09/09/2026
Wild Churchyard: What to see this Autumn
There is so much to see in our churchyard all year round but in Autumn look out for the ivy mining bee - a good place to find them is in the flower beds directly in front of the church’s north door.
A harmless, solitary ground-nesting bee active from September to November that feeds almost exclusively on ivy flowers.
Size: Slightly larger than a honeybee; females reach 1.3 cm and males are about 1 cm long
Look: They have a fuzzy, orangey-brown thorax and clear yellow-and-black stripes on the abdomen. Fresh females show a bright buff or orange tint.
Timing: They emerge late in the summer, perfectly timed with the blooming of ivy plants
Nesting: They are solitary bees, meaning each female digs her own tunnel. However, they often form massive groups with thousands of individual nests in lawns, bare soil, or south-facing banks
We are very grateful to the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Grounds Maintenance Team who take great care in working around our bees!
For more information on what you can see in the churchyard – come and take a quiet walk around and check out our signs that will guide you as to what you might expect to see at this time of year.
(Photo: mcinnes_wildlife_photography)
