Tag Archives: Tawny mining bee

A female Tawny

21 Tuesday Apr 2026

Posted by in insects

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I don’t post many blogs about bees. I often find them tricky to photograph and even more difficult to identify and, though I don’t usually duck a challenge, bees are simply a step too far. Having said all that, this particular bee is one even I can name, or, at least, the red-haired female is: she’s a Tawny mining bee (Andrena fulva). Even these can be a challenge, as I find them flighty, flitting off at the slightest movement, so I was rather pleased to get this shot. Her colour is so rich – imagine having hair that colour?!

108/366 Tawny miners

17 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by in insects, nature, spring

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Another day, another mining bee. You’ll recall we had the grey-haired Ashy mining bee on Tuesday; well, today we have the Tawny mining bee (Andrena fulva). And what a cracking colour it is! I’d love to have hair like this.

200417 Tawny mining bee (1)

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust website says these bees ‘can be found nesting in large groups and can be common in urban environments and garden lawns’ but I think that depends on location as the bees I see locally are usually singles, in less urban environments and, sadly, not as common as I’d like them to be, as their rich vibrant colour is very cheering.

200417 Tawny mining bee (2)

Unfortunately, just like the Ashy mining bees, the Tawnies can also fall victim to bee-fly predation. You can read more about that and the bees themselves on the BCT website here.