Kourosh spotted out first Osmia cornuta on the third of March. He is a male bee and has decided to guard a nest filled in using the hole on the window sill of our bedroom window. It cannot be a very long tunnel and I cannot imagine that there can be many females laid head to toe along its length, but certainly it is in a very protected spot and its isolated situation perhaps protects it from pedators.
Three metres in front of the window is a large patch of winter flowering heather so the Osmia has plenty to feed on at hand. His wait for a female to mate with can be long, I have counted two weeks in other years. A male Osmia must be patient and strong to hold out until the females emerge.
I knew just where to go to catch him taking a nectar break. They are beautiful bees and I find the males with their snowy white punk haircut particularly appealing.
The winter flowering heather is also a magnet for the queen bumble bees.
Everything is pushing through enthusiastically in the garden. The daffodils…
The Hellebores are everywhere as I have been finding places for the self seeded little plants over the years.
The Camellia is flowering and full of buds.
Despite the abundance of colour in the garden there has been little time to sit and stare. In fact, the moss has taken over our sitting places. The moss is thriving in our wet spring weather.
The Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita), uncovered during a brief spell of weeding, appears to be doing well with this wet relatively mild weather. I imagine the worms and other beasties will not be hard to find, he looks well nourished and composed.
Our little Osmia will take the time that it takes to find his female.
In the meantime, we can watch the wild bees find the wild flowers and wait for our time to come.
a french garden 
I love the Osmias! We are much drier here in the vaucluse, and our soil is different. Heathers and camellias don’t survive. Every sunny day I find bourdons and the white tailed bees out foraging. My red leaved prunus is flowering, and the hellebores are just finishing. In the next week or so I expect to see a burst of activity. Your place looks gorgeous.
bonnie in provence
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You are lucky to have escaped the downpour that we have had in the North. It has kept everybody more inside than they are used to and the grey is telling on peoples spirits. Amelia
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I’ve been watching for these little bees, but no sign yet!
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They will not be long now! Amelia
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What a sanctuary for wildlife your garden is. Just heard in the news it was the warmest February on record and the ninth consecutive warmest month on record! Eeek. So it’s reassuring to see that the creatures in your garden are finding what they need, board and lodging.
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I think the flora and fauna are doing a better job of adapting to this warm, wet weather than we humans. Amelia
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Wonderful to have a Natterjack Toad in your garden. I had one as a pet when I was a child in England – they’re rare there, confined to a few coastal areas as they like sandy heathland.
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I think they are not as common in France either, and the populations are becoming isolated. This area has always had marshes so they must be surviving here. Amelia
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aren’t all the different bees and their lifestyles interesting I didn’t know about this one as you said I do like the punk haircut.
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There are Osmia in the U.K. but I do not think you are likely to see this one which I think is one of the prettiest. Your mason bees will be on the wing soon but are a different species. Amelia
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The O.cornuta are a very beautiful species. I have never seen one but they are being reported in the UK in the drier east of the country.
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Interesting that the O.cornuta is coming into the U.K. I can imagine they could well hitch rides over the channel in plant material and wood. The nest would open the next spring in another country. Amelia
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It is good to see the bees and garden creatures becoming active again. Your garden has much to offer them too. I must look out for that tell-tale hairstyle when trying to identify our bees!
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Oh your garden is looking so lovely! The heather and the hellebores and the old mossy pot and sitting spots. I enjoy reading and learning what you share about your bees. That is, indeed, a fun punk look of the Osmia cornuta! Sorry I’m so late in catching up with reading. I hope your weather is mild and favoring gardening and your bees. -lisa
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I don’t like to disappoint but it is still raining. When I do get time to weed I am finding moss in the growth which I have never seen here before. Amelia
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Oh jeez. Hope you get some nice weather soon.
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