You may remeber that yesterday I reported a sighting of a Mining Bee species on the cliffs at Beer , East Devon.   After posting a picture or two on the "Wild About Britain" website, I can confirm the species as Colletes hederae. Their presence here in Devon becomes an even more interesting story than I thought previously and their sudden presence on the cliffs easily explained.  They feed mainly on the pollen from Ivy flowers , (the latin name for Ivy is Hedera) hence the latin species name Colletes hederae. The second name meaning "associated with hedera". As Ivy is in blossom at this time of year then this bee has to time it's life cycle around the flowering of this plant. Where conditions are favourable they are known to aggregate, (that means live in groups). I would assume that the more favourable the conditions then the more bees can be sustained.  Read here to discover more about them and to download a PDF of their biology.

This morning saw me in my hide at around 8.30 until 10 but the Kingfisher didn't appear.  I was starting to feel glum until I noticed her up-stream on the concrete slip as I returned to my car, so she is still around, safe and well.