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This post considers their extraordinary navigational skills that enable them to find flowers with food sources, return to the hive, and in the case of honey bees communicate essential information to enable other bees to find the same food source. To achieve this navigational feat they make use of a variety of techniques including: Visual Landmarks - Bees remember shapes, colours, and patterns in the landscape: Trees, rocks, buildings, and hedges become "visual cues". They use these to create a mental map of their surroundings. Sun Compass - Bees use the position of the sun to find direction. Even when the sun is obscured, they detect polarized light patterns in the sky. This acts like a built-in compass. Magnetic Field Detection (still being studied) Evidence suggests bees can sense Earth’s magnetic field using iron granules (small crystals of magnetite) in their stomachs — similar to birds and sea turtles, linked to quantum effects in their eyes that enables them to ‘see’ magnetic fields Odometer System - Bees estimate distance by counting how fast scenery moves across their field of vision while flying — a kind of visual odometer. Scent Trails Bees can also follow scent marks: Foragers leave faint pheromones on flowers or near the hive entrance. These scent cues help guide them or others back. Bumblebees learn the layout of their surroundings. They remember shapes, colours, edges, and even panoramic views. On first flights, they perform "learning flights", spiralling and looking back to memorize their nest location. They also develop “traplines” — efficient foraging routes visiting the same flowers in the same order each day. Solitary bees (e.g., mason bees, leafcutter bees, mining bees) are even more independent. Like bumblebees, they remember local features to return to their nesting hole and flowers. After emerging from their nests, they perform orientation flights to remember their nest’s exact location. Honey bees use similar methods to navigate but, in addition, they try to communicate information about the sources of food they have found to other bees through what is known as the waggle dance.  Sharing what has been learnt The waggle dance is one of the most fascinating examples of animal communication. Honey bees use it to share detailed information about the location of food sources with other bees in the hive — including direction, distance, and quality. On returning to the hive after a successful foraging trip, the honey bee waggles her body while running in a straight line then loops back to repeat in a figure-eight motion. The waggle run is the most important part — that’s where the key info is shared namely the direction of the food source relative to the sun. The angle of the waggle run relative to vertical shows the direction of the food source relative to the sun. While the duration of the waggle run indicates how far away the food is. For example a short waggle = nearby (e.g., 100 m) versus a long waggle = far (e.g., 1 km). Finally the more energetic the dance and the more repeats indicates a richer nectar source. This animated movie provides a great explanation of the way bees share their knowledge of food sources gained through foraging.
However, the waggle dance may be less efficient than once thought. Studies have found that honeybees rarely make use of the information communicated in the waggle dance and seem to only do so about ten percent of the time.There can be a conflict between private information based upon individual experiences, and social information transmitted through dance communication. Essentially, foragers often prefer to use remembered information about previously rewarding food sites that they have visited and will use this information even when receiving dance information about new food sources. Honeybees are able to successfully forage independently without expending the potentially extensive energy it takes to process and execute the directions communicated by their fellow foragers. However, foragers following waggle dances will eventually switch to using public information, the food location information provided by the waggle dancer, when their private information is no longer useful. NJ assisted by chatgpt
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It was quite windy yesterday the weather report for Betchworth informed me that the winds would be up to 28km/ph with gusts at higher speeds. I noticed that inspite of the wind, the bees were still flying and managing to land and forage on the swaying teasles. I wondered what wind speeds stopped bumblebees from flying and came across a study which said that bumble bees are reluctant to fly in winds above 32km/ph. The bigger question is how do bumblebees manage to fly at all? Despite their chunky bodies and tiny wings, bumblebees are brilliant flyers—and their flight mechanics are a marvel of nature and physics. Bumblebees don’t flap their wings up and down like birds. Instead, they sweep them back and forth in a figure-eight pattern, which creates swirling air vortices that generate lift. Their wings beat incredibly fast—up to 200 times per second! This rapid motion helps them stay airborne even with their bulky bodies. Their flight muscles don’t rely on individual nerve signals for each beat. Instead, they vibrate like a plucked rubber band, allowing for sustained rapid flapping, and, unlike other insects that use wide arcs, bumblebees use short strokes combined with rapid rotation at the end of each stroke to maximize lift. This video made by the Smithonian Institute explains the mechanisms of bee flight. Scientists at Harvard glued tiny markers on bumblebees and recorded them at 1,000 frames per second as they flew in a small wind tunnel in steady and turbulent air. They analyzed the flights in detail by using the tilt of the marker and found that the bees were blown side to side much more easily than up and down. The bees were experts at rolling while flying so were able to correct their flight path more easily. I searched on Youtube to find out more about how bees fly and came across this interesting BBC video which tracked the flight of bumblebees using radar. The insight it gives is that bees fly in straight lines bee-lines!