Common Carder Bee

I was trying to photograph bumblebees feeding on the plum tree blossom but all of them stayed above my head so it was impossible to get a good macro shot. I happened to hear a buzzing noise at my feet and noticed this beautiful Carder Bee land on the grass.

I believe this is a young queen looking for a new nest site. They will typically nest in amongst grass and weeds in a field although sometimes they will use a deserted birds nest or a squirrel drey. The queen (once she has found a suitable nesting site) will return to it again and again in order to fix its position in her memory.