Camera trouble

 My trusty Nikon coolpix P520 (12 years) has finally given up on me with a faulty motherboard, a replacement board would cost £180. So my options  are buy a newer model (£650), replace motherboard or buy a refurbished model. I will probably by a new one next year, but to get me through the rest of the season I opted to buy a refurbished model (£160) and was delivered in less than 24 hours. Everything seems OK and has a 2 year warranty to boot.

Over the last week the Devilsbit Scabious and Michaelmas Daisy are dying off and all that is left is the Ivy, which is blooming early this year. The colder nights this week (4-6c) has taken its toll on the hoverfly numbers and they have crashed. Highlights have included Volucella zonaria, Scaeva pyrastri and Rhingia rostrata. There are still good numbers of Syrphus ribesii around but Eristalis tenax is the most encountered species. Here are some photos from Friday with the new camera.

Volucella zonaria

Eristalis tenax

Helophilus pendulus

Comma

Dock Bug

Garden Orb Spider

Slow Worm

More rain

 Rain, rain and more rain. When I did venture out I got caught in more rain. My only salvation was the Ivy in the Treharne road back lanes. Which produced a male and two female Volucella zonaria, Other highlights were few and far between but a Scaeva pyrastri and 3 Sericomyia silentis were the best. Even here Eristalis tenax (10) was the most numerous species. Numbers of hoverflies are dropping rapidly and the Ivy in other areas of the valley are starting to bloom.

Volucella zonaria

Helophilus pendulus

Caerau

 Saturday was cloudy but fine on occasions. Caerau at this time of year has a lot to offer with Ivy, Michaelmas Daisy, Japanese Knotweed and Devilsbit Scabious all blooming. I recorded a healthy 28 species in not so ideal weather. New for the year was the migrant Xanthandrus comtus, taking me to 106 for the year. My best haul for five years. Other highlights included Eristalis intricaria, Helophilus hybridus, Helophilus trivittatus and 2 female Volucella zonaria on a single late Bramble bloom. There were good numbers of Helophilus pendulus (23) and Sericomyia silentis (18) feeding on Devilsbit Scabious. But the most numerous species was again Eristalis tenax (110).

A few insect highlights included the butterflies Painted Lady and Red Admiral, the larva of Elephant Hawkmoth on a path. Other flies included the monster Dark Giant Horsefly and my first record of the harvestman Opilio canestrinii. Nothing special on the bird front though.

Eristalis intricaria

Myathropa florea

Rhingia rostrata

Volucella zonaria

Xanthrandrus comtus

Dark Giant horsefly

Elephant Hawkmoth (larva)

Opilio canestrinii

Painted Lady

  

weekend washout

 A change in the weather meant not much to report, I did manage 20 mins at an early Ivy blooming plant at Treharne Road, Caerau in the back lanes to see if I could find some Volucella zonaria hoverflies. The first one spotted was high up sunning on a tree leaf. While trying some long distance shots another landed on the Ivy inches from my shoulder.

Bank holiday weekend

 There has been a noticeable drop in hoverflies this weekend bar the Eristalis, so the dopsy-turvey season is starting to wind down. The final blossoms have started in Japanese Knotweed, Michaelmas Daisy and even some early Ivy. August has seen Angelica well below par but Common Fleabane has been excellent. Over the weekend I visited Gilfach (west) [28 species], Caerau [28 species] and Garnwen (trig point) [22 species] Highlights included Dasysyrphus tricinctus, Rhingia rostrata, Eristalis intricaria, Helophilus hybridus, Pipiza austriaca and new for the year Volucella zonaria. The highest numbers recorded were by far Eristalis tenax (393).

