March

Clark's Mining Bee - Andrena clarkella

Often the first solitary bee species to appear in spring, at The Lodge there are a couple of regular nesting sites on the old heath. Females are larger than males, and forage almost exclusively from Sallows. Andrena bicolor is similar in appearance, but much smaller.

Greater Bee-fly - Bombylius major

These curious little flies are a common spring sight at The Lodge, feeding from Sallow catkins, ground ivy and a range of flowers in the gardens. The broad-black markings in the wing distinguish this from other bee-fly species.

Tapered Drone Fly - Eristalis pertinax

Very similar in appearance to Eristalis tenax, best distinguished by the all yellow front tarsi (the final leg segment). As the common name suggests, males tend to have a distinctly tapered abdomen, in contrast to the chunkier E.tenax.

Clark's Mining Bee - Andrena clarkella

Males usually appear a week or two before females, and look very similar to a number of other Andrena species, none of which are likely to be flying now. Andrena bicolor males may be out, but have black hairs on the face, not yellow, and are more flimsy looking.

Hairy-footed Flower-bee - Anthophora plumipes

These little bees resemble nothing so much as a small, hyperactive bumblebee, speeding between flowers with a high-pitching buzz and settling for only a few seconds at a time. Females are all black, but equally as frenetic.

Parasyrphus punctulatus

A classic spring hoverfly, and common around The Lodge in March. Superficially similar to Syrphus species, but with distinctive golf-club shaped markings on the abdomen. Common on the sallow on the heath and in the gardens.