Mating pair of Early Colletes on bare sand. Female has thick red-brown hair on the thorax. Male with pale butequally thick hair.

Female Early Colletes on bare sand. Thorax thickly covered in red-brown hair, contrasting with the dark gaster.

A new bee for me - Early Colletes on the soft clay and sand cliffs at Bishopstone Glen near Herne Bay today. Not so warm out, making these handsome bees sluggish and easy to photograph. #KentNature #bees #Hymenoptera #softcliffs