Hi Jean
There are many native bees in Canberra but identifying them to species level is a job for a specialist. We have had 10 or more different types in our garden.
You may find this site of interest, loads of photos and articles on native bees http://www.aussiebee.com.au/index.html
They also publish a nice field guide to native bees of Sydney which I have found very useful here.
Cheers
Steve
From: casburnj [
Sent: Friday, 21 November 2014 10:48 AM
To: canberrabirds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Off topic - Bee 6mm long
To my surprise – hunting for rose flowers, this tiny yellow striped bee with the tiniest buzz, in my garden ( assuming it is a bee). At the same time a bluish small bee appeared very briefly with a much louder buzz. There are very few imported honey bees about in the garden at the moment as native plants are finishing flowering. If anyone is interested in bees, is it unusual to see these native bees in Canberra?
Jean
