Post by kiml on Mar 14, 2016 20:56:48 GMT
If anyone is visiting Sidmouth in April and is interested in our solitary bees it is worth a walk along the bottom edge of the soft cliffs of Jacobs Ladder Beach if the weather is warm and sunny.
Last year I enjoyed the spectacle of watching Yellow-legged Mining Bees (Andrena flavipes) digging their mines in the soft red material from previous years cliff falls between the flowers of Coltsfoot. There were also at least twenty of their cuckoo bee (Nomada fucata) feeding on the Coltsfoot, exploring any mines that were unattended and carefully watching from nearby advantage points the comings and goings of the female Yellow-legs for any opportunity to nip in to their burrows and lay their eggs.
Also on the Coltfoot flowers were a few of the very small metallic green (Lasioglossum morio) bees.
if you like Bee's a very nice relaxing and enjoyable time can be had.
Kim
Last year I enjoyed the spectacle of watching Yellow-legged Mining Bees (Andrena flavipes) digging their mines in the soft red material from previous years cliff falls between the flowers of Coltsfoot. There were also at least twenty of their cuckoo bee (Nomada fucata) feeding on the Coltsfoot, exploring any mines that were unattended and carefully watching from nearby advantage points the comings and goings of the female Yellow-legs for any opportunity to nip in to their burrows and lay their eggs.
Also on the Coltfoot flowers were a few of the very small metallic green (Lasioglossum morio) bees.
if you like Bee's a very nice relaxing and enjoyable time can be had.
Kim