It was a very busy day in the garden, especially after the heavy rains we have had, which knocked off around 90% of my Rose flowers and flattened quite a few plants. At least I wont have to water anything for a few days.
Highlight today was not one, not two but 3 Rosemary Beetles on the Lavender. Quite funny really, as the Rosemary is just a metre away and there weren't any on it.
And today I came across my first Painted Lady of the year feeding on the Valerian. also noted were a single Red Admiral and a couple of Large Whites.
The usual bees were about, Honey Bees, Buff-tailed Bumblebees and Common Carder, but still no wasps yet.
In amongst the Marmalade Hoverflies there were both Chequered and Migrant hoverflies.
Here are a few images from today:
My first Painted Lady of the year and a............
.....butterfly that I found to be very flighty if you get too close to it.
And today there were these two............
............male Azure Damselflies.
I don't think I have ever come across so many Marmalade Hoverflies in the garden before.
A side profile of one of the Marmalades.
Here is another one and........
...........another.
Not a Marmalade Hoverfly, but a Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare)
And I believe a Migrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes luniger). In fact......
............there were two of them.
And my first ever Rosemary Beetle on the Lavender. In fact there were 3 in total.
A female Swollen-thighed Beetle
I'm pretty sure this is a Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa), but it just seems to be a bit on the small side!
This fly is one of the Tachinidae family possibly Gymnocheta viridis
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Swift, Dunnock, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Magpie, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Goldfinch
Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded: 2 Azure Damselflies
Butterflies Recorded: Large White, Red Admiral and a Painted Lady
Bees Recorded: Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) and Common Carder (Bombus pascuorum)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus), Chequered Hoverfly (Melanostoma scalare) and 2 Migrant Hoverfly (Eupeodes luniger)
Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded: Possible Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa) and possibly a Gymnocheta viridis
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis), Lesser Thick-legged Flower Beetle (Ischnomera cyanea) and 3 Rosemary Beetles (Chrysolina americana)