Cuckoo Bee

The bank with the greater stitchwort on it, which is home to tawny mining bees, one of which I added to extras the other day, is also buzzing with wasp-like cuckoo bees. They sip nectar but they don't collect pollen and lay their eggs in the nests of tawny mining and other solitary bees. I think the one in my pic could be Nomada ruficornis as that is known to be a kleptoparasite of the tawny mining bee. Buzzing too along the bank from beeflies looking for mining bee nests to flick their eggs into. 

The cuckoo bird has arrived at Amwell Nature Reserve which is not far away but I haven't heard or seen one here. In fact I haven't heard one at home for a few years now. :(