Good Day 01/07/17

First of all I watched the British and Irish Lions beat the All Blacks to square the series, with all the Welsh Boys playing well. I then went out for a walk up Blaencaerau "COP" and found my first ever Bilberry Bumblebee [Bombus monticola], which is new for the valley.

This species is a scarce montane species usually staying above 300 mts and near Bilberry, but lately it has taken a liking to reclaimed coal tip areas in South Wales with its emerging vegetation and its proliferation of wild flowers to feed on. It has been recorded at a few old coal tip areas in Glamorgan over the past few years but it is in national decline and is now becoming quite rare. This individual may well have come down from the Bilberry areas growing at Darren-y-Bannau [skull rocks] at 350mts above sea-level to "The Burnet Field" at 240mts.