During my daily perambulation around the Pont-Black Towers estate I came upon a bee I hadn't spotted before.
After some book research and consultation with Charlotte at the Natural History Society of Northumbria it was identified as a Plasterer Bee (Colletes sp.)
Plasterer bees get their name from their method of smoothing the walls of their nest cells with secretions applied with their mouthparts; these secretions dry into a cellophane-like lining.
My first thought was that it was an Andrena species (Mining bees) but Charlotte put me right:
"These bees are what I call ‘humbug bees’ because of their stripes like that of humbug sweets - it’s a Colletes, and most likely daviesanus.They look very similar to Andrenas but the strong pale creamy bands on their abdomens and heart-shaped faces help to identify them. They are also a big fan of Ox-eye daisies because they collect pollen almost exclusively from plants of the Daisy family. So if you see a small stripey gingery bee on Ox-eye - it’s very likely a Colletes!"
The Ox-eye Daisies are right next to a few Poppies and a vagrant Sunflower - which has been seeded by the birds that come to feed. They seem to chuck more seeds on the ground than they eat! The colours were bright and forms of the flowers and seed heads particularly attractive - so I couldn't resist some photos:
Call back on Tuesday for more Forest Hall musings...
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