Bee swarm in Bridge of Don? Help is a minute away.

Bridge of Don is a large northern suburb of Aberdeen stretching from the River Don mouth on the North Sea coast inland to the newer residential developments near Danestone. The River Don estuary at the harbour entrance and the coastal dunes at Donmouth Local Nature Reserve carry sea buckthorn, marram and bird's-foot trefoil. Inland, the established garden streets of the older estate roads, the Don Community Park and the agricultural strip at the city boundary give local colonies a varied forage calendar from hawthorn and sycamore in spring through to white clover and bramble in midsummer.

The lime avenues of the West End and Union Terrace Gardens provide a classic early-summer urban flow; sycamore is ubiquitous on the granite street margins and parks from late April. Victoria Park, Duthie Park and Seaton Park carry white clover and ornamental nectar through June and July. The River Dee corridor between Cults and Peterculter runs through mixed broadleaf woodland, hawthorn and wild cherry, extending the spring flow. Rosebay willowherb and bramble are abundant on the post-industrial margins and railway cuttings, giving a mid-summer nectar boost. The Don valley through Woodside and Bridge of Don adds alder, willow and meadowsweet on the water margins. Ivy on the granite walls of the older suburbs sustains the season into October.