Pussy Willow is insect pollinated

[bunn]

I never knew that before!  But a few days ago I found a pussy willow tree basking in the morning sunlight, and it was all over bees, hoverflies, wasps, and even a rather raggedy peacock butterfly left over from last year was feeding enthusiastically (I wonder where it went when it snowed?)   I had always assumed that plants with catkins were wind-pollinated, but in this case, clearly not.

Sadly I did not have my camera with me, so here's a brimstone butterfly feeding on a violet instead.

Comments

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Lovely Brimstone-on-violet shot! It has been a fantastic year for Brimstones here - I don't ever remember seeing so many of them along the lanes.

Yes, I love seeing all the big queen bumblebees bumbling massively among the fluffy catkins at this time of year.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I don't remember every noticing bees on pussy willow before; I suppose it is not that often that we get warm dry weather in March/April, but still, I feel most unobservant that I must have just walked clean past them!