Happy Easter.All around the new growth of spring & summer gathers pace, buds are appearing on trees & fruit bushes, catkins have been and gone on the hazel trees, on the alders they are just fully out resplendently purple/red and, in the damper places, several species of willow are heavy with their catkins. It's a good time for deciding which species of willow you have, some produce leaves first other catkins first, some have green catkins and 
some, like pussy willows have showy yellow ones. As an early source of food, the first bees of the year visit the willow flowers (catkins) in big numbers. Each year I am tempted to bring a few bits of willow bush back to the house to pop into a vase to brighten up the house as the catkins appear. On Saturday I popped the vase and cutting outside to let the sun help the catkins develop and immediately a bumblebee visited the catkins to feed on the nectar. I always get a bit confused with bees, nectar and pollen and delve into Highland Bumblebees by Murdo Macdonald and Gill Nisbet (published by the Highland Biological Recording Group) to remind myself which is what. At this time of year most of the early bees are queens which were born last summer and survived the winter by tucked themselves away in suitable holes, probably in the ground. These queens are the only ones that survive from their nests of the previous year, all the workers and old queens having died at the end of the last breeding season. So hungry queens are in search of something to eat and this is where the catkins, early flowers and garden flowers help out by providing nectar for the queens
(all females) to feed on as they start up their new nests. The worker bees bred from the new nests are the ones that then visit the flowers to collect pollen, attached to their hind legs via pollen "baskets", which is returned to the nest for the new young bees developing from the eggs to feed on. A complex process but one which is necessary to ensure many of our native trees and plants are fertilised, ensuring future seed production. As bee numbers have declined dramatically over recent decades you can help by bee friendly flower planting in your gardens. The first bees seen in the garden this week were Bombus pratorum and Bombus monticola a Highland speciality. A few more flowers are also appearing alongside the dandelions and daisies. A small white plant seen all over the place is hairy bittercress, and a wee grass-like plant appearing on our local football pitch is the appropriately named Good Friday Grass - a woodrush Luzula campestris.
some, like pussy willows have showy yellow ones. As an early source of food, the first bees of the year visit the willow flowers (catkins) in big numbers. Each year I am tempted to bring a few bits of willow bush back to the house to pop into a vase to brighten up the house as the catkins appear. On Saturday I popped the vase and cutting outside to let the sun help the catkins develop and immediately a bumblebee visited the catkins to feed on the nectar. I always get a bit confused with bees, nectar and pollen and delve into Highland Bumblebees by Murdo Macdonald and Gill Nisbet (published by the Highland Biological Recording Group) to remind myself which is what. At this time of year most of the early bees are queens which were born last summer and survived the winter by tucked themselves away in suitable holes, probably in the ground. These queens are the only ones that survive from their nests of the previous year, all the workers and old queens having died at the end of the last breeding season. So hungry queens are in search of something to eat and this is where the catkins, early flowers and garden flowers help out by providing nectar for the queens
(all females) to feed on as they start up their new nests. The worker bees bred from the new nests are the ones that then visit the flowers to collect pollen, attached to their hind legs via pollen "baskets", which is returned to the nest for the new young bees developing from the eggs to feed on. A complex process but one which is necessary to ensure many of our native trees and plants are fertilised, ensuring future seed production. As bee numbers have declined dramatically over recent decades you can help by bee friendly flower planting in your gardens. The first bees seen in the garden this week were Bombus pratorum and Bombus monticola a Highland speciality. A few more flowers are also appearing alongside the dandelions and daisies. A small white plant seen all over the place is hairy bittercress, and a wee grass-like plant appearing on our local football pitch is the appropriately named Good Friday Grass - a woodrush Luzula campestris.In the bird world things are also happening. Martin & Sheila, our guests this week, had a great day at the coast on Saturday. From Spey Bay to Burghead there are hundreds of long-tailed ducks, common & velvet scoters, a couple of surf scoters and star of the week, a king eider. I had sand martins over Loch Garten on 2nd and a ring ouzel by the road to Cairngorm on 7th. As I listened to the ring ouzel singing I could see 10 black grouse lekking just a kilometre from the road and was able to watch the birds (more importantly) without disturbing them. On the Spey below Nethybridge, a kingfisher was seen, a rare bird in this area, whilst in the background the steam train chuffed into the "Glen Bogle" station at Broomhill. Over 500 pink-footed geese have also been feeding on the local fields as they pass by heading north.
