Is this a mining bee?

[MrsWembley]

Spotted quite a few wandering in and out of a gap between broken patio slabs at the back of my house.

Not worried, just curious

And will they be there for the duration or just the summer, as we have plans to redo the whole patio next year?

I don’t know my bees but that that one looks quite special. I also have lots of holes in (dry, clayey) ground that the bees and bumbles crawl in and out of. Some of the holes have been there for years. I hope someone has more expertise but I would suppose the nest will at least be active until the autumn/winter.

I don't know ...lots of pics here www.flickr.com/photos/63075200@N07/collections/72157634554216556/

Ah well, that's quite a comprehensive collection!!!