– even in high winds. NJ assisted by chatgpt Bees Needs Week 2025 runs from July 14th to 20th but how well do we know our bees? The UK is home to over 270 bee species—including 1 honeybee, ~24 bumblebees, and ~250 solitary bees like mason, mining, and plasterer bees. While honeybees are dominant in terms of numbers, bumblebees and solitary bees are exceptional pollinators, often more efficient than honeybees, and more active in cooler weather. From an ecological and biodiversity perspective, bumblebees and solitary bees deserve more attention. Over 90% of British bee species are solitary, with each nest the work of a single female. Only bumblebees and honey bees are social. Bee societies are almost entirely female. Each colony comprises a queen and a caste of smaller sterile females called workers. The queen lays all the eggs, and the workers care for the larvae with the older workers foraging for nectar and pollen. In a bee colony, male bees (drones) primarily play the role of ensuring genetic diversity by mating with queens from other colonies. They do not participate in hive building, defence, or foraging, and are essentially reproductively focused. They are often expelled from the hive before winter when resources become scarce. Bumblebees The UK has 24 species of bumblebee, of which eight are common. They play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and supporting food webs. They are among the most effective pollinators, pollinating 80% of our wildflowers and 84% of crops. Their preferred habitats are meadows, gardens, parks, verges, woodlands and heathlands, with abundant flowering plants from early spring to late summer. Bumblebee queens emerge in spring to forage on flowers and find suitable nest sites. Males and new queens are produced in late summer or autumn and fly off to mate with bees in other colonies. At the end of the colony cycle, the queen, workers and males die. Only the new queens over winter to start the cycle again the next year. Bumblebee populations have seen a sharp decline in the last 50 years which makes them an important species for conservation efforts. Some of our bumblebees  Solitary bees Unlike honeybees and bumblebees, solitary bees do not live in colonies with ‘worker’ bees. Rather, a single female builds and provisions her own nest. Depending on the species, solitary bees can be ground or aerial nesters, and may use mud, leaves, body secretions or floral oils as their nesting material. Some are furry and larger like their bumblebee cousins while others are virtually hairless and no more than a few mm in length. A solitary bee belongs to one of 24 different groups or ‘genera’. Solitary bees may be ground nesters or aerial nesters. Ground-nesters, such as mining bees, can be found in lawns, along paths, cliff faces and on sunny banks. Using their legs, they dig into the ground to create a tunnel, which then splits into different chambers where they lay their eggs. While most species are ground-nesting, some bees nest aerially. Solitary bees such as flower bees, leafcutters and mason bees may nest in hollow plant stems, cavities in dead wood, or more artificial structures such as walls and bee hotels. While solitary, you can find females nesting close together at good sites. Some of our Soilitory (MIning) bees   Honey bees Honey bees are social insects living in large colonies with a queen, drones, and sterile female workers. They are crucial pollinators, transferring pollen between flowers, which is essential for the reproduction of many plants and the production of fruits and vegetables. Honey bees collect nectar from flowers and convert it into honey, which they store in their hives. They also produce beeswax, which they use to build their honeycomb structures. Honey bees have a black and gold striped body, with a hairy thorax and bent antennae. They have five eyes: two large compound eyes and three smaller ocelli. Honey bees communicate through a "waggle dance," which they use to indicate the location and distance of food sources. While there are many wild bee species in the UK, honey bees are often managed by beekeepers for honey production and pollination. Where there are large number of honey bee colonies is detrimental to wild bee populations because of competition for food. Threats Like all pollinating insects our bees are subject to numerous threats through loss of natural habitats due to agricultural intensification, urban development, and changes in land use. The use of pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, affect bee navigation and reproduction. Climate change, altering flowering times and therefore food availability and diseases and parasites such as Nosema bombi. Any further loss of diversity or abundance of our insect pollinators needs to be avoided so any help that we can give them by creating wildflower-rich habitats, avoiding pesticides and herbicides or creating nesting sites, is a good thing. Resources The Wild ID Bees of Britain published by the Field Studies Council and written by Buglife & Chris O’Toole is an excellent Guide A short guide to solitory bees https://www.nhsn.org.uk/a-short-guide-to-solitary-bees/ Surrey Wildlife Trust Wild Bee Action Pack 
Surrey Wildlife Trust Bee ID Chart
