Last May, this little hillock was abuzz with cellophane bees. Their dirt mound nests were all over the place, and the bees themselves were thick in the air.
The next generation is in here now. Four more months to go!
Took these photos yesterday, just before the inauguration.
Not far away was a Persian ironwood tree (Parrotia persica).
These bushy trees are related to the witch hazels, Hamamelis genus, some of whom also start blooming in late winter.
These are small, but delightful.
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This work by Matthew Wills is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Backyard and Beyond 
How beautiful to see nature blooming. This is part of natures natural intelligence and harmony.
Are the groundskeepers there tolerant of the bees and their mounds?
I alerted the authorities…. the infernal mowing generally starts a little later in the year.