Yesterday's sun had a real warmth to it and the insects responded visiting this Clematis cirrhosa flowering against a south-facing fence. I am pretty certain that it is a Buff-tailed Bumblebee but was very small for a Queen. The most numerous visitors were honey bees stocking up on nectar and pollen. As always a few blow flies around (Calliphora vicina) - one is covered in pollen illustrating their importance as pollinators. (The warm sunshine and insect visitors were appropriate for the day of Richard Revel's funeral emphasising his very large contribution to entomology and his delight at any glimpse of the approach of spring)
