weekend hoverflies

 Visits to Lletty Brongu and Blaencaerau over the weekend brought in 12 new for the year species in Platycheirus clypeatus, Chrysotoxum cautum,  Leucozona lucorum, Cheilosia albitarsis, Cheilosia bergenstammi, Cheilosia Fraterna, Cheilosia illustrata, Sphegina clunipes, Eristalis nemorum, Criorhina berberina, Sericomyia silentis and Syritta pipiens. Taking my year total to 45, which is a very good haul before May. One curious anomaly though is that I have not seen any Episyrphus balteatus so far this year. Meaning any overwintering hoverflies/larva/pupae of this species locally were killed off by the winter cold. It has only happened twice before in 2016 and 2018. When they are abundant due to mild winters "climate change" rears its ugly head as the reason, but silence is the sound from the doom mongers for 2022.

Cheilosia fraterna

Chrysotoxum arcuatum

Chrysotoxum cautum- a much bigger beast, but antennae measurements is the key

Eristalis nemorum

Meliscaeva cinctella

Platycheirus tarsalis

Sericomyia silentis

Other insects photographed have been first for the year in most cases.

Adela reaumurella

Dingy Skipper

Micropterix calthella

Orange Tip

On the bird front Cuckoo (1), Whitethroat (2), Willow Warbler (12), Chiffchaff (4) and Blackcap (2) were the summer visitors back at Blaencaerau.

Also Sand Martin (6) were seen nesting in the middle of the week at a location somewhere in the valley, with three nests holes occupied.

Mynydd Bach (south) cemetery area

 A warm day at 18c but the wind was strong and cold. So I tried to find a sheltered sun-trap, the path that leads from the cemetery car park through a small gate round the front of the cemetery was ideal. Only 100yds long but buzzing with hoverflies. I recorded 7 new for the year in Melanostoma mellinum (1), Chrysotoxum arcuatum (2), Dasysyrphus venustus (2), Didea fasciata (1), Rhingia rostrata (1), Chalcosyrphus nemorum (1) and Xylota segnis (2). A total of 20 species were recorded, my second best total for April. The most numerous species was Melanostoma scalare (45).

Chalcosyrphuss nemorum

Chrysotoxum arcuatum*

Dasysyrphus venustus*

Epistrophe eligans

Xylota segnis

* - confirmed in hand under lens magnification.

Llety Brongu woods and sewage works

 A strong north-easterly made hoverflies hard to find today. I still managed 10 species and new for the year were Baccha elongata (female), Platycheirus tarsalis (male) and Rhingia campestris (16). The most numerous species was Platycheirus albimanus (30). 

Other wildlife included a fly-over Red Kite and 2 pairs of Rooks have set up nests inside the sewage works compound, a first for the site. Dipper and Grey Wagtail were holding territory along the river. Summer breeders included Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap. 2 Orange Tip were the only butterflies present and Tree Bumblebee was feeding on newly blossoming Ramson's.

Baccha elongata

Rhingia campestris

Orange Tip

2 nest Rookery at sewage works

Easter weekend hovers

 Hoverfly numbers are only now starting to pick up with the year total now at 22 species, the next few weeks should see numbers rise sharply until the end of May.

Syrphus ribesii

Helophilus pendulus

Epistrophe eligans

Cwmfelin Park

 The recent cold weather and frosty nights have put a hold on the spring hoverfly emergence. But temperatures over the last few days have been getting warmer, so I stopped off at the park on the way home as I have finished nights for the time being. Six species were located on the flowering Blackthorn with the prize being a female Criorhina ranunculi. Most numerous species was Platycheirus albimanus (15) and new for the year was Cheilosia pagana (2 female). A Cheilosia that got away could have been caerulescens as there are quite a few "House Leeks" in the flower beds. Not much else about except 2 singing Chiffchaff.

Criorhina ranunculi

Cheilosia pagana

Cuckooflower

Lletty Brongu woods [SS8788] - 100 species of hoverfly

 Lletty Brongu woods [SS8788] is the 3rd 1km square in the valley to achieve the 100 species status, following on from Garnwen (west) [now 111] and Blancaerau [now 117]. The area consists of country lanes heavily covered in umbellifers and ancient woodland surrounding the valleys main river and sewage works.

It is usually the first place in the valley to host emerging spring hoverflies being only 90mts above sea-level and spring is usually 2 weeks earlier here than the top of the valley. Records and species numbers start in week 12 [March] but don't really pick up until week 22 [late May] which coincides with the first umbellifers blooming like Hemlock-water droplet and Ground Elder which carpet the woods and hoverflies become much easier to record. Numbers stay high then until week 32 [mid August] when numbers start to tail off. The last records are from week 44 [mid October] when the last of the Ivy is in flower. Two more 1km squares are close to achieving the 100 species status those being Gilfach (west) [98] and Mynydd Bach (south) [94]. 

Spring

specialities - Cheilosia grossa, Cheilosia albipila, Psilota anthracina, Ferdinandea cuprea and Brachyopa scuterallis.

Summer

specialities - Cheilosia lasiopa, Cheilosia vulpina, Eupeodes nitens, Parasyrphus nigritasris and Xylota xanthocnema. 

Autumn

specialities - Rhingia rostrata, Scaeva pyrastri, Scaeva selenitica, Sericomyia superbiens and Xanthandrus comtus.

Species in red are rare or scarce for Glamorgan and Wales and those in blue are migrants.

Sericomyia superbiens