Eristalis arbustorum

Eristalis intricaria

Melanostoma scalare

Spiked Shieldbug

Black Darter

19th August finally slayed

While reviewing and assembling all my hoverfly records over the past ten years I found that this was the only date for which I had no records. The problem was that I was afternoons this week, so I got up early and went for a quick walk. I visited the Caerau Devilsbit Scabious fields to see if it had started to bloom yet. To my surprise I found it to be 30% in bloom, so it should be in full bloom in about 10 days. I managed to record 20 species in this small area. New for the year were Platycheirus peltatus and Ferdinandea cuprea - a species which I haven't seen for a number of years. Other highlights included Dasysyrphus tricinctus and Rhingia rostrata. Most numerous species was Eristalis tenax (50).

Sericomyia silentis

Rhingia rostrata - out of focus as it took off

Ferdinandea cuprea

Mynydd Caerau (west) [SS8794] - Sunday

 Mynydd Caerau forestry paths are full of Angelica and other blooms and a good place to visit when you have little time to spare. I recorded 27 species here on Sunday. Rhingia rostrata was new for the year and other highlights included Eupeodes lapponicus, Leucozona laternaria and Melangyna umbellatarum. Highest numbers were again Meliscaeva cinctella (130), which seems to be king of the coniferous areas.

Other insect were headed by a Painted Lady butterfly and a Vapourer moth caterpillar as well as the Angelica feeding micro moth Phaulernis fulviduttella.

Melangyna umbellatarum

Cheilosia bergenstammi

Painted Lady

Phaulernis fulviguttella

Vapourer moth caterpillar

Spelter [SS8593]

 Getting warm again 25c today, hoverfly numbers seem to be in a lull for most species, but now it's "Eristalis time". 26 species recorded today with 6 being Eristalis. Highlights included Eupeodes lapponicus, Eristalis intricaria and Volucella pellucens (scarce this year). The highest numbers recorded is now the battle of the "tenaxes" With Eristalis tenax (75) outdoing Eristalis pertinax (45).

Other insects included the dragonflies - Southern Hawker, Keeled Skimmer, Common Darter and Golden-ringed Dragonfly. Butterflies were highlighted by a group of 12 Green-veined White "mud licking" at a drying out pool. Flies were represented by the tachinid Nowickia ferox and a large emergence of the fungus gnat Sciara hemerobiodes. Finally the plant bug Deraeocoris ruber seemed to be out in good numbers.

Eristalis tenax

Helophilus pendulus

Scaeva pyrastri

Volucella pellucens

Deraeocoris ruber

weekend round up

 Over the fine warm weekend I visited Gilfach (west) [30 species] and Blaencaerau [32 species]. New for the year was Lejogaster metallina. Some of the more interesting species included Dasysyrphus tricinctus, Eupeodes lapponicus, Leucozona glaucia, Leucozona laternaria, Melangyna compositarum, Melangyna umbellatarum, Orthonevra nobilis and Eristalis intricaria. Meliscaeva cinctella (72) numbers are now dropping with both Eristalis pertinax (282) and Eristalis tenax (105) taking over on the good crops of Hemp Agrimony and Common Fleabane.

Chrysogaster solstitialis

Eristalis intricaria

Leucozona glaucia

Melangyna compositarum

Dasysyrphus tricinctus

Stictoleptura rubra (female)

Maesteg (golf course) [SS8391]

 This 1km square comprises of the top half of the golf course plus surrounding lanes as well as the Garnwen car park area and takes about 2hrs to walk slowly.  After todays walk the number of species recorded there has risen to 76.  Humid today with some cloud cover but little wind means I recorded 28 species.  A lot of hoverflies were present on Angelica, Black Knapweed, Hemp Agrimony and now Common Fleabane. Big numbers of Syrphus around (150+) with Syrphus Ribesii (55 female) emerging in big numbers. Highlights included Leucozona glaucia, Melangyna compositarum and Riponnensia splendens. A few species in high number besides the Syrphus included Meliscaeva cinctella (85), Eristalis pertinax (120) and Eristalis tenax (60).

Syrphus ribesii

Leucozona glaucia

Riponnensia splendens

Conops quadrifasciatus (conopidae fly)

Phasia hemiptera (Tachinidae fly)