The weather today at about 1400hrs hit 20c in bright sunshine, only a few degrees cooler than the Georgian Plains at Chachuna last week. Plenty of birds singing with summer visitors being Wood Warbler, Redstart, Tree Pipit, Cuckoo, Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff, as well as resident species like Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Dipper and Grey Wagtail present along the river but no hirundines over the sewage works. First blooms in Creeping Jenny, Large-leaved Lime, Ground Elder, Elder and Bush Vetch.
May is when the numbers of hoverfly rise sharply and today was my first totals in double figures this year. 19 species were recorded plus 4 which I will check later with ID keys. Firsts of the year were Eupeodes corollae, Leucozona lucorum, Neoascia tenur, Syritta pipiens and Xylota segnis.
Other insects included butterflies - 22 Small White, 1 Large White, 1 Speckled Wood, 1 Peacock, 1 Comma and 2 Small Tortoiseshell. Large Bee-fly numbered 20, with bees including 10 Honey Bee, 5 Common Carder Bee, 2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee and an Andrena mining Bee which needs confirmation from Irecord. Day moths were represented by 500+ Micropteryx calthella on buttercups.
Rhingia campestris
Syritta pipiens
Xylota segnis
Leucozona lucorum
Eupeodes corollae
Cheilosia - to be checked later, something in the variabilis group I suspect
Andrena Bee - looks orange-tailed
[confirmed Orange-tailed Mining Bee on irecord]
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