Bank Holiday Blaencaerau

 Weather was pretty poor so looking for hoverflies was hard work, but I stuck at it and used the "stair at a tree for 20 minutes" method. In the end I had a fair haul of 30 species. The best being  Platycheirus tarsalis, Parhelophilus versicolor and Pipiza austriaca. Most numerous was Syritta pipiens (15). The bigger more colourful hoverflies are finally starting to emerge, with firsts of the year with Volucella bombylans and Volucella pellucens taking me to 67 species in May alone. The umbellifer season has also started with both Cow Parsley and Ground Elder blooming making it much easier to locate multiple species at once.

Otherwise all the usual suspects in the insect and bird world led by the Bilberry Bumblebee.

Volucella bombylans - plumata form

Cheilosia albitarsis - checked in hand

Volucella pellucens

Melanogastor hirtella - checked in hand

male Parhelophilus versicolor - checked in hand, but the photo does show the lack of ventral projection (hair clump) on hind femur.  

Bilberry Bumblebee

Gilfach (west), Top Llangynwyd

 My first full visit to this area this year, proved to be a good idea as Hawthorn and Rowan were in full bloom.. A small parasyrphus was on a Buttercup flower warming up in the sun. I took a few photos before I potted it, On examination in the pot I could see it was clearly a Parasyrphus annulatus, which is a new hoverfly for the valley [number 148]. I took it home and checked under magnification to be sure. The photos are inconclusive not showing the hind femur pattern and lack of upright hairs on the squamae but I'll post it anyway.

Otherwise 27 species were seen, highlights other than the parasyrphus were Criorhina berberina, Criorhina floccosa and Pipiza austriaca. Most numerous species was Eristalis pertinax (60) although  a high count of Myathropa florea (8) was also pleasing.

All the usual insects and birds were present including the longhorn beetles Pachytodes cerambyciformis and Rhagium bifasciatum.

Parasyphus - which when examined was "annulatus" and new for the valley

Pipiza austriaca

Criorhina floccosa

Dasysyrphus venustus s.l.

Syritta pipiens

Oedemera nobilis (Swollen-thighed beetle)

Blaencaerau in the sun

 Continuing fine weather is seeing more and more hoverfly species emerging, up to 57 species since the 1st of May. There is a total lack of the Syrphus family group about, only 2 Syrphus torvus seen so far this year and no ribesii or vitripennis. On the plus side Parasyrphus are much easier to find with "lineola, malinellus, nigritarsis and punctulatus all recorded in good numbers. Also had my first Episyrphus balteatus of the year, which is almost certainly a migrant, with the poor weather up to May destroying the chances of any hibernating/spring brood individuals from emerging safely.

Leucozona lucorum

Episyrphus balteatus

Melangyna lasiophthalma

Last week

 Some fine weather for a change had the hoverflies coming out in good numbers and number of species. 41 species were seen and it seems like Rowan is attracting a lot of insects. Below are a few photos from the week

Cheilosia variabilis

Chrysotoxum arcuatum

Dasysyrphus venustus s.l.

Epistrophe eligans

Sericomyis silentis

Sphegina species - probably clunipes.

On the bird front had my first Swifts of the year at Blaencaerau along with Grasshopper Warbler and Whitethroat being the highlight of 39 species. Looks like the Willow Tits have disappeared till the Autumn, I tried tracking them a few times but they disappear towards the farm area.

Garnwen (Saturday)

 The lack of sunny days means hoverfly numbers are below average for the time of year. I only recorded 10 species where I should be expecting 20+. Best of which were Parasyrphus malinellus (1),Parasyrphus punctulatus (3) and Dasysyrphus albostriatus (2). No species exceded 5 individuals.

Dasysyrphus albostriatus

Parasyrphus punctulatus

Parasyrphus species - which can't be identified from the photo, so I potted this one and later found it to be Parasyrphus malinellus.

The Blackthorn blossom has been very poor this year, so I was happy to see a single tree in good blossom and this is where I recorded most of the species today. 

Otherwise the only other insect of note was a bloody-nosed beetle'

On the bird front I saw my first Whitethroat of the year as well as other summer migrants Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler.

Bloody-nosed beetle