I C A B

At the end of February I bought a Solitary Bee and a Bumblebee nest. Both were set up and I waited.
From time to time small wasps seemed to be checking out the SB box and a  couple were seen going into the box but nothing took up permanent residence apart from a couple of earwigs and an occasional fly.
I haven't seen anything coming or going to the BB box but it is now surrounded by nettles so I haven't had a proper look.

However a few days ago I noticed a bee flying around the entrance to the SB box and when she had gone I took off the observation panel on the side of the hive and found she had been laying eggs and depositing clumbs of pollen.
I left it for a few more days and had another look and found this

.
Looks like she has built 2 plugs of pollen a day. Its not easy to see but in the bottom photo she's just next to the last plug. There are lots of different types of SB and I will try and identify it.
The plugs are a mixture of pollen and nectar onto which she lays an egg. She leaves a space for the bee to develop into and then does it all again. And again. And again.
Once she's filled it up the nest it's plugged with mud and tomorrow I will put a pan of mud below the nest box.
Whether she then starts another series in the same nest box or moves on remains to be seen.
Either way I'm very pleased.