Two creatures were evident last week even though I didn’t actually see them.
Firstly Wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes) sung loudly in different areas, including near my home. It was a joy to hear them throughout the mornings.
These brown, diminutive birds with upturned tails, weigh about 7-10 grams; only Goldcrests (Regulus regulus)
are smaller. Wrens are rarely seen as their nests (made from moss and twigs) are positioned beneath shrubs or in rock crevices. Plus they mostly feed on insects and spiders and therefore remain hidden for a large amount of time. However they make their presence known due to their powerful song which can be heard at some distance. Their distinctive song contains a trill at the end, often discribed as sounding like a machine gun (see RSPB).
Secondly, on Thursday, I discovered that female Leaf-cutter bee(s) had visited one of the gardens I help look after. The evidence was semi-circular shapes cut around the edges of Broad-leaved enchanter’s nightshade (Circaea lutetiana) leaves.
The bits of leaf will have been carried to a nest, chewed and mixed with saliva to form walls to create the cells if the bees nest. Commonly Bee hotels are used by these solitary bees with lots of cells within each piece of bamboo or hole. Each cell contains an egg and pollen so that the larvae has a food source when it hatches. Although they become adults in autumn, the newly formed bees hibernate during winter, emerging in spring when the new generation repeats the process.
The most common Leaf-cutter bee found in gardens is the Patchwork leaf-cutter bee (Megachile centuncularis); for more information see The Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
Common plant leaves used for this purpose by Leaf-cutter bees are those from Roses, Wisteria, honeysuckle, several tree species and Willowherbs. As at least one bee was clearly using these plants for it’s nest, patches of these wild flowers were left at the back of the borders and the client was informed. Thankfully they are a fellow bee lover and happy to allow them to remain. I feel it’s important to point out, that no lasting damage is done to the plants. Therefore if you find such holes cut in your roses, please don’t panic.
I have yet to see a Leaf cutter bee, especially one ‘surfing’ with a leaf. I would love to see one of these bees so I got incredibly excited to see this evidence. Unfortunately my search was in vain but I am one step closer.
Bee in the Moment 