Early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum), Photo credit: Jonathan Goldberg

On a late morning bee safari in Regent’s Park, the dull overcast skies were threatening rain. I didn’t have great hopes for showing the Lord Mayor of Westminster many different bee species on our tour of the dry garden, the late-flowering perennial borders and the allotment. The highlight of the tour was this lovely orange-bottomed Early bumblebee (above) foraging on late summer alliums.

Buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) Photo credit: Jonathan Goldberg

I did expect to see our most ubiquitous bee, the Buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). They were out in force on any lavender still in flower.

Honeybee (Apis mellifera) Photo credit: Jonathan Goldberg

Not surprisingly, honeybees were all over saucer-shaped flowers, like these Nasturtium, in the park’s allotment where we ended our safari.

We did see some Common carder bees (Bombus pascuorum) – some with a very gingery thorax, and some a much paler colour as they’d been bleached by the sun. They dart around so quickly we didn’t get a good photo of them in the park, but later that week I got this shot of one on a hebe. I have cropped the photo for a close up of the bee.

And tiny, black furrow bees were out too. Again, I didn’t get a photo at the time as I was too busy showing the Lord Mayor, but later that week I found one on a Rudbeckia and managed to take this shot.