Mild weather and bumblebees

I am rather enjoying the current warm spell, though I'm wondering how much longer it will last... I've already seen a butterfly (though it flew by too quickly for me to identify it, maybe a small tortoiseshell), and the birds definitely seem to be in springtime mode, with various individuals flying around with nesting material.

The problem, of course, is that insects that have been dormant in the cold of winter become active, and if they can't find enough food they will struggle. So it's a great idea to have things in your garden that will help them out - mahonia is one. It flowers from January through to about March, and provides an early supply of nectar and pollen when there's not much else about.

It seems to be a tough enough plant - in my garden it lives in front of a row of tall conifers, with all the shading and moisture problems they bring, and still thrives. In the sunshine there were at least half a dozen honey bees visiting, plus a couple of buff-tailed bumblebee queens.

There's lots of information online about pollinator-friendly plants for the garden, including this from Friends of the Earth.  With a little planning you can have wildlife-friendly flowers all through the seasons!