All about Insects 2020

Hoverflies will sunbathe, providing good photo opportunities.

Late yesterday afternoon, it warmed up and the bees were busy bees....

White Tailed Bumblebee

and on the juvenile erysimum...

This one I'm struggling to ID, so feel free to offer any info.

lovely pics Mike, your last pic bee may be a common carder but wait for Nige on that one !

Photo 3 is an Early Bumblebee (note the small red tail) but either a male or a queen rather than a drone (I assume 4 is the same individual) and 5 is indeed a Common Carder as Hazy says

Unknown said:

Photo 3 is an Early Bumblebee (note the small red tail) but either a male or a queen rather than a drone (I assume 4 is the same individual) and 5 is indeed a Common Carder as Hazy says

Thanks Nige, and thank you Hazel.

Feeding on a Dahlia this morning. Small male Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)?

A Common Green Grasshopper

Some of our most colourful critters must be Sawflies and they are well worth looking out for, although many are impossible to ID from photos alone. However, this green one is probably Tenthredo Mesomela

A Honey Bee

And a diddy little spider, possibly one of the running crab spiders ... but only possibly

poor photo for ID but this was resting on the outside of the kitchen ledge !     We must have a few bees around here as I've had to let a couple of them out of the house this afternoon !   Maybe it's all those sweet smelling bathroom soaps and diffusers I have around   lol       Here's a bad pic of a monster size bee  !      The outside of the new windows need cleaning and being two floors up from ground level we are waiting for the developer to do those at some stage ............... only alternative is to dangle Mike outside the window by his ankles   lol 

 

It's a Tree Bumblebee. Monster sized normally means it's a queen as they are significantly bigger than common workers.
Maybe the others decided they don't like the weather so have come indoors to avoid the thunderstorms! You couldn't blame after yesterday!

Thanks Nige, I had the feeling it might be a Tree-bee as we used to have them at The Laurels and this is similar habitat with woodland nearby and park/grassed areas. It's amazing how much wildlife we see just looking through the windows ! Wild rabbits are always outside and got to say I do like to see them when I'm brewing up.