2 Jun 23

Wakeham

It was an afternoon in the back garden, just chilling out and watching the wildlife. And the one big highlight was seeing my first Common Frog of the year. Where have they been!!

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull
Dunnock
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Starling
House Sparrow
Goldfinch

Amphibians Recorded:
1 Frog
4 possibly Palmate Newts

A Palmate Newt in the "Tractor Tyre" Pond. Well........

..........there were at least 4 others but is this actually one!!

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
2 Azure Damselflies

A male Azure Damselfly and a...............

...........female.

Butterflies Recorded:
None


Moths Recorded:
None


Bees Recorded:

#1 - bee sp.

#2 - nomad bee sp.

#3 - nomad bee sp.

#3 - nomad bee sp.

#1 - bee sp.

#2 - nomad bee sp.

#3 - nomad bee sp.

#3 - nomad bee sp.

Hoverflies Recorded:
Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Narcissus Bulb Fly (Merodon equestris)

A Marmalade Hoverfly hovering. Of course it is.

This is a Narcissus Bulb Fly

And another Narcissus Bulb Fly

And a third one

Flies, Craneflies, Gnats and Midges Recorded:
Semaphore Flies (Poecilobothrus nobilitatus)

At long last a pair of Semaphore Flies. The male (bottom left) shows a white band which 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.

In this video there are two males (white wing tips) and a female at the top. This fly was one of the species in the Name a Species 2012 competition and won the lovely English name of Semaphore fly. Clusters of males may dance around single females, which lack the white wing marks. When I lived in Swindon I use to find Semaphore Flies on my pond.

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)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Swollen-thighed Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

A Swollen-thighed Beetle about to take-off.