Lovey holly blue dropped by for a quick rest in a pear blossom- think it’s a male.

Seems a really good year for them - loads hovering about in the garden - cant quite capture them 🤣 great shot 👍

I never thought of shield bugs a pollinators - but this one has other ideas - not sure if thats tulip pollen or something else - but clearly a good dusting. #britishbugs #ukinsects #pollinators #shieldbugs

Thank you so much - hoping to get out there today and spot some more

Bees galore yesterday 6/4/26. Queen red tailed bumblebee, Queen Garden bumblebee and fun female Hairy footed flower bee - loads of other sp but all to fast for me @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social
#solitarybee

Fascinating to watch this female mallard take aim, launching herself herself, grab young beech catkins - hang on super tight and pull off a tasty snack. The drake just pottered nearby.

Have enjoyed a look at your website. Interesting re Tansy Beetle - we have Tansy here (and ragwort) - Mickleton, N Cotswolds - will keep an eye on it. Unlikely but you never know.

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Tawny mining bee female A fulva, and I think, Gwynnes mining bee female A bicolor on the garden cherry. 26/3/26 Mickleton, N Cotswolds. @ianbeavis.bsky.social @solitarybee.bsky.social

iPhone snaps on the wild area on the housing estate - Vestal Cuckoo Bee - first cuckoo bumblebee sp spotted this year. Hope to see them in the garden for better shots. We have loads of Buff tailed @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social #bombus

Bumblebee sp number 4 for our semi urban garden. Common Carder queen bumblebee on 21:3/26 on the rosemarie. @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social

Pretty yellow honey /lemon scented shrub that flowers December to April - Coronilla glauca. Not native - but happy in a hot dry location - looks like Buff Tailed bumblebees will enjoy its early flowers. @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social

Front lawn fritillary

Definitely had a male here all winter (not managed a pic ) and had a cheeky female 2 Decembers ago.

Dotted bee fly in the afternoon sunshine. Mickleton, N Cotswolds, garden. 21/3/26 #BeeFlyWatch #diptera #bombyliusdiscolor @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social @flygirlnhm.bsky.social

Hi Ian, thank you for furthering my knowledge - I think because Im in the midlands I had picked up that A flavipes it was not seen here till (1990s?) and so assumed it to have arrived from the continent. How interesting that it was in pockets about the South and the nomad much scarcer. Thanks

Hi Ian. What used to be the host of these. I read the arrival of yellow legged has saved their numbers - but can’t work out what the other hosts were? Thought you would know

Thank you.

Yes see them most years, we have a big population locally of Yellow legged mining bees (and a few ashy mining bees) which are their hosts - or else I have been getting it wrong all along. They are very quick. More photo from 2025

Not great ID shot but pretty sure Painted Nomad bee - male. We get loads of the host yellow legged mining bee ( only seen the males of those so far this year) @ianbeavis.bsky.social @solitarybee.bsky.social #nomadbee

Thank you so much- they are such fun and do love the easy to grow grapes hyacinths - almost more than the primroses ( which are a bit in the shade in my garden). Still looking for the ladies - and I have a clay brick hotel half build for them. Jobs for the weekend.

Brilliant - pleased it was not just me going that’s odd

Thank you so much - pleased I got the male/ female right. Goodness 4 is a tiny male - they obviously vary. Will look out for normal mating - and pleased it is all a bit odd

Beautiful fresh Red Tailed bumblebee queen enjoying the hyacinths (first one this year for me) 12/7/26 @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social #bumblebeetrust

Dark-edged bee-flies in the garden, though they were mating but confused 1 - male (eyes close together- image from early in the day) 2 and 3 mating? top fly has eyes apart - is this a female - or just angle? 4 female? from mating? @flygirlnhm.bsky.social #beeflywatch @uk-soldierflies.bsky.social

Thank you Ian - at least I had a hunch I was was not right. Brilliant on the mini miner and great to know most probably a A scotica (and not A bicolor). I do struggle learning these bees -but love finding out whats in the garden (and trying to learn)

Thank you so much - ahh bees are so tricky for me when I have to look at wings and eye hairs - thank you for teaching me what to look for. (Im a very slow learner ) but do love ‘my’ bees and biodiversity.

ID check please 1 Andrena bicolor female - ( wondering if thorax has enough hairs and abdomen hairs too long) looks a bit shabby and was warming up
In the morning sun 2&3 Lasioglossum calceatum male on heather flowers ( Im rubbish at furrow bees)
@ianbeavis.bsky.social #solitarybee #ukwildlife

Just love it when the Hairy-footed flower bees come’s out to play. It loves the Grape Hyacinths, I do have primroses too. This is a male and has the hairy third leg and foot. #Anthrophoraplumpies #solitarybees @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social @ianbeavis.bsky.social

We had a picking last week - yum yum. So easy as a home grown treat. Loads coming now. Easy to quickly stew and have with dollop of yogurt - just to lazy to do fancy stuff with it 🤣