Gunnera, bees and bee

The giant leaves of genera growing by the moat at Groombridge Place. The very large like very small is always fascinating.

Bees, despite their depletion, are more evident in our garden than I can remember. Or perhaps it is because I notice them in view of the threat to their and our existence that we read so much about. They have  now migrated from the the cistus where the flowers are beginning to fade and transferred their attention to the newer bloom of cosmos, nasturtiums, geraniums and fuchsia. Today I can hear them as well as see them in their relentless pursuit of nectar.

While preparing a meal in the kitchen I feel an  itch under my shirt. I believe,  having scratched it, that what ever it was, will trouble me no more. But a minute later it appears again on my neck. It turns out to be an enormous bee. Hard to identify but I speculate that it is probably a bumble bee, perhaps a queen looking for somewhere to nest. I hasten to set it free as much as I like bees and approve of bees, this one in the confines of a small room is a wee bit scary