Here's a Buff-tailed bumblebee feasting on one of the few early brambles flowers remaining in Clopton Field. If you go to Bumblebee Conservation's website the description of this bumble includes the tell-tale 'subtle buff line' above the tail which you can just see.
I was pleased to see a Comma butterfly today. Evolution has a created a fantastic insect that survives the winter because with wings folded it resembles a leaf. I caught this one with the sun lighting it's wings so the leaf effect isn't so apparent. However, you can se that the shape of the wings could mislead a predator.
Now, I've been using the terms 'bramble' and 'blackberry' fairly randomly. But I have noticed that the various forms differ in colour of flower (pink to white), size and shape of flower, and degrees of thorniness. They also flower at different times. A good time to look these up I reckon. I went to trusty W Keble Martin, The concise British flora in colour. There he simply states, 'there are nearly 400 species of Robus in this country. Say no more.
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