Bees Needs Week 4Bs Activities - Resident Bee Survey & Talk on the Plight of the Bumblees During July 2025 we will be conducting our own bee survey across the 4Bs linked to Bees Needs Week (14 to 20 July). The team will summarise results and build a gallery of photographs. There will also be a talk given by bee expert Peter Smith on July 17th in Betchworth Village Hall (see advert). Norman Jackson 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative Coordinator   It's July and the sky is full of flying insects, but our most mesmerising insect is the dragonfly, and the 4Bs is a fantastic place to spot them, thanks to our ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams and river. There are around 36 species of dragonflies in the UK, and many of them can be found in our area. These active, colourful insects thrive in clean, shallow waters with plenty of aquatic vegetation. Species you might spot include the Emperor Dragonfly, Golden-ringed Dragonfly, Southern Hawker, and Broad-bodied Chaser. They’re not just beautiful to watch, they’re also important indicators of a healthy ecosystem. Vision is their primary sense and it is probably unmatched by any other insects or animals, with two large compound eyes, each hosting thousands of lenses, and three eyes with simple lenses. Which compensates for their small or underdeveloped antennae that limit or inhibit the ability to hear and smell. They are the ultimate insect predator and are the top predator in their food chain.  Dragonflies often mate on the wing and their mating process is one of the most fascinating in the insect world. The male grasps the female behind the head using claspers at the end of his abdomen. They fly together in this tandem position, until the male fertilises the eggs being carried by the female. This is tricky because the although the male's penis is where you would expect it to be, at the end of his abdominal segment, the female’s genital opening is located near her neck. To connect the sex organs the couple form a closed circle with their bodies, sometimes in the shape of a heart!  Female dragonflies lay their eggs in or near water—either directly into the water, on aquatic plants, or in mud. They hatch into a nymph within a few days to several weeks, depending on the species and temperature. Dragonfly nymphs are fierce predators, feeding on tadpoles, worms, small fish, and other aquatic insects. They have extendable mouthparts (a sort of shooting jaw) to catch prey. They may live for a year or more as a nymph and and go through several moults shedding their skin as they grow. When fully grown, the nymph climbs out of the water onto a plant or rock. It then undergoes final moulting, splitting the nymphal skin and emerging as a winged adult. After a few hours of drying and hardening its ready to fly – and fly the do circling around a pond or field for hours at a time. Dragonflies have been around for approximately 300 million years, since the Carboniferous period, making them one of the first winged insects to evolve. Given this enormous time span its rather sad that life is short for such an amazing creature. The life-expectancy of adults is typically no more than a week or two, and 6 to 8 weeks at best. So let us cherish the moments they share with us. The British Dragonfly Association has a wonderful website with lots of information about dragonflies and damselflies and a wonderful identification page 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative Dragonfly Movie visit our Channel 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative - YouTube  Sunday 15th (Father's Day) was the day we chose for our annual wildflower wander. A small band of residents gathered in Knights car park in readiness to wander and marvel at the wildflowers in 4 locations in north Betchworth. Each location was chosen to tell a different story. The first stop was near the A25 roundabout on Station Rd. In October last year the drainage ditch by the side of the road was dug out and the mud from the bottom of the drain was dumped on the bank. The muddy bank was devoid of plant life but 8 months later the bank is one of the most verdant places in the whole of the 4Bs comprising a tangled mass of plants. On our walk we spotted flowering bramble, nettle, several varieties of thistle, hog weed, great burdock, mugwort, plantain, oxeye daisies, red campion, rough hawks beard, common knapweed, hedge bedstraw, queen anne’s lace, hoary mustard, nipplewort, bristly oxe tongue, teasel and more. It also seemed to be a haven for ladybirds.   Our second stop was at Chalklands where for the past 7 years a significant part of the garden has been managed for wildflowers. The grass is cut once a year in early September and the cuttings removed. This practice has depleted the soil in nutrients, discouraged grass growth and encouraged wildflowers. In May and June there is a wonderful profusion of oxeye daisies in May and June, followed by the flowering of hundreds of pyramid and common spotted orchids in June and July. But this year has been different, because of the exceptionally dry spring weather, there are very fewer oxeye daisies and orchids than in previous years and the oxeye daisies and orchids that have grown are smaller in size – compare photos 2024-25.  In spite of this obvious difference there were still plenty of wildflowers to see including: oxeye daisies, three species of orchid – common spotted, pyramid and bee orchids, abundant clumps of yellow greater birdsfoot trefoil, creeping and meadow buttercup, hairy hawkbit, black medic and rag wort, purple self heal and common knapweed and white clover.  Our third stop was in the old Goods Yard at Betchworth Station, where the owners have recently embarked on a rewilding project to turn what was intended to be a car park into a haven for wildlife. The site has been cleared of the accumulated rubbish and prepared – trees have been cut, topsoil has been added in some areas and undergrowth removed from the woodland. Paths of wood chip have been laid through the woodland and perennial wildflower seed was sown 2 months ago. We were not expecting to see wildflowers from the seeds that were sown but all around the margins of the former goods yard there are signs of regeneration as seeds and roots already in the soil begin to exploit the new habitat.
