Maesteg cemetery area

With the weather looking like settling into a fine period for the next 5 days (15c), I took a stroll around the cemetery and school area. There were lots of Ivy in bloom at the cemetery along the walls behind the house and this allowed me to get a total of 19 species of hoverfly for the day. Highlights were Dasysyrphus albostriatus, Scaeva pyrastri and 10 Sericomyia silentis. Most numerous were Eristalis tenax (45), Episyrphus balteatus (30) and Melanostoma scalare (25).

Other insects included plenty of Harlequin Ladybird and my first and presumed new for the valley Kidney-spot Ladybird. Southern Hawker (2) and Common Darter (10) were present at the pond near the school. Five species of Butterfly were making the most of the September sunshine - Red Admiral (8), Peacock (4), Small White (1), Speckled Wood (3) and Common Blue (1 -checked it wasn't Small Blue 😜). Otherwise there were lots of Common Wasp and Honey Bee on the Ivy as well as Common Carder Bee (5) and some big queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee (3). Not much on the bird front, but quite a few Jays (8) were in the cemetery.

 Dasysyrphus albostriatus

 Syritta pipiens

 Kidney-spot Ladybird - new for the Valley

 Speckled Wood

Common Darter