Ivy Bee

Alex and Pete spent the morning at Thorpe Meadows, monitoring the invertebrates of five ponds created as part of the Nene Dragonfinder Project this summer. A surprising number of species have colonised them, including a very large population of Broad-bodied Chaser dragonflies.

In the afternoon Pete and I went to a couple of old silt lagoons at Maxey Quarry, which still have extensive areas of bare sand. This supported a population of what I believe might be Dune Cup Peziza ammophila (see extra), though as cup fungi are notoriously difficult to identify, I'm not sure. This would be a rather unusual record for this predominantly coastal species. 

There was also a small colony of the Ivy Bee Colletes hederae. This species was recorded as new to Britain in 2001 in Dorset. Since then, the bee has spread across much of southern England (as far north as Shropshire, Staffordshire & Norfolk) and into south Wales. It is now extremely plentiful in some coastal localities, and increasingly, inland. Peak activity matches the flowering period of its key pollen forage plant, Ivy (Hedera helix), and the species is on the wing from early September until early November. This makes it the last solitary bee species to emerge each year. BWARS has been mapping the spread since its discovery in Britain 15 years ago. This individual was very busy enlarging her burrow, so didn't mind having a camera stuck in her face! And she's a suitable subject for Tiny Tuesday!