At the Loch Garten Osprey Centre the season is now underway, "EJ", our regular female returned to the nest on Wednesday, fresh and healthy after her journey back from north-west 
Africa. Our male "Henry", hasn't arrived as yet, allowing the now familiar saga to develop. Osprey fans from previous years along with all the staff, volunteers and visitors (picture left) at the Centre, let out a collective groan on Thursday when a regular, early season visitor to the Loch Garten site put in his appearance - "Orange VS" was back! To those unfamiliar with the birds names, all originate loosely, from plastic, lettered rings that the birds were given as young ospreys at their natal nest sites many years ago. Last year, this visiting male became almost resident before "Henry" the regular resident male arrived. In this time he mated regularly with "EJ" and just as "Henry" arrived, "EJ" was due to lay her eggs - fertilised by "Orange VS"! This sa
ga has become part of the "normal" start of the osprey season in the last three years, thankfully last year "Henry" was around for a couple of days before the first egg was laid and he possibly thought they were his and he supported the female for the rest of the season. A year earlier, he kicked out the eggs - produced via the same process, when he arrived late, and there were already eggs in the nest! Anyway, to follow what is happening at the osprey site go to the following websites, or visit the Centre for yourselves (picture right):
Africa. Our male "Henry", hasn't arrived as yet, allowing the now familiar saga to develop. Osprey fans from previous years along with all the staff, volunteers and visitors (picture left) at the Centre, let out a collective groan on Thursday when a regular, early season visitor to the Loch Garten site put in his appearance - "Orange VS" was back! To those unfamiliar with the birds names, all originate loosely, from plastic, lettered rings that the birds were given as young ospreys at their natal nest sites many years ago. Last year, this visiting male became almost resident before "Henry" the regular resident male arrived. In this time he mated regularly with "EJ" and just as "Henry" arrived, "EJ" was due to lay her eggs - fertilised by "Orange VS"! This sa
ga has become part of the "normal" start of the osprey season in the last three years, thankfully last year "Henry" was around for a couple of days before the first egg was laid and he possibly thought they were his and he supported the female for the rest of the season. A year earlier, he kicked out the eggs - produced via the same process, when he arrived late, and there were already eggs in the nest! Anyway, to follow what is happening at the osprey site go to the following websites, or visit the Centre for yourselves (picture right):http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/l/lochgarten/blog.asp for the wardens diary and,
for the live nest camera.
And finally, on a recent walk I happened onto a battle royal. I mentioned last week that the wood ants were stirring and starting to wander from their nests. The middle of the track that I was on was black with wood ants - odd! Usually you see gatherings on tracks comprising tens of ants
when they have found a prey item and it needs overcoming before being pulled apart and taken back to the nest. As I looked down I could see that there was a physical battle going on and it was obvious that this was a fight over territory. The ants heading off to my left were carrying other ants that they had killed, and they were taking them back to their nest. No doubt, once the fighting had ended, the ants would also turn their attentions to the neighbour's nest itself, and the prized bits of grit and resin forming part of the the domed thatch, which would also be carried back to the victors nest. I saw this happening at another site last year. In this years instance (pictured left), the ants were all wood ants, at some sites within Abernethy we also have red, slave making ants, these ants take over the nests of black ants taking both black ants and their eggs back to their own nest to act as slaves. Another amazing fact from the insect world!
when they have found a prey item and it needs overcoming before being pulled apart and taken back to the nest. As I looked down I could see that there was a physical battle going on and it was obvious that this was a fight over territory. The ants heading off to my left were carrying other ants that they had killed, and they were taking them back to their nest. No doubt, once the fighting had ended, the ants would also turn their attentions to the neighbour's nest itself, and the prized bits of grit and resin forming part of the the domed thatch, which would also be carried back to the victors nest. I saw this happening at another site last year. In this years instance (pictured left), the ants were all wood ants, at some sites within Abernethy we also have red, slave making ants, these ants take over the nests of black ants taking both black ants and their eggs back to their own nest to act as slaves. Another amazing fact from the insect world!Have a good Easter
All the best
Stewart & Janet
All photos © Stewart Taylor
