Thanks all, appreciated. It seems bees are not just my darlings. There is something about them that is endearing, except for the much abused and maligned European Honey Bee that gets some stick for its aggression/stinging.
These native Oz bees do have a sting but they rarely use it. I can come within a swarm of 200 or so and all they do is fly around me. The others don't even get close to a threatening gesture. Wonderful creatures, and have some nesting in a post I drilled and hung for that reason.
