Out and about!

Just a stroll around the neighbourhood this afternoon. At the station there was an Early Bumblebee - an attractive species I don't see that often. Unfortunately it was too quick for the camera and I only managed one blurred shot. On the railway track was a bee-mimic hoverfly, Merodon equestris. Not sure why it kept returning to the track ballast unless it was deriving some kind of nutrient from the stone. A few Small White butterflies were patrolling the disused platform.

Blurred Early Bumblebee

Merodon equestris

There were several Creeping Cinquefoil flowers dotting the verge at the top of St Andrews Road - another terrible photo I'm afraid.

Creeping Cinquefoil

Last night there was a visiting Light Emerald moth attracted by my kitchen light.

St Andrews Park!

There were some great invertebrates in the meadow area this morning - a Large Red Damselfly, a Picture-winged Fly which I think is something called Trypeta zoe (I think I will just call it Zoe, sounds perfect), a Merodon equestris (bee-mimic hoverfly), another hoverfly Melanostoma, a Running Crab-spider and a Soldier Fly I can't identify as I couldn't get a good enough photo.

Back in Fairlawn Road, Montpelier there was another Merodon equestris, a very attractive Xanthrogramma pedissequum agg. hoverfly, a pair of mating 14-spot Ladybirds and an Ichneumon wasp. Tiny little Cocksfoot Moths and several Oedemera beetles were on the dandelions.  A Chiffchaff was singing nearby.

Merodon equestris and friend

14-spot Ladybirds doing what comes naturally

Xanthogramma pedissequum

Cocksfoot Moth

Portland Square!

An area of uncut grass near the church produced a couple of Thick-thighed Flower Beetles and a Merodon equestris hoverfly - a convincing bee-mimic. Cat's-ear was growing among the grasses.

Cat's-ear

Merodon equestris

Thick-thighed Flower Beetle

I missed a moth last night - it appeared this morning - a Bright-line Brown-eye.

Bright-line Brown-eye

St Andrews Park

The meadow area was a-buzzing with insects just before it started raining this afternoon. Hoverflies included Merodon equestris, Eupeodes corollae and Marmalade Hoverfly. Beetles were represented by several Thick-kneed Flower Beetles and there were other delights including some green Capsid Bugs, an amazing Ichneumon Wasp (only managed a poor photo), a couple of unidentified solitary bees, a Broad Centurion soldierfly, a small 'signalling fly' called Poecilobothrus nobilitatus (the males wave their white-tipped wings around to attract mates) and a cracking Scarlet Tiger moth.

Spot the capsid bug!

Broad Centurion

Ichneumon Wasp

Merodon equestris

Thick-thighed Flower Beetles

Scarlet Tiger

Poecilobothrus nobilitatus

Eupeodes corollae

Narroways

Today on the reserve: Great Spotted Woodpecker calling along stony path, Common Whitethroat  singing across iron bridge, Bullfinch calling across iron bridge, Chiffchaff pair seen well in Simons Grove, juvenile Blackcap at Simons Grove and an adult singing towards Ashley Hill end of stony path, Greenfinch singing at cutting, Wren family along stony path, Long-tailed Tits in community garden, Jay calling and feather seen in Simons Grove.

Marbled White c30 mostly on cutting and church field, dead Tree Bee, lots of honey bees, Ichneumon species, Common Carder Bee, Hoverfies: Myathropa florea, Helophilus pendulus, Syritta pipiens. Shedloads of Thick-thighed Flower-beetles.

Myathropa florea

Ichneumon

Jay feather

Marbled White

Myathropa florea

Tree Bee

At St Andrews Park there were lots of Blackbirds including a juvenile bird being fed by parents and an adult female collecting nesting material. The vegetation around the pond produced a Long-jawed Orb Weaver spider and a Merodon equestris hoverfly.

Long-jawed Orb Weaver



Merodon equestris

A moth in my kitchen is giving me ID problems - it is a worn specimen and not at all easy.

 

Ringlets

About 4 Ringlets along Fairlawn Road this morning but very flighty and they allowed no photos I'm afraid. These are the first I've seen this summer. Nearby a Merodon equestris hoverfly and a Cheilosia illustrata hoverfly - both are bee mimics and the latter is the first I've seen anywhere on the patch. Other stuff included several Thick-thighed Flower-beetles and a Dark Bush-cricket. A Coal Tit was singing in Montpelier Park this morning.

Cheilosia illustrata

Merodon equestris

St Andrews Park

Hoverflies in the park this afternoon included 2 of the bee-mimic Merodon equestris, 1 Eupeodes corollae, a couple of Marmalade Hoverflies, a Sphaerophoria hoverfly and a Syritta pipiens. The Soldier Fly Chloromyia formosa was nice to see and an Azure Damselfly was resting on a leaf at the pond. Bees included several Honey Bees, the nest of Tree Bumblebees, a few Early Bumblebees and 1 or 2 Buff-tailed Bumblebees.

Azure Damselfly

Chloromyia formosa

Eupeodes corollae

Merodon equestris

Syritta pipiens

Sphaerophoria hoverfly

At home, a juvenile Woodpigeon was feeding outside the window and a Jackdaw flew past the flat.

Juvenile Woodpigeon

A Blast of Blackcaps

Blackcaps are still in song - yesterday 2 were singing quite near each other at the station and today 1 was singing at Fairlawn Road along with a Chiffchaff. There was also a Coal Tit and a Jay nearby.

Invertebrates along the verge at the latter location included adult, larva and pupa stages of Harlequin Ladybirds, a couple of Honey Bees, a 'Syrphus' hoverfly, a Marmalade Hoverfly, a Merodon equestris hoverfly, a Large Skipper butterfly and a Sawfly. It was good to see a Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis carrying her egg coccoon in her jaws.

Large Skipper

Nursery Web Spider

Merodon equestris

Syrphus hoverfly

Sawfly

Lots of Hedge Woundwort in flower near the junction with Ashley Hill.

Hedge Woundwort

Montpelier Station

A Cinnabar Moth that flew past the platform but disappeared from view so couldn't be photographed. The only butterflies of note were Large and Small Whites. What looked like another colour form of Merodon equestris (var. validus)  was sat on a leaf - each colour-form of this hoverfly mimic specific bee species, this one resembles a Red-tailed Bumble Bee. Amazing. Despite looking nothing like the ones i saw a couple of days ago in St Andrews Park and St Werburghs, the wing venation points to this species.

Merodon equestris var. validus

Two or three Oedemera nobilis beetles were seen along with a Rose Chafer and a few Tree Bumble Bees. I think a woodlouse crawling up the wall on the platform might be a Pill Woodlouse.The Chiffchaff was heard again and a Greenfinch flew over.

possible Pill Woodlouse

Oedemera nobilis