Male Red Mason Bee - Osmia rufa

The larger female was busy making repeated visits to holes in an old sandstone wall. I found this drone nearby on a potted fuchsia in my Fife garden.

It was very lethargic (and thus cooperative) and probably close to death for after mating the males have no further duties and simply die.

Hopefully, the young won't be parasitised by the beeflies that I saw earlier this year.

I nearly left it too late to get a blip today. It was warm and fairly bright this morning but shortly after I took this earlier this afternoon, the heavens opened and I was glad I hadn't walked out along the coast as I had planned.