In the garden at Overbecks,
I’ll not even try and identify the species, I’ve fallen foul of trying to do that before on this blog. I’ll settle for it being the ‘does my bum look big in this’ bee,
But best not be rude, it can pack a punch.
Here is its best side, handsome eh?
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Watching nature take its course, from the top of a hill in northern England
Watching nature take its course, from the top of a hill in northern England
Uphilldowndale 
Absolutely brilliant photos! Reminds me of something out of ‘Bugs Life’:)
wonderful photographs and I hope that someone is able to identify the species – he really is striking.
That is a very unusual bee, as the wasp discovered. I love wandering about looking at the things you find.
Scary looking things those, we’ve had some recently too. I love the shot of it kicking the wasp.
I think they’re tachinid flies….Tachina grossa perhaps?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachina_grossa
I was relying on you for the answer NiC! Do I have to edit the post title?
So many blogs, so little time! Found your link on Rowan’s blog. Your world is so very different from mine. I’m such a sucker for beautiful nature photography. Thanks for sharing! sjg:o))
I came close to feeling jealous looking at these photos! 🙂 They are very nice.
I laughed at “does my bum look…”. Terrific series of photos which make quite the story.
Wonderful! I find bees so difficult to photograph well. xx
That isn’t a bee, it is as a previous poster said, a Tachinid fly. The single pair of wings and to a lesser extent the head shape gives the game away. It may look like a bee, but this is Batesian mimicry; the fly is harmless but looks like a bee which certainly can defend its self, thus the fly benefits from the defences that the bee has.
Plus the fly knows kick-boxing.
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Great bee photos. Especially, the photo of the bee and the “Fly” fighting. Interesting looking fly. I thought it was a bee at first.
Very interesting to learn about the Tachinid fly. Great photos, the third one especially. What a funny fly-expression.