Mining Bee - HAMPSTEAD HEATH - 2013

MINING BEE

Mining Bees, which are solitary insects, have been found on Hampstead Heath recently.
They are bright orange and slightly smaller than the honey bee.

Comparatively rare, the mining bee burrows and nests in holes, usually in loose and bare soil, where there is an abundance of nectar-rich wild flowers.

The holes are about a centimetre in diameter, with loose soil around them

An area, on the lower side of Parliament Hill, just before the Tumulus Field, was pointed out to the author by an enthusiast.