Have you heard the buzz?

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) and RSPB Scotland have joined forces to create the world's first bumblebee sanctuary - and it's already created quite a flurry among its visitors.

The flowery meadow on RSPB Scotland's Vane Farm nature reserve, which located next to Loch Leven in Perth and Kinross, has already attracted rare and threatened bumblebees from far and wide.

The BBCT and RSPB are delighted because, as BBCT's director Dr Ben Darvill explains, the UK's bumblebees need of a helping hand.

"Wildflowers and crops alike depend on the hard work of our endearing bumblebees, but sadly many species are now under threat," he says.

"Habitat loss has already led to the extinction of three species, and several more are severely threatened. By sowing a legume-rich seed mixture, funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, we have recreated the sort of habitat which allows bumblebees to thrive."

The reserve is open to the public and visitors have reported seeing the rare and beautiful blaeberry bumblebee, lured down from nearby hills, as well as butterflies, hoverflies, swallows and skylarks.

Go to www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/v/vanefarm/index.asp to find out more about Vane Farm.