Another one of those days were the rain moved on to leave a bright sunny afternoon, albeit a windy one, as the wind picked up from the west.
No new birds for my lockdown garden list, but there was a pair of House Martins chattering away over the neighbouring houses for brief moment this afternoon.
I had one new addition to my garden list of invertebrates, which was the the handy work of a Leaf-miner Fly, Chromatomyia atricornis, where its larvae had been mining on a Sow-thistle.
One noticeable absentee today were the Painted Nomad Bees (Nomad fucata) hovering over the lawn. At least there was a Lathbury's Nomad Bee (Nomad lathburiana) seen.
With the Cherry Tree now totally void of blossom there are fewer bumblebees coming to the garden, with just 2 Buff-tailed Bumblebees seen this afternoon. Also about, but not in any great numbers were an Ashy Grey Mining Bee, a few Yellow-legged Mining Bees, a Honey Bee, 1 Red Mason Bee and 2 male Blue Mason Bees.
There were quite a few species of hoverfly this afternoon, a Narcissus Bulb Fly, 1 Dead Head Hoverfly, 3 Epistrophe eligans, 3 Pajupuuhari and a new one for Garden Lockdown List a Chequered Hoverfly.
A few butterflies about with a male Orange-tip flying up and down the garden for most of the afternoon, and not stopping once. Also seen were 3 Large Whites.
On the Valerian were a few Common Green Shieldbugs with one pair mating.
There were lots of flies about, more than I have noticed before and included a new one for the garden a Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria). Others noted were Macquartia sp. and one of the Calliphoridae Blow Flies.
My Lockdown Garden List is Here.
Ashy Mining Bee (Andrena cineraria)
A male Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens)
Another Blue Mason Bee
A Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)
Dead Head Hoverfly (Myathropa florea)
Epistrophe eligans. A Hoverfly with no Common Name.
And my effort of trying to freeze it in flight.
A Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) and a new one for my Lockdown Garden List.
Not the nicest of names but this...........
.............is a Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) and new fly for my garden list.
Possibly one of the........
...............Calliphoridae - Blow-flies
This is the work of a leaf-miner fly and most likely the larvae of Chromatomyia atricornis. More on this fly here.
Not your best side Ted. I have no idea how he managed to cover his face in dirt.