Many mining bees still active please?

[Dillybythesea]

I'm wondering about this fresh-looking female/ females (last two shots were later in the day) in the garden yesterday. I can't seem to find my notes on what's still active. Help would be appreciated!

[Dillybythesea]

I should add that these bees were smaller than C. hederae females (say 9mm?), and held their wings high and open. And here's a shot of the second one resting briefly on a sage leaf to do some scraping or something with her hind legs.

[Matt Smith]

Looks like Andrena flavipes to me. The scraping movements are probably her packing pollen into the pollen baskets on the undersides of the rear legs.

[JRsbugs]

Look at this site for flying times etc., it's Slovenian but shouldn't be too much different.

Bee fauna of Slovenia

[Dillybythesea]

Thanks Janet for the interesting website! And some great shots which I shall enjoy clicking through on a grey day (a bit like today!)

And thanks Matt for the ID. A friend I emailed confirmed the same thing, and commented on the lateness of the record, well past the last date for the summer brood, and suggesting it seems either a much reduced third brood or a precocious spring brood. He also remarked on the fact that pollen-collecting indicates a nest and suggests that she has mated - so likely to be a male around somewhere too!

(Poor them though - now that the weather has turned!)