The Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) is a relative newcomer to Suffolk and has actually only been in the UK since 2001. It is a species whose distribution is gradually expanding northwards and can probably now be readily found throughout Suffolk. It is a fairly easy bee to identify with its boldly banded abdomen and can be found, at this time of year, foraging on Ivy flowers. The bees are solitary in terms of their nesting habits, but nesting aggregations are often quite dense in loose, friable soil – this could be your lawn or a warm south-facing bank.

Until the end of May PondNet are running their Spawn Survey. In addition to the full PondNet surveys the Freshwater Habitats Trust would like volunteers to record sightings of frog and toad spawn using a simple online recording form and guide. Records can be from any pond - garden, village etc...