Moss Carder Bee (Bombus muscorum) seems to have considerably expanded its range locally since I last lived here. Found this big beauty on Comfrey today. A new species for me.

Hairy Dragonfly (Brachytron pratense) hanging in the Japanese Maple along the pond endge.

The marshes are quite loud this time of year.

Back on my old stomping grounds in Groningen for a long week.

Mousetail (Myosurus minimus), a very unusual flower from the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It likes damp areas with lots of foot traffic such as this track. Growing with associates such as Montia arvensis and Spergula arvensis.

Woudbloem, Groningen, Netherlands

Grey-backed Mining Bee (Andrena vaga) doing some digging. One of the few remaining individuals. It's an early species that specialises on willow pollen and most willows have finished flowering now it's May.

In the British Isles female Hairy-footed Flower Bees (Anthophora plumipes) are usually black as opposed to the brown males. In the Netherlands the females are usually brown too.

Iris Weevils (Mononychus punctumalbum) are attracted to yellow even if these yellow things aren't Yellow Iris.
Here's a bunch on a yellow Euonymus shrub.

I think my dad grows close to every Japanese Maple cultivar available.

Northern Dune Tiger Beetle (Cicindela hybrida)
Large numbers along the sandy shores of the lake at my family's house in NL.

Oh no, there will be buildings behind the 'iconic' cranes. Yes, please! Better use of space than car parks and brownfield misery.

One of our stranger wildflowers: Herb-paris (Paris quadrifolia)

Some #pavementplant from this afternoon:
Yellow Figwort, Primrose, Rue-leaved Saxifrage, and Lesser Chickweed.

Numerous Marsh Fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) caterpillars out on on of our Restoring Resilient Ecosystems field sites today.