Colletes hederae - Summary of 2010 monitoring project
Steady expansion and further consolidation would sum up the status of Colletes hederae after another good season for the bee.
There have been many records from areas colonised in prevous years, but 2010 has seen a considerable number of new records from inland sites in central Hampshire, new records from the Reading area of Berkshire and a significant number of observations from the southernmost parts of Surrey. What is clear now is that what were (a few years ago) distinct populations, are now merging together as the spread continues. The largest aggregations are truly spectacular in scale, often with many tens of thousands of nests.
As in the past, many people have been contributing data to the project, and this has included visitors to the "Wild About Britain" and iSpot wildlife message boards, along with the regular contributors to the BWARS web forum and BBC AutumnWatch and BWARS members from across the known range of the species. This year we have also been able to send out a BWARS/Hymettus information sheet to help with raising public awareness
For 2009 Report click here and 2011 report, click here
Stuart Roberts, 2010
