Thank you all for your kind comments on my 300th. I haven't yet been able to reply to anyone but will try and get round you all very shortly. Tomorrow is my day to wake up in my own room and have a blip morning in bed with a cuppa before my day starts. :)

I was convinced this was a Yellow Legged Mining Bee but on checking, it's too late in the year for them to fly. I'm stumped for the moment unless someone can help.

Angellightphoto was asking about ID books for bees and I had to admit a great deal of my identifying is now done on the web. I have a library full of books but not all of them are specific enough... or too specific for my little brain!
There are many links to aid identifying insects on the web but most are geared towards the USA. :) It would be good to combine forces and form a resource list for the UK... with anyone else interested more than welcome to join in!

The mystery bee, which I believe is a miner bee of sorts, is only about 10mm. It's grazing the pollen from the dainty Michaelmas daisies, Aster lanceolatus. They are a British wildflower and one I have always kept in the garden. They flower at this time of year adding a beautiful splash of blue when most of the other plants are passing over.

The garden has been a disaster this year and I'm actually, for the first time ever, looking forward to cutting everything down in preparation for a new start next Spring.