Our final stop was Potters Farm where James and Claire Benn have been cultivating a wildflower meadow from a wildflower-grass seed mix for many years. Their practice is to make one annual grass cut with a scythe and remove the cuttings. Claire has identified over 30 plant species in the extensive wildflower meadow. This year the oxeye daisies are not so prominent but there is abundant knapweed, together with birdsfoot trefoil, meadow bedstraw and buttercup.  The weather was kind to us and it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon with a small group of people who enjoyed being amongst nature.
 Over the last decade, Paul and Clare Ritchie have led the way in showing us how to create the conditions for wildlife to flourish in their 850sq metre garden on the Brockham- Betchworth border. In doing so they provide both a practical demonstration of how we can all contribute to the enhancement of biodiversity and an inspiring example that can motivate us to do a little bit more for nature. Every year, during the national Open Garden weekend, Paul and Clare, generously share their garden – this year on July 07. In spite of the dull weather and occasional downpours, a number of residents from the 4Bs benefited from their hospitality and came away buzzing with ideas and uplifted spirits (see example comments from visitors). Paul wrote an article about his garden in the first issue of the 4Bs Nature Magazine. A Place Where the Wild Things Rrow
A FLAVOUR OF PAUL & CLARE'S WILDLIFE GARDEN One of the delights at this time of year is to come across a field or meadow full of buttercups. The name 'buttercup' is applied to the yellow-flowered Ranunculaceae species that favour drier habitats as opposed to 'spearworts' which are normally found in wet places and pond margins. Given that buttercups are often found in meadows where cows and horses are grazing it is perhaps surprsing that buttercups are toxic particularly when ingested in large quantities in their fresh state. But animals generally avoid eating them and dried buttercups in hay are not considered toxic. There are 30 species of buttercup in the UK but four common varieties (Figure 1). All four can be found in the 4Bs together with other varieties. Figure 1 Common types of buttercup A Meadow B Creeping C Bulbous D Goldilocks   The Meadow buttercup (1A) is a widespread and common perennial in meadows and pastures, and is also found in parks, gardens and at woodland edges. It prefers slightly damper sites, where it can grow so dense that it forms yellow meadows that dazzle in the sunshine. It flowers between April and October. The Creeping buttercup (1B) tends to prefer damp situations, but it is fairly 'easy going' and tolerant of soil conditions. It can spread rapidly by means of runners (or stolons). These spread out from the parent plant and produce roots at nodes along the runner. Where these roots take hold, a daughter plant may be formed. The Bulbous buttercup (1C) is probably the easiest buttercup to identify as the flowers have what is termed ‘reversed’ sepals, where rather than the sepal lying under the petals, they are turned backwards and point down the flower stem. Just below the surface, it has a bulbous stem base which stores nutrients and helps the plant to grow rapidly in the spring and reach peak flowering before the Meadow buttercups. The Goldilocks buttercup (1D) has petals that are lax and much more open than the other common buttercup species creating a golden yellow ring of petals around the flower centre. This species is more often found near hedgerows and in woodland edges than in the middle of meadows and is considered a good indicator for species rich habitats and long-established woodlands. Being one of the first buttercups to flower it has usually completed growth and set seed by the time the trees are in full leaf. Goldilocks flowers often have one or more missing or deformed petals, making them appear a bit dishevelled and this is often an easy way to identify them. Land management practices are an important influence on the development of buttercup meadows. Most are unimproved grasslands maintained through annual hay cutting (typically in mid to late summer) — this removes nutrients and prevents dominance by vigorous plants. They also often involve grazing by cattle or sheep after the hay is cut, which helps keep competitive species in check and fertilise the soils so there is no need for artificial fertilizers which favour aggressive grasses over wildflowers. Land management practices have an important influence on the development of buttercup meadows. Most are unimproved grasslands maintained through annual hay cutting (typically in mid to late summer) — this removes nutrients and prevents dominance by vigorous plants. They also often involve grazing by cattle or sheep after the hay is cut, which helps keep competitive species in check and fertilise the soils so there is no need for artificial fertilizers which favour aggressive grasses over wildflowers. Buttercups are opportunists — they spread by seed and can form dense patches if the conditions are right. In species- poor grasslands they might be the only wildflower of any consequence. In species-rich meadows, they compete with other wildflowers (like oxeye daisies, clovers, and red campion), often forming mosaics rather than pure buttercup stands. If left undisturbed for years, a stable ecosystem forms where buttercups return annually. They can also be found in the uncultivated grassy strips at the edge of cultivated fields.
