Maesteg Welfare Park

The hoverfly season is all but over, all the Ivy spots in the lower valley have gone over. Only the park Ivy remains with a few flowers in the autumn flower bed still in bloom there. Maybe they will last another fortnight if we don't have a storm. I recorded 12 species of hoverfly with a very late Didea fasciata (1) amongst the common species which were all female  and most heavily laden with eggs. A Meliscaeva auricollis was seen egg-laying on Japanese Primrose (Daisy). The only other insects about were Harlequin Ladybird, Buff-tailed Bumblebee and Common Carder Bee and Common Wasp. No birds of note were seen.

This Syrphus vitripennis (checked in hand) was amongst the more numerous Syrphus ribesii (below)

Episyrphus balteatus

Eristalis tenax - very dark forms seem to predominate during the autumn

Harlequin Ladybird - another colour form

Insect highlights - Norfolk week

 

Caliroa cerasi sawfly species - confirmed on Irecord 

Helophilus hybridus

Helophilus pendulus

Ivy Bee

Myathropa florea

3 of the 4 Volucella zonaria feeding on Ivy at Warham Greens

Other birding highlights - Norfolk week

 Heacham Beach   -   Marsh Harrier (1), Mediterranean Gull (32), Brent Goose (9)

Warham Greens  -   Marsh Harrier (1), Little Egret (3)

Snettisham RSPB   -   Egyptian Goose (1), Brent Goose (20), Pink-footed Goose (1), Little Egret (3), Pintail (2), Mediterranean Gull (1), Wheatear (3)

Cley Marshes & sea  -   Marsh Harrier (2), Pink-footed Goose (20), Red Throated Diver (3), Brent Goose (6), Sandwich Tern (2)

Brent Goose

Eurasian Teal

Greylag Goose & Wigeon

Northern Pintail

Northern Shoveler

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

                                     

Wells area - Norfolk week

 Outer harbour and Sea   - Bird highlights included Black Brant (American rarity), 300 Brent Goose, 7 Red Throated Diver (2 calling), 2 Little Egret, 10 Sandwich Tern, juvenile Common Tern and 10 species of wader.

Northpoint Pools (new reserve)   - Bird highlights included 72 Egyptian Goose, 10 Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose and 2 Marsh Harrier.

Wells woods and fields   - Bird highlights were Marsh Harrier, Chiffchaff, 2 Egyptian Goose and 50 Pink-footed Goose.

Egyptian Goose

Red Throated Diver

Large Pine Sawfly (Diprion pini)

Titchwell - Norfolk week

 We visited Titchwell RSPB numerous times during the week as it was close to our caravan in Heacham and also had hides to shelter in during many periods of rain. As usual a wide array of birds were present in the marshes and on the sea. A list of the best included 5 Red Throated Diver, 9 Brent Goose, Pectoral Sandpiper (American rarity), 2 Little Stint, 50 Ruff, 10 Avocet, 3 Little Egret, 5 Marsh Harrier and 6 Bearded Tit.

There were quite a few hoverflies still on the wing with Didea fasciata, Sericomyia silentis being the pick. The Toilet block lights are always worth a check for moths and included Black Rustic, Green Brindled Crescent and Red Underwing also present was a Speckled Bush Cricket. In the dunes plants in flower that I could identify included Sea Rocket and Sea Spurge.

Pectoral Sandpiper - above and below

Ruff

Didea fasciata

Black Rustic

Red Underwing

Sea Spurge

Sea Rocket

Speckled Bush Cricket

Blacktoft Sands - East Yorkshire

 Last week  Paul Parsons, Colin Gittins and myself spent a week in Norfolk. On the way up we first visited East Yorkshire to see the long staying White-tailed Plover, which showed pretty well. Other tidy birds on show included 2 Marsh Harrier, 3 Spoonbill, Little Egret, 2 Ruff, 62 Pink-footed Goose, 3 Snipe and 2 Bearded Tit.