Bumble Bees and Strawberry Trees

Arbutus unedo, commonly called Strawberry Tree, Apple of Cain, or Cane Apple, is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region. Lots of them grow here in Tuscany. The trees blossoms very late from the end of autumn during winter. The white blossoms are rich in nectar and therefore bees really take to them. Honey produced during the blooming season of the Strawberry Tree has a aromatic and somewhat bitter flavor and is considered precious. This honey is a great served together with aged Italian cheeses, especially aged Pecorino cheese from Sardinia.
Unfortunately for gourmets quite often the Strawberry Trees blossom so deeply into winter and rather low temperatures, that bees do not fly any more, and none of the precious honey is produced. But that is fortunate for the bumble bees who are able to fly even at very low temperatures and flock in big numbers to the blossoming Strawberry Trees to harvest the nectar of their blossoms.
I took this photo today, on the first day of 2012 at lunchtime.

Pollination by Louie Schwartzberg

The beauty of the video is overwhelming, just be patient for a minute and listen to the introductory words of the author Louie Schwartzberg.

Bees and capers

On the ancient stone walls around my home town Figline Valdarno, Tuscany, Italy, the caper bushes (Capparis spinosa) are still blossoming, being the caper bush a rupiculous species. Both honey bees and a lot of native bees take advantage of the abundance of nectar which the showy flowers of the caper bushes offer. Even in sunny Italy the time is coming where very few flowers will be available, so our little friends are busy harvesting nectar and pollen as long as sunshine and blossoms last.
The plant is best known for the edible bud and fruit (caper berry), which are usually consumed pickled.
The salted and pickled caper buds (also called simply capers) are often used as a seasoning or garnish. Capers are a common ingredient in Mediterranian cuisine. The mature fruits of the caper shrub are also prepared similarly, and marketed as caper berries.
Capers are a distinctive ingredient in Italian cuisine, especially in Sicilian and southern Italian cooking. They are commonly used in salads, pasta salads, pizzas, meat dishes and pasta sauces. Examples of uses in Italian cuisine are chicken piccata and Spaghetti alla puttanesca.
Capers are known for being one of the ingredients of tartar sauce. They are also often served with cold smoked salmon or cured salmon dishes. Capers are also sometimes substituted for olives to garnish a martini.

Common Blue butterfly

The Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) of the Lycaenidae family is found throughout Europe, from the extreme north of Scandinavia to the smallest islands of the Mediterranean. Beyond Europe, it’s range extends from the Middle East across temperate Asia to northern China. It also occurs in north Africa and the Canary Islands. Recently it seems to have migrated to Canada too. Like many butterflies male and female individuals may vary a lot in appearance. While the male has bright blue uppersides, the female is primarily brown, with a highly variable amount of blue.
Males are often very obvious as they defend territories against rivals and search out the more reclusive females. The female is less conspicuous, spending most of her time nectaring, resting and egg-laying. When egg-laying, the female makes slow flights, low over the ground, searching out suitable foodplants on which to lay. When a suitable plant is located, a single egg is laid on the upperside of a young leaf.
This species is found in a wide variety of habitats, including unimproved grassland such as roadside verges and waste ground, downland, woodland clearings.
In dull weather this species roosts head down on a grass stem. This species roosts communally at night, with several individuals occasionally found roosting on the same grass stem. Roosting at the top of the grasses is probably an effective survival strategy, keeping them out of reach of mice and other nocturnal predators.
Despite it’s name, the Common Blue can no longer be considered a common butterfly. It still remains widespread , but many colonies in marginal habitats such as woodland rides and farmland have declined or been lost.  The species still occurs in moderate numbers but most colonies nowadays comprise of no more than a few dozen individuals.