Michael Foley

Honorary Research Fellow, University of Lancaster. Botany, Butterflies, Bees, Orthoptera, and nature and wildlife in general.

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@bumble_being Well spotted, Charlotte!

[Charlotte Rankin @bumble_being]

Beechmast Candlesnuff! 🕯️ This little fungus grows on the outer seed cases of Beech. Amazing! #Fungi

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

Whimbrels coming to roost on shallows on Ribble, May, 2017

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@HedgehogCabin Fully deserved!

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@HedgehogCabin Thanks for that, so they’ve just evolved to do that. As you say, there are too many unhelpful developments for them nowadays. All your advice is so helpful for people though - thanks.

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@HedgehogCabin Thank you, that’s really interesting. I assume they locate their own places by smell - and what a remarkable habit in having a second nest ready just in case. Must have been developed by natural selection following millenia of lost/failed nests?

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

Two Bombus pratorum males on scabious, Lancashire, June 6, 2021.

[Bruce Taylor @barrabirder]

Sometimes it's the little things that make my day. Found my first Nickar nut at Traigh Eais this afternoon. This tropical drift seed, once prized as a talisman in the Outer Hebrides, has floated all the way from the Caribbean before making landfall on Barra.

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

Bombus hypnorum vigorously foraging on Scabious, Lancashire, 21.6.2021 @BumblebeeTrust

[Vi Un Abejorro @ViUnAbejorro]

Bombus dahlbomii visto por el equipo de Vi Un Abejorro en el Parque Nacional Los Alerces 🐝

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@HedgehogCabin He appears almost back to normal. Well done miracle worker 🦔!

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

Bombus pascuorum extracting nectar from Linaria repens, Burns Beck, Cumbria, August 26, 2017 @BumblebeeTrust

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@StevenFalk1 Yes you might be right. It was a few years ago but I’ve no notes. Thinking back now, I recall seeing that really. distinctively coloured pollen on bees when foraging on Common Vetch!

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

Bombus pascuorum worker collecting very deep orange-red pollen from Grass Vetchling (Lathyrus nissifolia), Brockholes, Preston, 14.5.19.

[L'Obs. des Abeilles @Obs_Abeilles]

🔴🐝New paper in #Osmia : Two new overlooked bee species from Spain (Hymenoptera: Anthophila: Andrenidae, Apidae) by T. Wood. https://t.co/Uy1meWLqj9

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@HedgehogCabin You are in safe hands, Bruno ! 👍

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@FRhebergen I’m sure all will go well for you 🐝🐝

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@StevenFalk1 @PaulWilliamsNHM …..and Paul.

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

Bombus humilis on common ragwort, Newport, August 26, 2021

[Michael Foley @MichaelFoley_1]

@StevenFalk1 @PaulWilliamsNHM Thanks Steven.