The flowering cherry tree at the junction of Richmond Park Road, Sheen Lane and Vicarage Road was donated by the Mortlake with East Sheen Society a few years ago. This spring it has looked splendid with masses of blossom.

Recently our resident apiarist was admiring the tree and noticed quite a few honeybees at work, including a large number of Hairy Footed Flower Bees – both male and female. These are one of the earliest solitary bees to appear in the spring and are very common in this area. A lovely sight.

Today a female could be seen near the top of the tree. (Just about visible if you pretend you are a male and zoom in.)

A male Anthophora plumipes spots a female sunning herself on a leaf, hovers above her, and in order to mate, jumps on her back and waves his hairy middle legs up and down. (YouTube photo above.)