bees at last

Quite a few Bees about at last. A trip to Whitford/St Madoc's/Broughton on saturday revealed mostly males:

Lots of Colletes cunicularius males on the half vegetated south facing dune slopes, lots at the only flowering willow and one at a Gorse bush, presumably gathering nectar. The females use willow pollen to feed the larvae. Tiny crucifer plants were being visited by these and Osmia, presumably for nectar, a useful source so early in the season and good for the plants.

This female Andrena thoracica was given to me by Sarah in the St Madoc centre, having been found in their polytunnel. I saw a second near the Broughton Bay Caravan Park flying over short turf.

I also saw a female Osmia bicolor on the dunes at Whitford and a number of males to be named later but probably of the same species. These build their nests in snail shells and feed the larvae on pollen. I also saw my first Andrena flavipes of the year at the caravan park.

 

Sunday saw me at Tor Bay/Nicholaston where the commonest bee was Andrena bicolor, again mostly males at plants e.g. Dandelion or the soft cliffs on the shore. There was a male Nomada on the soft cliffs. Colletes cunicularius is also on the dunes here.

 

The Anthophora plumipes are active on the mud slope beneath the awning of the Wales National Pool but, again, all males. In this wind it is easy to see why everything hunkers down on south facing slopes at this time!