A couple of Osmia cornuta Bees

Whilst walking Home we spotted a Bee resting on a Grape Hyacinth in a Front Garden (TQ477771): it subsequently turned out there were two of them and that they are Osmia cornuta Bees viz.

Apparently, unusual. The sighting has been submitted to iRecord.

 

The male has white whiskers: clearly visible here.

We also saw one during March-2022: fairly close to where we saw these two.

Wild Flowers seen whilst walking from Home to Bostall Heath

We rather surprised ourselves: whilst walking from Home to Bostall Heath, we spotted thirty-plus Wild Flower &c. species (growing on the Pavements, in Roadside Gutters, in Private Gardens and the Grounds of St Andrew's Church) viz.

Wood Avens
Four-Leaved Allseed
Rue-Leaved Saxifrage

Common Chickweed 

Thale Cress

Common Field-Speedwell

Hairy Bittercress (subsequently seeing Wavy Bittercress on Bostall Heath)

Annual Meadow Grass

Lesser Swinecress

Cleavers

Fairy-Purses (aka Shepherd's-Purse)

Red Dead-Nettle

Jersey Cudweed

Grape Hyacinth

Groundsel

Ivy-Leaved Toadflax viz.

Common Whitlowgrass

Petty Spurge

Sweet Violet

Shining Crane's-Bill

Spotted Medick

Common Mallow

Purple-Leaved Procumbent Yellow-Sorrel 

Dove's-Foot Crane's-Bill

Daisy

Dandelion

Ivy-Leaved Speedwell

Sow-Thistle

Mouse-Ear Hawkweed

Purple Loosestrife 

and Annual Mercury 

On the Heath there were lots of Hairy-Footed Flower-Bees, a few Buff-Tailed Bumblebees and a Small White Butterfly.

Our first Hairy-Footed Flower-Bees of the year

A lot later than last year: we submitted a record to iRecord for 17 February 2022.

Today, we saw four Bees (all males) busying themselves on and around the Red Dead-Nettle flowering in the Grounds of St John the Baptist, Erith viz.

The sightings have been submitted to iRecord.

Additionally, we saw our first flowering Early Dog-Violets of the year: also in the Church' Grounds viz.

On the nearby Thames' Foreshore, an English Scurvygrass was attempting to flower but it will surely be a few weeks yet before a white carpet of flowers appears.