10 Jun 20


Wakeham

Another day in the garden and nice to see a Blue-tailed Damselfly by the pond again and also a few more Yellow-legged Mining Bees about. Yesterday there was one, today there were at least 5 of these Andrena bees.

The main highlight today though, was the Scabious in the flowerbed which attracted the following: a Blue-tailed Damselfly, 3 Honey Bee, 1 Common Carder, 1 Narcissus Bulb Fly, a 7-spot Ladybird and 5 Swollen-thighed Beetles.

I also added two new flies for my Portland List, a Phania funesta and one of the Lucilia species of which there are a few similar looking ones like Lucilia caesar and Lucilia sericata

Here are a few images and videos from today:

On the neighbours chimney stack there were 2 out of the 3 Herring Gull chicks visible. I'm sure the third one was tucked up in the nest

I'm well pleased that the Slow-worm is still enjoying the corrugated sheet I put down for it, a month or so back. As much as it is great to lift the sheet up to have a look, I only have a look once a month, so as not to disturb it and potentially others.

And the flower of the day - Scabious. Which attracted....

.......this male Blue-tailed Damselfly..........

.......Honey Bees.....

.........a Common Carder.......

.........this 7-spot Ladybird and finally quite a few..........

.........Swollen-thighed Beetles.

And another bizarre moment following on from yesterdays altercation between a Honey Bee and a smaller Bee. This time it was a Honey Bee again and involved a Swollen-thighed Beetle flying in and attacking it. At precisely the same time a Narcissus Bulb Fly flew in just........

...........as the Honey Bee was forced off the Scabious. Needless to say the hoverfly just carried on flying.

Here the Swollen-thighed Beetle celebrates by taking off after its victory win over the Honey Bee.

Mind you it looks like another bee wants to challenge it now.

Having been on the Scabious the Blue-tailed Damselfly then landed on the shell by the pond.

After relaxing for a bit it took off in search of a meal.

And judging by this shot it looks like it is homing in a Red Ant. They sting don't though!!

Having devoured the ant it was off to another perch for a bit of a groom. 

Alongside the shed I came across this very busy fly, which.......

..........just kept taking off and returning to the same cluster of flowers. It is a Phania funesta and one of the Tachinid flies. It is believed to be a parasite of Shieldbugs, of which there have been plenty in the garden this year.

This is a Yellow-legged Mining Bees (Andrena flavipe) 

As I commented earlier there was just the one yesterday, but.......

..........today there were several. This is a second generation for the year. Tomorrow and the next day should see a lot more, weather permitting
An engineered shot. I could see a yellow insect flying through the Buddleia and set the camera up to where I thought it would appear. It paid off with a record shot of an Ichneumon wasp (Ichneumon stramentor)

I'm pretty sure this is a Hover Fly Parasite - Diplazon laetatorius. I had one in the garden a few years back also in June.

This Blowfly is one of the Lucilia species, but would need closer examination to determine which one. Lovely iridescent colours though.

Oh dear me thinks they are ignoring me.

Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Swallow, Blackbird, Great Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Goldfinch

Reptiles Recorded: Slow-worm

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Butterflies Recorded: None

Moths Recorded: None

Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum), and Yellow-legged Mining Bees (Andrena flavipe)

Wasps Recorded: Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

Ichneumon Wasps Recorded: Hover Fly Parasite (Diplazon laetatorius) and an Ichneumon stramentor

Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) and Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)

Flies Recorded: Lucilia sp. and a Phania funesta.

Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) and Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

My "Lockdown" Garden List is Here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On this day..........
2019
Today's Sightings Here.

2018
Today's Sightings Here.

2017
Today' Sightings Here.