Here At Last.

A couple of days ago the first female Ivy Bees emerged from the cliff colony at Monks Bay.Yesterday the number of male bees flying around the nest holes had drastically diminished and several females were coming and going with their full pollen sacs.(Thanks to A.N.Other for the use of his photo of mating Ivy Bees)

The Ivy Bee coastal cliff colony at Monks Bay.

Anticipation.

Another visit to my local colony of Ivy Bees today and the spectacle of hundreds of male bees buzzing around the nesting holes on the cliffs.No sign as yet it seems of the emerging females, despite the males investigating the nesting burrows and pouncing on any bees that may be near.They quickly realized that any bees that emerged from the burrows were investigating males.

Ready and Waiting.

The Ivy Bee,Colletes hederae,is the last bee of the year to emerge as it feeds on the blossom of the Ivy.Now a resident in the UK since 2001 they are a mining bee,making use of soft sandy cliffs and banks for their nesting holes.The males are the first to appear,and at my local colony situated on south facing coastal cliffs they are now flying about awaiting the appearance of the females from their burrows.Once emerged the females are then mated and they begin to collect pollen for the eggs they have laid in their nest holes.These holes can be counted in hundreds on the cliff face and are up to 30cms in length. 

A Little Lasioglossum.

This male Lasioglossum was one of many seen on the sandy cliffs at Bonchurch yesterday.Not more than a centimetre in length it is impossible to confirm the particular species.

In a short while these cliffs will be populated by the attractive Ivy Bee Colletes hederae. 

Colletes hederae.

The Ivy Bee is a very recent arrival in the UK.The first report of this bee was in 2001 and since then it has spread along the south coast of England and north to Wales and towards the Midlands.

As the name suggests this species likes the pollen of the ivy and consequently it is seen in September and October when the ivy is in flower

Today I spent a very pleasant time watching these bees coming and going from their burrows that are excavated into the soft cliffs.There must have been hundreds of small holes at this site, situated on south facing cliffs near to Wheelers Bay at Bonchurch.