Ruby-tailed wasps on the wing

It is that short season once again when we have Ruby-tailed wasps in our garden. These magnificent insects take wing if disturbed but are lovely to watch on warm sunny days as they crawl around the wooden poles by the wild ?honeysuckle.

It is not the first time I have seen one on the old ladybird house in the photo above, but I do not know if they really use it or just crawl over it because it's there! They are very showy insects but their habits are not so refined for they get their food by the cleptoparalysis of potter wasps (Ancistrocerus).

We visited RSPB Minsmere the weekend before last when I took these photographs (above) in our garden. Imagine my excitement when I saw the iridescent wasp below scrabbling about in the reserve's sandy soil. This is obviously a different kind of wasp and I have yet to get an identification. 

The photo below shows the sand that has been removed very clearly.