Any one know if they are just taking a rest together or are they doing something specific?
It's hard to tell but they look like one of the blood bees and possibly males by the white fur on the face. Was there any sap or anything like that on the twig that might have attracted them?
The pictures I found of blood bees look fairly similar alright and I think you are right that they are one of these. Did not notice any sap on the twig but that could be an explanation for them hanging around there alright.
She's mentioned in Dave Goulson's Garden Jungle book and was part of the reason I thought I'd try and find out what was living in my garden. It's a much harder job than I expected though
Case in point is this Eristalis
arbustorum on the eryngium today. Even with 20 photos from different angles I'm not 100% sure it's not one of the virtually identical species. Still whatever it is, it is still the 21st distinct hoverfly species and species number 275 for the garden. I am admittedly some way off Jennifer Owens' 2673 species...
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
The violet carpenter bee is a regular visitor to my garden. On the monarda flowers it's very thorough, as it makes its way from tiny flower to tiny flower. The second pic (close-up) shows how it uses its "tongue" to perforate the base of the flower to reach the nectar.
Nice photos @Papi Jo I'd love to see those violet carpenter bees one day.
The bad weather has subdued insect activity here again. The best I've been able to find is more nocturnal loopers. The garden seems to be full of them.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
@Dovefromabove. I've got a wasp spider living in my wildlife/long grass area, it was there last year too. Don't know if it's the same one though. Sent my 6ft 4 son a pic of it and I think i could hear him screaming from here.
Posts
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/east-suffolk-re-wilding-scheme-success-1-6793877
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.