The Bee's are back in town !!!

Its now the beginning of March, not quite spring yet, but the sun is shining, crocuses are in full bloom around our magnolia tree, and I have noticed for the first time this year, some insect action around the open flowers.

Last year I managed to get my head around BumbleBee identification, seeing most of the more common ones around the garden, thought I would try the same with Bee's this year.

Identification is not going to be so easy with these, on account of there being so many similar species.

I think this is one of the species of Adrena Mining Bees, but this is where it gets difficult, because of the sheer number of species.

I have narrowed it down to possibly 'Andrena Flavipes' or the 'Yellow Legged Mining Bee'.

These Yellow legged mining Bee's are usually the first to appear in early March, these Bee's are apparently 'Bivoltine' which means simply, that there are two generations, the spring generation are flying from March to May and the summer from June to September.They are also suppose to be quite common here in the south of the country, so that all fits.

The photographs are not really clear,but you can just about make out the yellow  hairs on the legs of this individual, which could make it the male, the hair on the females legs are denser and more prominent.

Confusingly, Honey Bees can be very similar in appearance.

The more I look at the photographs, the more I doubt my identification, 

I can say with some certainty its definitely a Bee, and its nice to see them back around the flowers collecting pollen.

 I think I need a close up of this one for a more positive identification, unless someone with more knowledge can shed some light on their identification.