Melecta albifrons
I initially identified this bee on the garden grape hyacinths as an ashy mining bee, but on submission to iRecord this was corrected to Melecta albifrons (common mourning bee), distinguished by the white markings on the abdomen (clearer in the slightly out of focus shot used for ID).
This bee is common in southern Britain but has been reported as spreading north. Looks like it has got as far as the Wirral. It is a cleptoparasite of the hairy-footed flower bee which I've seen in the garden a few times.
Melecta albifrons
I initially identified this bee on the garden grape hyacinths as an ashy mining bee, but on submission to iRecord this was corrected to Melecta albifrons (common mourning bee), distinguished by the white markings on the abdomen (clearer in the slightly out of focus shot used for ID).
This bee is common in southern Britain but has been reported as spreading north. Looks like it has got as far as the Wirral. It is a cleptoparasite of the hairy-footed flower bee which I've seen in the garden a few times.