Blaencaerau coal-tips reclamation site

A rather heavy and sultry day was not helped by the stiff breeze from the north-east. 2 Tree Pipits were still displaying and a Cuckoo was seen calling in close. Otherwise breeders look like 6 Whitethroat, 6 Blackcap, 4 Grasshopper Warbler and plenty of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff. 2 pairs of Stonechat, 1 pair of Skylark, 5 pairs of Meadow Pipit and 2 pairs of Goldfinch.

Hoverflies were in short supply but I did record 19 species, one of which needs to be confirmed as I think its a new one for the valley [update later if so]. The more interesting species included. Anasymia contracta at three locations, Eristalis intricarius and Parasyrphus punctulatus.

On the insect front Common Blue and Small Heath butterflies are now emerging. Plenty of Large Red Damselfly and Tree Bumblebee headed the common bee species Day flying moths included Ancylis badiana, Glyphipterix thrasonella and Grapholita compositella. Longhorn Beetle Rhagium bifasciatum was again seen on Hawthorn Blossom, but Guelder Rose was seemingly devoid of insects. I also found a small conical shell Snail on Yellow Iris and it has been identified as a Large Amber Snail (Succinea putris), which is new for me if not the valley.

22 new blooms for the year were headed by Water Forget-me-not, Ragged Robin and the first Southern Marsh Orchid.

EVENING UPDATE - 3 male Nightjars at Foel Fawr, Caerau holding territory and very cagey, which probably means the females are on eggs. 4 pairs of Swift over Caerau at dusk.

 Large Red Damselfly

 Large Amber Snail

 Southern Marsh Orchid

path along the site of the old railway track to the former coal mine now a good site for hoverflies.

Cwm Darren Woods, Llangynwyd

With Hawthorn now in full bloom, Cwm Darren Woods exploded with hoverflies and other insects today. I recorded 30 species something I haven't done before in May. The most noticeable feature today were the masses of Pipiza species everywhere. Pipiza austriaca is easy enough to Identify but the other four species are not and need to be netted or potted for ID. I have looked at some specimens under magnification in the pot and I think I have another 2 species (noctiluca, lugubris) at least with another specimen suggesting a rarer species (fenestrata), but will have to wait till the end of the year when Roger Morris (Hoverfly Scheme Recorder) does the determinations of my specimens. Another welcome site was the return of the common hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus. This fly migrates from North Africa every year and lays its eggs in the autumn. Over the last few years it has been mild enough for the eggs and larva to survive, so March and April the adults start emerging and numbers then build up with new arrivals. But this year the bad winter must have killed off all the larva and none were seen in March, April and the best part of May. Today however the first batch of presumed migrants touched down in the valley with good numbers recorded. New for the year included (beside the Pipiza and Episyrphus) Myathropa Florea. Good species were also recorded in Parasyrphus punctulatus, Cheilosia fraterna, Rhingia rostrata, Sericomyia lappona and Melanostoma mellinum.

Other insects were noticeable on the Hawthorn including 2 Longhorn Beetles in Rhagium bifasciatum and Pachytodes cerambyciformis. The usual bees were headed by Tree Bumblebee and moths included Silver Ground Carpet. About 15 new blooms were seen for the year with Guelder Rose now in bloom. Odonata were represented by Blue-tailed, Azure and Large Red Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser. Wood Warbler and Tree Pipit were the pick of the birds as well as large numbers of Song Thrush (20+).

 Azure Damselfly

 Silver Ground Carpet

 This tiny ladybird which I am presuming is a 10-spot Ladybird without the ten spots, flew out of the bushes and landed straight on my arm, bit me and started drinking my blood, something I haven't seen ladybirds do before. After a bit of research I found that when the aphid population dies out and they run out of food and water, they are not adverse to biting humans for nourishment, Even prolonged spells of good weather has its drawbacks.

 longhorn - Rhagium bifasciatum

Episyrphus balteatus

 Pipiza - a myriad of these were seen today but can't be ID'd from a photo with confidence

 Myathropa florea

Cheilosia impressa - the all dark legs and yellow bases to the wings in the females separate this species from all other Cheilosia (36 species of them),

Late May round-up

Most of the summer breeding birds are now in, looks like good numbers of Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Redstart, Tree Pipit and Wood Warbler. But as of yet have been unable to find any Pied Flycatcher. Also had a Spotted Flycatcher up Garnwen maybe a passage migrant or a breeder time will tell. Only 3 pairs of Swift were back at Caerau by the 21st, breeding population normally fluctuates between 8 and 15 pairs, this mirrors the late arrival and lower numbers seen throughout the rest of the country, which I hope is not a worrying trend and they can recover just like the Whitethroat did in the 1990's.

