Lletty Brongu woods

 It's surprising what a bit of sunshine can do at this time of year. A good selection of spring hoverflies were in the woods at Lletty Brongu and some in good numbers. 11 species were recorded with the best being Epistrophe eligans (4), Rhimgia campestris (7) and Cheilosia pagana (1). Highest counts were Melanostoma scalare (46), Platycheirus albimanus (41) and Eristalis pertinax (40).

Epistrophe eligans

Rhingia campestris

Xylota segnis

Eristalis pertinax

Helophilus pendulus

First butterflies of the year included Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and unusually Small White, I have never seen them emerge before Green-veined White before. Tree, Buff-tailed Bumblebee and Tawny-mining Bee were present as well as the common Honey Bee. Other flies include the spring cranefly Tipula vittata and the first shieldbug of the year was Green Shieldbug.

On the bird front Sand Martin (4) have returned and the woods held Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, but no Rooks using either Llangynwyd or the Sewage works as a nest site.

Tawny-mining Bee

Green Shieldbug

Speckled Wood

Tipula vittata

Finally one of the oldest oak trees in the woods has succumbed to the winter storms and split right down the middle as it fell and was heavily laden with Ivy.  In fact quite a lot of trees have come down and lots of paths are blocked.

Easter weekend

 No new species of hoverfly but numbers are increasing slowly, which was a bit of a surprise after the snow on Thursday. Platycheirus albimanus numbered 24 and there were two male Parasyrphus punctulatus at Blaencaerau. But still singles of Eristalis pertinax and tenax.

Firsts for the year included Tree Bumblebee and the tachinid fly Tachina ursina. Cuckooflower was starting to blossom - a bit earlier than normal. On the bird front seven male Chiffchaffs have returned for the summer.

Parasyrphus punctulatus

Tachina ursina - my yearly photo📷

Cuckooflower

Sunday (24th March) - the season begins

 Things have started to emerge, 4 species of hoverfly were recorded on a 2hr walk up Gilfach (west) on Sunday with Platycheirus albimanus (1), Parasyrphus punctulatus (2), Eristalis pertinax (3) and Eristalis tenax (1) all on the wing.

The only other insects seen were Honey Bee (5) and Buff-tailed Bumblebee (3).

Parasyrphus punctulatus

Eristalis pertinax

Eristalis tenax

The new season

 Hoverfly season is about to begin in the valley, roughly on 21 March (first of the Sallow blossom) and end on 10 October (last of the Ivy blossom). These dates are about 2 weeks later than England and coastal Wales due to the higher altitude micro-climate we endure throughout the year particularly in Spring and Autumn. So here's a snippet of our overall records over the last nine years, with the valley list standing at 147 species, with a few notable missing species that should be recorded in the near future.

End of season at the Welfare Park

 Most of the Ivy has finished and hoverfly numbers are low. So another season winds up. There were 8 species at the park Ivy and dying flowerbed. Platycheirus clypeatus being the only hoverfly of note. Episyrphus balteatus was the most numerous at 15. Any more hoverfly records will be casual/isolated observations rather than recording at sites.

Just the 3 Red Admiral left among the 100's of Common and Tree Wasps.

Eristalis pertinax

Eristalis tenax

Platycheirus albimanus

Weekend round up

 It's that time of year when all the flowers have died back except for a few isolated pockets of Michaelmas Daisy and ornamental flowers in parks and gardens. Even the Ivy is starting to die back. The cemetery Ivy is nearly gone but the Welfare Park is still blooming as well as the Caerau pockets. So this will probably be the end of the hoverfly season for another year. This weekend though produced another 3 migrant Xanthandrus comtus, the most I've seen in a single day. In total 13 species were recorded, with no other surprises. Although migrant flies seem to be outnumbering the residents with 22 Episyrphus balteatus, 2 Scaeva pyrastri and 2 Syrphus vitripennis seen.

