Tuesday 5 April 2011

Tawny Mining Bee

It was on the 16 April in 2009 and 17 April in 2010 that the Tawny Mining bees appeared in a specific two metre square in the front garden. This year they have appeared early -5 April2011.
 
Tawny Mining Bee, Adrena Fulva

 This is typical of their nests which they mine


and as on previous visits these creatures,  pictured below, which I believe to be Andrena Bimaculata outnumber the Mining bee by ten to one and are particularly aggresive towards them



  and even more strange these hang around the perimeter of the activity as they have done on previous years

Its all very puzzling.

2 comments:

Johnnykinson said...

Cracking stuff Dick.
Keep an eye out for these Oil Beetles in the vicinity of your Mining Bees.
http://www.buglife.org.uk/getinvolved/surveys/Oil+Beetle+Hunt/Oil+Beetle+Hunt+-+How+to+take+part

Citybirding said...

John
Just had a look at the link and they are cracking bugs.