With a bit of fine weather 51 species of hoverfly have been recorded so far this month (66 - 2017), so still some catching up to do. New for the year includes Orthonevra nobilis, Xylota segnis, Platycheirus rosarum, Platycheirus grandipennis, Sphegina sibirica, Neoascia tenur, Pipiza austriaca and Pipizella viduata. There are still a few Epistrophe eligans lingering in the woods and Eristalis horticola are now out in force. Criorhina berberina was the best of 25 species at the beech woods at the top of Cwm Sychbant, but none of the 6 beech specialities were encountered (yet).

Finally other insects are starting to emerge with the butterfly Dingy Skipper at Garnwen, along with beetles species like Green Tiger Beetle and longhorn Rhagium bifasciatum. Dragonflies too are emerging with regular sightings of Large Red Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser. Day flying moths new for the year include Common Heath and Ancylis badiana, with masses of. Micropterix calthella and Glyphipterix simpliciella covering every Meadow Buttercup flower.

Late spring flowers are also in bloom including new for the year in Columbine, Welsh Poppy, Herb Bennet, Creeping Cinquefoil, Lesser Trefoil, Starry Saxifrage, Watercress, Brooklime and Mouse-eared Hawkweed. Trees are also in flower with Rowan being a magnet for hoverflies and the first of Hawthorn finally blooming.

 Green Tiger Beetle

 longhorn beetle Rhagium bifasciatum

 Broad-bodied Chaser-female

 Broad-bodied Chaser -male

 Rhingia campestris - was staring at this hoverfly for about ten seconds before I saw the Crab Spider feasting on it.

 Sericomyia lappona - seems to be having a very good year, it is being seen at most sites on the edge of both broad-leaved Woods and Pine forestry.

Speckled Wood - sunning itself on forestry path.

Shapwick Heath/Ham Walls RSPB day out

Colin Gittins and I decided to have a day out here, it's always a good day even though there were no rarities present. The fine weather (22c) had all the speciality birds performing well. Highlights included :-


Bittern                              2 seen & 15 booming
Great Egret                       25 including a number of pairs at nest sites
Little Egret                       4
Marsh Harrier                   4 male, 6 female
Red Kite                           1
Black-tailed Godwit         23
Cuckoo                             3
Hobby                              31 including 20 in the air together
Garden Warbler               1

A total of 65 species were seen, we also had a quick stop at nearby West Hay Moor Nature Reserve, but it was very run down and little of note was seen.


Hoverflies were well represented with 22 species with the usual large amounts of Tropida scita, Anasymia lineata and Parhelophilus species, but the highlight was my first Eristalinus Sepulchralis, but I couldn't get a shot before it flew off.

 Anasymia lineata

 Azure Damselfly

 Coot Egg - There were a number of these on the paths around the reserve. It was noticed that Carrion Crows were quartering the reed beds like harriers and robbing the eggs from the nests and then dropping them on the paths to break and eat what's inside.

 Tropida Scita

Yellow-tailed Moth caterpillar - quite a few of these seen and large numbers can be a serious pest.

Weekly roundup

Managed to get out a couple of times this week between the showers. Hoverflies are finally starting to emerge in numbers, with new species for the year in Dasysyrphus venustus, Parasyrphus punctulatus (11 in one Sycamore Tree feeding on its flowers), Syrphus ribesii, Sphegina Clunipes,  Neoascia podagrica, Sericomyia lappona, Criorhina berberina, Cheilosia Bergenstammi, Rhingia rostrata and Xylota segnis.

