NORWICH: Some new bees

Mid July 2019

We have some excellent bee habitats in Norfolk, but in terms of number of species one of the best has to be the wildlife garden of Jeremy & Vanna Bartlett in west Norwich. As well as the general planting Jeremy sometimes plants particular plants in the hope of attracting specific bees. One example of this was some Weld, one of the main plants associated with Mignonette Yellow-face (Hylaeus signatus). I'd been checking some Weld on my way to work and not seen any bees on it, but Jeremy and Vanna had up to six attending their plant, so Cathy & I went round to have a look. Despite the overcast conditions a couple were present on our visit, including one male clutching the top of the plant like a miniature King Kong.

We popped round later in the month too, when Vanna had found Nomada zonata, previously a rare new colonist but now spreading across southern England. One of the sharp-tailed bees, Coelioxys inermis, was also new for me.