With thunderstorms looming I decided on a quick pop down to
the Crabbles Bottom Orchard bramble patch this morning. It was calm and humid and already 20c by 10am
so I figured it would be worth a look.
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| The tunnel to the meadows |
There were far fewer insects actually in attendance during
my visit but it was good to see several Volucella inflata on the Privet again
while there were at least six Volucella bombylans on territory with five Bombus terrestris type mimics with just
the one Bombus lapidarius type.
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| Volucella bombylans |
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| Volucella inflata |
Higher up Volucella
pellucens were patrolling in full on hover mode and I was impressed that
the RX10 was able to focus on them above me.
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| Volucella pellucens |
There were many more Episyrphus balteatus on the wing too
and i was pleased to find another Pipizella and a one of the hairy eyed
Cheilosia.
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| Cheilosia sp |
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| Cheilosia - the hairy eyes narrow it down but still not enough to species! |
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| Pipizella sp |
Several Rutpela maculata Longhorn Beetles were visiting
Bramble blooms and were my first of the season.
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| Rutpela maculata |
There were plenty of lounging
flies resting with their wings tilted towards the sun. Amongst the Greenbottles
there were many Pollenia in various states of disrepair with most having lost
their golden hairs and bits of wing.
There were some big Sarcs to be seen which likewise included some very worn individuals as well as this different Sarc that Phil C has suggested is a species of Brachicoma.
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| Pollenia sp |
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| Pollenia sp - a few golden hairs remaining |
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| Pollenia sp |
There were some big Sarcs to be seen which likewise included some very worn individuals as well as this different Sarc that Phil C has suggested is a species of Brachicoma.
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| Brachicoma sp |
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| Sarcophaga sp |
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| Sarcophaga sp - a bit worn |
I managed a couple of nice shots of a big fat Bluebottle and
could see the ginger beard to identify it as Calliphora vomitoria.
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| Calliphora vomitoria |
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| Calliphora vomitoria |
I was still hopeful of a White Admiral or Fritillary and was
chuffed when one of the former glided through the woodland edge but was not
tempted by the Brambles below.
My first local Marbled Whites danced around the edges of the
meadow behind me and a bumbling Cockchafer posed nicely on an Ox-eye Daisy
while a new ichneumon had me going to the books and I think it may be a species
of Dusona.
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| Marbled White |
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| Cockchafer |
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| Cockchafer |
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| Dusona sp |
I made it home not long before the thunder started to roll
and the much needed rain fell.
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| And a nice fresh flower on my Bee Orchid |
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