The bilberry bumblebee

Also known as the mountain bumblebee (Bombus monticola), I think this is our prettiest bumblebee.  These were foraging on willows in Northumberland this week.  The photos are a bit grainy because the light was poor just before (more) heavy rain but I was very pleased to see them.  I think these are all workers as they were quite small compared with nearby queen white-tailed bumblebees.

These images from the iRecord website show the upland distribution, usually in areas with bilberry, hence the name.  In fact B. monticola also likes willows, gorse, heather, clover, bird's-foot-trefoil, devil's-bit scabious, etc.  My photos were taken just south of Rothbury.