This photo sent in by Pam Higginson shows a leaf-cutter bee.  Its a good clear close up but the interesting thing is the behaviour.  Notice how the bee is busy dragging the nest of another bee (complete with egg and food supplies) out of its hole ready to build it's own nest in its place.

The photo was taken with a compact Canon IXUS IS 950.

Clearly there's a shortage of good nesting sites in Pam's area.  If you want to attract leaf-cutter bees, and other solitary bees to your own garden, try drilling a small block of wood with 8mm and 10mm diameter drills to a depth of 50mm or more.  Drill lots of holes and then position the block about 1.5m to 2m off the ground, on a wall, tree or fence post, preferably in a sunny location.

Related Pages

• Cameras and Accessories at Amazon.co.uk
• Photo of the Month Archive and entry details
• UK Safari Photography Section