Another composite of visitors to our garden Beech hedge, all these from this morning. Nice to see some 'new' species including Tachinid and Empid flies and a Mirid bug. Who knows what tomorrow holds ... #Biodiversity

Rather lovely Ruby-tailed Wasp checking-out our garden bee-hotel today. #WaspLove

I wonder what's going on here in the bee-hotel. I'll keep an eye on the hole ...

Another garden Beech hedge composite showing some of today's visitors. It's south-facing and invertebrates are attracted to the new leaves and sit there warming-up. #Biodiversity

It's May and the Beech leaves on our south-facing garden hedgerow are developing. They attract lots of invertebrates that visit to warm-up. Here's a selection from the last couple of days. #Biodiversity #Bonanza

We have a Noble Fir in our #Staffs garden; the male cones develop on the underside of the lower branches. Interesting and rather attractive!

Our garden Copper Beech; coming into leaf nicely ...

Lots of these in the garden at the moment. Alder Leaf Beetle perhaps? #Staffs #Coleoptera

First Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria) that I've managed to photograph in the garden this year. Lovely! #Bees #SolitaryBees

Dilemma. This spider (I think it might be an Walnut Orb Weaver; Nuctenea umbratica) has taken-up residence in the bee-hotel. I've already seen it catch one male Red Mason Bee. Perhaps I'll just rename the structure The Invertebrate Hotel and leave things as they are ...

Several wasp queens around in the garden this morning. This one (possibly Vespula germanica) warming-up in a Camellia flower. #WaspLove

First social wasp that I've seen collecting nesting material in the garden this year. I suspect that it's a queen German Wasp (Vespula germanica), but not certain. #WaspLove

One of the many snails (a Cepaea species I suspect) that inhabits our garden compost bin. As a special treat, I let it have a graze on the water feature. I'm attempting to record slug/snail species in the garden. #Gastropods

A weevil in the garden today. I think it's a Black Vine Weevil, but not absolutely sure. Seems to have lost one of its angled antennae. #Weevils

I'm assuming this is the Garden Snail (Cornu aspersum). Anyway, it lives happily in the compost bin (with a selection of other slugs and snails) and comes out from time-to-time for a portrait session. #Snails #Gastropods

You wait all day and three come along ...

Male Nomad bee warming-up in our #Staffs garden. Not sure of the species ...

White-lipped Snail (I think) in the garden yesterday. The light reflections make it look like it was moving really fast; it wasn't ... #Snails #Gastropods