This is a bee I have been hoping to see for the past couple of years. I eventually found one in Harwood Forest in Northumberland where I was doing my walk for the BTO Breeding Bird Survey. It is a queen Bombus monticola, the bilberry bumblebee. It is quite unmistakeable with its bright pink/orange tail.
Bombus monticola is found mainly in upland habitats but, despite its name, is not limited to bilberry. This one was feeding on gorse.
I'll keep my eyes open on the next visit next month to look for more of these beautiful bees.
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