Sources Ward, T. (2024) Goldilocks and the three other meadow buttercups. https://www.montwt.co.uk/blog/tim-ward/goldilocks-and-three-other-meadow-buttercups The movie below celebrates the beauty of our buttercups which are an important wildflower constituent of the Betchworth and Buckland B-Line.  Merlin App The Merlin Bird ID app is a free app developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that helps users identify birds by sight, sound, or location. It utilizes a database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos, known as eBird, to identify birds in real-time and provides a wide range of features, including expert ID tips, range maps, and customized lists of birds. The app is powered by machine learning and computer vision technologies, making it a valuable tool for both novice and experienced bird watchers. The sound ID element is particularly attractive. The app simply listens to the bird song, identifies individual birds and then builds a list of species (see photo on right). When a particular bird sings the species is identified. In this was the app coaches the listener to identify a bird from its call. Creating a Wild bird Sound Map The dawn chorus is the collective sound made by birds at sunrise as they try to attract mates, establish and claim territories, and announce their presence to other birds. Inspired by International Dawn Chorus Day, I decided I would try to build a sound map of dawn chorus recordings across the 4Bs. Over the course of two weeks in late April and early May I went out and about between 5 and 6am. I made recordings at 20 different locations see map below. 31 bird species were identified using the app but 8 species were found at many of the locations. To listen to the recordings and see the species identified please click on the link 4Bs Wildbird Sound Map Norman Jackson   The bluebell is our national flower – and so it should be, for there are more bluebells growing wild in England than in the rest of the world put together. They come into their own in May and the scented blue haze of massed bluebells under dappled woodland shade, is one of nature’s delights. This bulbous perennial is extremely well adapted to deciduous woodland. The young shoots can penetrate a thick layer of leaf litter, flowering before the canopy closes in late spring. It is visited by a range of insects, although mainly pollinated by the bumblebee. The Bluebell is included in the list of ancient woodland indicator plants. Away from woodland, it is commonly found on hedge banks It takes around five to seven years for a bluebell seed to mature into a flowering plant, so colonies take a long time to establish. If a bluebell’s leaves are crushed, they die back because they can no longer photosynthesise, and the plant will take years to recover.  We have many beautiful woodlands in the 4Bs, and many of them contain native bluebells. One of my favourite walks in May is off Snowerhill Rd in south Betchworth, along pathway 454 through Ridings Copse and Knights Copse. This location illustrates how wild garlic and bluebells often grow in the same wood but hardly ever grow together. Wild garlic with its broad leaves comes into leaf earlier than bluebell and so may have an advantage. Bluebells need more light than wild garlic and so like the dappled light of a woodland before the tree canopy shades the ground. The presence of bluebells and wild garlic is an indicator that the woodland has existed for a very long time.  The dawn chorus is the collective singing of wild birds, as a new day dawns. The chorus is at its most vibrant and energetic around 30 minutes either side of sunrise between 5am and 6am in early May. It's a vibrant soundscape where birds use their songs to attract mates, establish and claim territories, and announce their presence to other birds. The dawn chorus is most prominent during the spring breeding season but it can be heard throughout much of the spring, summer and early autumn. By mid-March lots of our resident birds are in full song and by mid-April, the song of migrant birds is added to the symphony which reaches its peak in early May. Daybreak is the best time to hear the chorus. Birdsong has been shown to carry 20 times further at dawn, when the air is still, making all that effort to attract a mate much more effective. Song Thrushes, Blackbirds and Robins are among the first to rise, starting things off when the air is still, and the lights are low. Popular songsters like Wrens and warblers, such as Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers and the tits and wood pigeons gradually join in until we have the full orchestral spectacle. Our contribution to that national database of dawn chorus soundscapes. This recording of the dawn chorus was made at Pooh Sticks bridge in Brockham on 30/04/25. Using the Merlin App, I4 different birds were identified as contributing to the symphony. Our intention is to create a sound map by recording bird song in different parts of the 4Bs. |
4Bs Nature Group BlogThis blog is maintained by the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative Team. Its purpose is to provide brief updates of activities and encourage the sharing of experiences and learning. We welcome guests and contributions from members of the 4Bs WhatsApp Nature Group and wider community. To contribute a post please email the editor at biodiversityinititiative1 @gmail.com PagesArchives
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