A busy day in the garden treating the Garden Shed and Fences, but in my breaks it was great to watch a male Semaphore fly displaying to females on the surface of the garden pond. Absolutely fascinating to watch.
This fly was one of the species in the Name a Species 2012 competition and won the lovely English name of Semaphore fly. Normally clusters of males dance around single females, which lack the white wing marks. In the case of my little pond it was one male and at least 4 females.
Also noted were Swollen-thighed Beetles, Common Carder Bees, Honey Bees, and 2 hoverflies a Xanthogramma pedissequum and a Marmalade Hoverfly.
Also noted were Swollen-thighed Beetles, Common Carder Bees, Honey Bees, and 2 hoverflies a Xanthogramma pedissequum and a Marmalade Hoverfly.
The only birds of interest were a male Blackcap singing from a few doors down and a 2 juvenile Robins that stopped off briefly in the garden before heading off.
Here are a few images and a video from today:
And here the male shows that the white band is actually two white patches on each wing-tip which he uses to signal to females as part of his courtship display. The females lack the white wing marks.
Apologies for the poor quality shot. I just managed to get the camera on this Xanthogramma pedissequum hoverfly and realised too late, that the lens had focused on the leaf above it. As I refocused it flew off.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) and a Xanthogramma pedissequum
Flies Recorded: Semaphore Fly (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)
Here are a few images and a video from today:
The small but very busy garden pond
A male Semaphore Fly displays to at least 4 females on the garden pond.
The side-profile of a male Poecilobothrus nobilitatus, showing the white band across the wing-tips.
A schematic illustration of signal display showing a. Lightening of the rapidly moved wing tip and (b) increase of signal contrast through white wing tips and through (c) white wing tips with black zones on the apex. (Courtesy of Behavioural Ecology, Oxford Journals)
A Marmalade Hoverfly
Swollen-thighed Beetle
A Honey Bee
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Blackcap, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow, Chaffinch and Goldfinch.
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) and a Xanthogramma pedissequum
Flies Recorded: Semaphore Fly (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)