Marvellous Mahonia

It was mild for a few hours in the sunshine yesterday so I wasn't surprised to see plenty of activity around the  hives. Close inspection of some of the returning bees revealed small parcels of bright yellow pollen on their back legs; they had been foraging.
But what was the source of that precious pollen - nothing is in flower this time of year....except Mahonia. This pretty yellow evergreen shrub is non-native to Britain but is popular with gardeners because it  flowers in the winter and has a wonderful scent. I have one flowering in my garden so I set off to take a look. Sure enough, about 20 bees were diligently working the flowers. Here's one I took a picture of:

It's head was thrust deep into the flower suggesting that its not only getting pollen, but also nectar.
There are hundreds of Mahonia shrubs in the gardens of Windsor providing vital winter forage for honey bees. Perhaps that explains why suburban bees often fare better than those in remote rural areas.