Mini Miner

A bit of brightness about today which brought a few bugs out. :) I saw in the distance what looked like a bee-fly in flight but knew it couldn't be as they don't take to the wing until the temperature reaches seventeen degrees. It was a drone fly. I photographed jumping spiders and a pied shieldbug.

My pic is, I think, a common mini mining bee. A tiny solitary bee that flies early in the year and can be found on the first flowers of spring. Mine was in the shade on an ivy leaf and quite unresponsive. They look black but my use of flash has highlighted its blonde fluff.