Flowering: Maple City

The Japanese maple has become a hub of activity the past week. It’s an absolute joy to stand under it and watch the goings on.
The first to arrive have been the aphids in plague proportions, attracted to the soft new growth. My previous experiences with aphids have been negative (I have only ever had indoor plants before) but I resisted the urge to hose away these critters, and just as well. They have in turn been making food for other creatures: the honeydew has attracted myriad flies and ants, and their yummy soft bodies have become food for ladybird larvae! I have never seen so many ladybird larvae in my life, I am really looking forward to the day when 100’s of ladybirds take off from the maple to bigger and better things. There are also cute little spiders getting fat on aphids too.
The flowers have attracted bees and hoverflies. If I sit still and look intently, I gradually see more and more movement and life hovering, crawling and walking around this tree. It’s a real little ecosystem. The subtlety of the creatures and their movements just can’t be done justice with a camea, but I’ve tried…