Be these bees, or be these flies...no, they're bee-flies!

Fascinating things Karen - I love it when something different comes along, like you I'm always inquisitive and like to find out what they are.
The length of those legs look like they are made for hopping rather than flying, don't you think?
The more pollinators the better :)

How lovely to have new guests, Karen! Let's hope they see off some of the nasties, like other hoverflies.

They've got that proboscis (?) all the time Scottish...it doesn't doesn't roll up or down...and they buzz about...like bees! And, there, suddenly, loads of them!!!
But, they stop and look at you, in mid-air, like hover-flies do! How come, in the ten years that I've been here, I haven't, evdowner, had one in the garden before?

Wall, then, thay moight jist bee Cawrnish bees, Jay...
(sorry, sorry, sorry!...that looks terrible written down! Please, don't hold it against me, my luvver! :)))xxx

Thank you Snoopy! :)
I only ever got stripes on my hand, when I was young...we had the "toss", in Scotland...a big, split belt...which could could crack desks...needless to say...I only got it once...
...and, I didn't tell my mum...or I'd have been in worse trouble!!!

That's really fascinating Karen, lovely little things arnt they. Great photo shots as well :-)

That belt wiz sair!!!! Had it many a time - never told either ;)

I think this summer is an exceptional one Karen, here anyway!!! You would never believe the amount of butterflies flitting around.
Maybe condition are just right for them at the minute.
Take a look here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombylius_major

Lovely clear photo's Karen. We had one trapped in the sun-room earlier in the year and like you thought it was a bee. Hubby caught it to put it out and we discovered something neither of us had seen before (and I'm quite old and always have been interested in insects!) so I did a bit of research and discovered it was a bee-fly!
Having seen that one we of course then saw others over the next few weeks, but it does seem strange they have suddenly appeared. They look sort of alien or like something put together from a dragonfly, bee and a strange creature with a long nose!

Great photos of them but I agree......its the length of those legs! and the proboscis!

Imagining a giant one on Dr Who..........

Don't those back legs held out at a funny angle look awkward? Do you think they're being used as stabilisers? And that huge proboscis - it looks like an insect unicorn. I've never seen these before - absolutely fascinating and brilliant photography. I've been trying to get a decent shot of a humming-bird hawk moth, but the pesky little critturs won't sit still, or when they do, my camera's in a safe place I've forgotten for the moment........................

Great photos Karen, lovely furry little bodies.

Hallo everyone and thank you for your lovely comments! :)

They're quite cute, Mel, don't you think? It's funny to think of a fly being cute...lol! :)
They must have seen a "gap in the market", somehow. Let's hope that it was at the expense of something nasty, ...and not the honey bees. Come to think of it, I haven't actually seen many hover-flies this year, at all.

They're amazing little things, aren't they, SL? Very noisy and very busy! I love their eyebrows! :)

That's the one, Scottish! Brilliant name isn't it, Bombylius Major?! I haven't a clue which Bombylius the other one is though. The honey-coloured ones are much bigger than the stripey-bums. You could be right about the weather conditions...Now that you mention it, there are more cabbage whites this year than I've ever seen, yet none of the little blue butterflies we usually have...and, I haven't seen a single cricket or grasshopper. Bees are thin on the ground, too, as are the hornets and wasps. Maybe nature is re-dressing the balance, somehow...

Ah, so you have them too, Honeysuckle. Where on earth can they all have come from? Normally, round here when something new appears, it's via the docks at Bordeaux. But, not these! They are quite comical looking...like cartoon characters! :)

Lol, Pam...cute though they may be...I don't think I want to imagine them any bigger, thank you very much!!! Just think what they might do with that proboscis... :/

When I got my first proper look at these, Gatti, I thought that they might be baby humming bird moths...daft, really because they've only got a proboscis and furriness in common...
I've been trying to get decent photos of one of those too...darned difficult! I've found the best way is just too point the camera in the general direction...and just keep clicking!!! One in every 30 or so, is okay...almost! lol! :)

It's hard to think of them being flies, isn't it Jaykaty? :)
I'm not actually sure how beneficial those furry little bodies are, though. They don't seem to need to close enough to the flowers, with those proboscises, to get any pollen on them.

Great pics Karen and sweet little creatures, we need them to pollinate,so plant up more Verbena next year Lol. I lost a lot of my verbena and only have one plant this year but it has always got a bee or two on it!

Thank Gill! :)
The verbena is a magnet for the flying things, isn't it? Of course, nature will out, and, there's always a down-side...will post photos later...lol
That one seemed to struggle for the last couple of years, but now it's bursting with health! OH says it's nothing special...but, for me, the flowers may be small, but the colour is so intense...and the wild-life loves it! :)

these are fabulous photos, never mind of what. I, too, love their landing gear. I just cannot get over your pics, they are so clear of them. I also like the butterscotch bee!