Urban life

Back in London, in the very centre of the city, I have a tiny courtyard back garden, heavily shaded. Even there, all kinds of life goes on. There are parakeets, but they won’t let me photograph them. So instead I have settled for a late bee! There’s very little nectar around at this time of year, but in a not-very-well-tended corner of the garden this bee has found my Fatsia japonica flowers.

The flowers are tiny, but there is plenty of pollen for the bee to dislodge:

and then carry on its hind legs to another flower.