"Summer is just around the corner and after one of the wettest Mays on record, the wild flower meadow has begun to show signs of developing into something more than just
a muddy mess. 

The wet weather proved potentially hazardous for our bee colonies as they are unable to fly and forage. The colonies were fed sugar syrup to provide the necessary stores to safely see them through the bad weather and the upcoming June gap, where long grasses suppress many wildflowers before the herbaceous "summer rush" of July-through-September.

Over the past month we were curious to understand who or what had been visiting the Apiary. There had been a number of clues, some less obvious than others and one that only really became clear when looking at it from a different perspective.   

Did you see it?

Here you can see the network of tracks used and left by these mysterious visitors. Having seen these several times on various drone footage throughout the year, they were certainly being used on a regular basis by something to navigate across the Apiary and onto the surrounding fields. 

Over a period of a few weeks we set up a number of wildlife cameras to find out exactly who or what these guests were. The results were suprising but also beautiful.It was a real eye-opening experience to see how much biodiversity this small ecosystem supports. 

While it may not always be obvious at first glance, there are signs that continually remind us of how interwoven ecosystems become. 

It is critical we do everything we can to protect these habitats for future generations to discover, and enjoy, these curious visitors. "