Other insects are now becoming scarce with my first Painted Lady in a while feeding on Ivy and large numbers of Harlequin Ladybird present. Nothing to report on the bird front, which was a little disappointing.

Scaeva pyrastri

Sphaerophoria scripta

Episyrphus balteatus

Harlequin ladybird

Hawthorn Shieldbug

Caerau

 A bit of sunshine Saturday morning meant a quick walk before the rugby. The Japanese Knotweed has gone over followed closely by Devilsbit Scabious. That leaves just  Michaelmas Daisy and Ivy for the hoverflies to feed on, so wasn't expecting much. But a newly discovered Ivy patch in a sun trap attracted a lot of hoverflies. The star of the show was my third ever Xanthandrus comtus a scarce migrant from Europe, Couldn't quite get the killer shot but I'm satisfied with the the following three.

Eighteen species in total is not bad for late September. Finally new for the year was Helophilus trivittatus plus the other Helophilus. Also seen were Rhingia rostrata, Didea fasciata and sixteen Sericomyia silentis. The most numerous species was Eristalis tenax (70).

Eupeodes luniger

Helophilus pendulus

Helophilus trivittatus

Serocmyia silentis

Syrphus ribesii

On the insect front Silver Y moth and Red Admiral butterflies were still numerous and 2 Comma butterfly were feeding on Ivy and Devilsbit Scabious. Green Shieldbug, Southern Hawker Dragonfly, Common Darter and the tachinid fly Tachina fera were the supporting cast.

Comma

Green Shieldbug

The only bird of note was a calling Chiffchaff. Late news from Friday was a American Cliff Swallow found by Neil Donaghy at Sker briefly, was said to be flying inland, so I thought I would chance my arm before work and drive up Mynydd Ty Talwyn to see if it would pass by. When I arrived at the big green field there were 200+ Barn Swallow feeding low over the hay bales. I scanned them for quite a while but try as I might I couldn't locate a Cliff Swallow. Two Red Kite were also present. A large fall of American birds including Canada, Magnolia and Bay-breasted Warbler. Alder Flycatcher and Bobolink has occured in Pembrokeshire, but I didn't have time to visit there sadly and now the weather is about to turn crap again :( .

Maesteg Wefare Park

 First visit of the year, for the following three reasons. Firstly the new Dragonfly ponds (thanks Sid) has a small patch of Devilsbit Scabious which allowed me to record some of the bigger hoverflies like Sericomyia silentis and Volucella pellucens. Secondly I wanted to check out the extensive Ivy Bank, which had a small number of florets already in bloom, on which I saw Myathropa florea, with the main blossoming about 2 weeks away. Thirdly I wanted to check out the "wildflower patch" that has been good in the past, although many of the flowers are ornamental rather than British wild flowers. Here there were five species of Eristalis  as well as Eupeodes luniger, Cheilosia bergenstammi and Helophilus pendulus. A total of 17 species were recorded in about an hour.

Wild flower patch

Eristalis arbustorum

Eristalis horticola

Eristalis nemorum

Eristalis pertinax

Eristalis tenax

Myathropa florea

Sericomyia silentis

Devilsbit Scabious patch

 The patch is now in full bloom along with Goldenrod, the last of the Angelica and Michaelmas Daisy for back-up. Recorded 23 species in the September heat with Rhingia rostrata being the highlight. Eristalis tenax (147) and Sericomyia silentis (19) are now out in good numbers.

Other insects include big influxes of Red Admiral (20+) and Silver Y (100+) and is always nice to get a close-up Tachina fera.

Rhingia rostrata

Volucella pellucens

Eristalis arbustorum

Sericomyia silentis

Silver Y

Red Admiral

Common Blue

Tachina fera

Unusual to see a garden escape species in the grassland around the old railway track. I'm not very good with garden flowers, but to me it looks like some kind of hibiscus species but I'm open to ideas.
 [After a bit of research it appears to be - Hibiscus moscheutos - English name - Honeymoon Deep Red Hibiscus]