7 Jun 23

Wakeham

Today was spent pottering around the garden and one that was pretty odd; in that there were no bees or butterflies seen. However despite there absence I did have a few first for the year with a male Broad Centurian fly and a Rosemary Beetle.

Birds Recorded:
Herring Gull

Wood Pigeon

Collared Dove

Dunnock

Blackbird

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Jackdaw

Starling

House Sparrow

Chaffinch

Linnet

Goldfinch

Amphibians Recorded:
Palmate Newt

In the "Tractor Tyre" pond there were a few Palmate Newts moving around in the pond weed.

Dragonflies and Damselflies Recorded:
Azure Damselfly

Just two male Azure Damselflies seen today. A couple of days ago there were 4 pairs and 3 males around the "Bath" Pond. No photos unfortunately as I formatted the card before I realised I hadn't downloaded them.

Butterflies Recorded:
None

Bees Recorded:
None

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

Yellow-clubbed Glasswing (Scaeva selenitica)

A Marmalade Hoverfly in flight.

And a Large Narcissus Fly

This is a..........

................ Yellow-clubbed Glasswing (Scaeva selenitica)

And here is the female laying her eggs on grass seed heads.

And here again about to land on the seed head of a Ragwort

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

Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)

To the left and right of the the Palmate Newt are two Semaphore flies

A male Broad Centurian (Chloromyia formosa)

Bugs and Beetles Recorded:
Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana)

My first Rosemary Beetle of the year on Lavender and not on the Rosemary which was a metre away. Same thing happened last year, with all of the Rosemary Beetles, preferring the Lavender.


Aircraft Today:

This is the British Cessna 172M Skyhawk registration G-BSOG, on its way from Guernsey to Kemble. More photos of this aircraft Here and its flight across the English Channel Here.