs #WaspLove #pollination

Another composite image of insects visiting our garden Sea Holly. I'm seeing various diptera, solitary and social wasps and solitary bees feeding. No social bees yet. Interesting to watch. #garden #diversity #pollinators #Staffs

I've been practicing for this year's Sea Holly composites in our #Staffs garden. This represents visitors over a 15 minute period. Lots of shots "blended" together. There'll be more! #macro #photography #garden #diversity #insects #Eryngium

Juniper Shieldbug on our garden summer-house this afternoon. #macro #photography #Staffs

No more Beewashing please! Why beekeeping doesn't help conserve bees. Pls RT if you agree. youtu.be/fiBYBmlKSYU

Long-cheeked (Dolichovespula) wasp worker on a garden Eryngium flower this morning. Note long gap between base of eye and mandible. Generally larger overall than Vespula wasp species too. #macro #photography #WaspLove

Tiny male Hylaeus (Yellow-face) Bee in the garden bee-hotel today. With the whitish colouration of the face, shape of facial markings, orange underside to antennae and suggestion of hairiness, this could be a Hairy Yellow-face Bee (H. hyalinatus). #macro #photography #bees #SolitaryBees

More Coelioxys (Sharp-tailed Bee) activity by the bee-hotel in our #Staffs garden. These are very difficult to differentiate (for me certainly), so no idea of species. According to @StevenFalk1's Flickr pages, I should have got a shot of the underside too! #macro #photography #Bees #CuckooBees

Female Coelioxys Sharp-tailed Bee on our garden bee-hotel just now. These are cuckoo bees that parasitise the nests of leafcutter bees. #Staffs #macro #photography#bees #SolitaryBees

Lots of Honeybees (Apis mellifera) drinking from the rock in our garden water-feature today. #macro #photography #summer #thirsty #bees

There noticed this swarm of honeybees in tree this morning and managed to get a photograph.