222. The birds and the bees . .

Firstly, the bees. Last week I went to a bumblebee conference in Chesterfield. Fascinating facts and figures; for example, the main reason for their huge decline in numbers is not what you might think - pesticides - but habitat loss.

There are 250 types of bumblebee world-wide and 24 are found in the UK. They do all look quite similar but I am determined to improve my identification skills and set up a transect to count numbers once a month. See Bee Watch bumblebeeconservation.org/get-involved/surveys/beewatch/

Photo shows a white-tailed bumblebee (not to be confused with the similar buff-tailed bumblebee, the male of which has a white tail).

Secondly, then, to the birds. Well, chickens. The question we've been grappling with this weekend is why our 2 chicks look so different (see photo). They have the same father - Flash - and their mother is one of 5 Light Sussex hens (so they have a 20% chance of being sisters, and an 80% chance of being half-sisters).


Or maybe not? Did we have an interloping rooster (from next door)? Or was there a straying chicken who came over the fence for a quick slap n tickle?

The answer was, unfortunately, less ribald.

Light Sussex are not just white - they can also be light red, speckled, silver and brown buff.

This struck me as a very nice coincidence - buff-tailed bumblebees and buff coloured chickens!

Have a good week.

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