Wood Warbler and Garden Warbler have been seen at a number of locations and the first swift appeared on the 9th. A male Peregrine at the usual site but no sign of a female on one visit. Cuckoos seem to be all around the valley with at least 4 heard away from the main areas like My. Bach and Top Llangynwyd.

Insects have been rather scarce but I had the first of the year Speckled Wood and Green-veined White are now abundant. Micropterix calthella and Gorse Tortrix moths are emerging in the lower end of the Valley.

First of the year blooms were topped off by Yellow Pimpernel, but Hawthorn is about three weeks away from blossoming.

 Helophilus pendulus

 Rhingia rostrata

 Sericomyia lappona

Sericomyia silentis

Garnwen

With temperatures still at 26c it was a waste of time walking anywhere looking for insects. So I tried something different, I waited till 1600hrs which is when the hottest part of the day is over, and to stand by a Blackthorn Tree on the edge of the forestry up Garnwen, to see what would come into feed. This turned out to be the right thing to do. In 1 hour I had 22 species of hoverfly coming and going to the blossom. Highlight was undoubtedly the valley's first Cheilosia chrysocoma, but it was too quick and flighty for me to photograph 😥. Other species that were new for the year included Melanostoma mellinum, Chrysotoxum arcuatum, Episyrphus balteatus, Meliscaeva cinctella, Parasyrphus mallinelus, Parasyrphus punctulatus, Cheilosia variabilis, Sphegina sibirica, Sphegina elegans and Sericomyia silentis. I also took a few specimens to check later in the year and one looks promising for a species of parasyrphus we haven't had yet (annulatus).

Other sightings included 1 male Cuckoo, 3 pairs of Whitethroat 1 pair each of Stonechat and  Reed Bunting and 6 Willow Warbler, one of which had the same idea as me and kept returning to the tree to feed on flies, even getting in my way while trying to photograph some hoverflies. It took the Chrysotoxum arcuatum before I could photograph it. 30 Green-veined White and 3 Orange Tip butterflies made up the rest and I flushed what I thought was a fritillary probably Small-pearl Bordered Fritillary.

 Lone Blackthorn on edge of Garnwen forestry overlooking the moorland.

 Meliscaeva cinctella

 Parasyrphus punctulatus

Sericomyia silentis

Back to reality

Took a trip down the sewage works and river in the 26c heat, and as expected things were quiet. With the insects laying low, at least the birds were singing. A surprising Wood Warbler was singing from the old trees on the opposite bank of the sewage works, otherwise all much of a muchness. Hoverfly numbers were low but did have Eristalis arbustorum and Leucozona lucorum new for the year. Other insects were headed by 2m,5f Orange Tip butterfly and that's about it. New blooms for the year included Copper Beech, Lilac, Sycamore, Wood Speedwell and Germander Speedwell. Hopefully it'll be a bit cooler tomorrow for me to walk the Blaencaerau Area.

 Eristalis arbustorum

 Leucozona lucorum

Green Heron @ Pembrokeshire

Actually managed a trip out of the valley/county today. A rare American Green Heron had been found at Llan-Mill, Pembroke a few days earlier by their MP Simon Hart in his farm garden pond. It showed well from the time we arrived to the time we left and fed mainly on newts and small Rudd. It's only the 7th record for Great Britain and is regarded as a "mega" rarity.

On the journey back we had a few Red Kites between Carmarthen and Kidwelly. We stopped off at Kidwelly, the estuary only had a dozen Whimbrel of note. So we decided to walk the reens and scrub area to see if any migrants were about. This turned out to be a good idea as the sun came out and it was now warming up. All the birds were singing in the sun, so were easy to locate and we recorded 2 Cetti's Warbler, 2 Lesser Whitethroat, double figures of both Sedge Warbler and Whitethroat, we also had singles of Cuckoo, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff. Other birds seen included 2 Greylag Goose, Little Egret, female Peregrine and 10+ Linnet.

A couple of common hoverfly species were feeding on Dandelion & Meadow Buttercup, with Cheilosia albitarsis of note as first for the year.

 Sedge Warbler

 Cuckoo - distant

Cheilosia albitarsis - with the diagnostic dark 1st and 5th tarsi and pale 2nd, 3rd, 4th tarsi on the front legs