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

Back to Gilfach (West) twice

 With the continuing good weather by day (17c), I made a couple more visits to Gilfach . With the car park Sallow attracting a lot of hovers as it did last year, but it bloomed 2 weeks earlier giving me a better stab at finding Melangyna quadrimaculata. After about 20 minutes of staring at every blossom I finally connected with said species, a well coloured male and being new for the valley to boot (number 145). There were also good numbers of early spring species about as well including Melangyna lasiophthalma (41), Parasyrphus punctulatus (2) and Platycheirus scutatus (1). 13 species in all were recorded over two visits.

Other insects seen were Black Oil-beetle, the butterflies Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock, the tachinid fly Tachina ursina and Tree, Early and Buff-tailed Bumblebee. On the bird front the first Chiffchaff of the year was singing and a fine male Crossbill seemed to be defending a nesting area.

*** Update news - Paul Tabor photographed a Cheilosia grossa at Lletty Brongu woods, which was new for the valley (number 146). ***

Melangyna lasiophthalma

Meliscaeva cinctella

Platycheirus albimanus

Platycheirus scutatus s.l.

I also photographed by luck a couple of odd looking hoverflies which I think are one over-coloured T2 and one melanic Melangyna lasiophthalma - see below

Other insects

Black Oil-beetle

Peacock

Small Tortoiseshell

Gilfach (west)

 A fine sunny day peaking at 14c, had a few species of hoverfly feeding on the emerging Sallow blossom. Firsts for the year included Melangyna lasiophthalma (3), Meliscaeva auricollis (2) and Syrphus torvus (1). Also present were Eristalis pertinax (4) and Eristalis tenax (1).

Other insects included Honey Bee, Tree and Buff-tailed Bumblebee. Also 2 Roe Deer were on the edge of a forestry track. No summer migrant birds returning as yet. Ground flowers blossoming included Lesser Celandine, Opposite-leaved Saxifrage, Coltsfoot and Primrose.

Melangyna lasiophthalma

Meliscaeva auricollis

And we're off

 At Lletty Brongu sewage works and river today there were 4 male Eristalis pertinax  feeding on Sallow Blossom and a single male Eristalis tenax basking on the dead Japanese Knotweed stalks.

The only other insects were 3 Honey Bees and about 5 species of unknown flies and midges. The first blossoms have started to emerge in Sallow, Lesser Celandine and Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage. Very little on the bird front with Goldcrest being the best observation.

Eristalis pertinax

Lesser Celandine heralding the first signs of Spring

Hoverfly specimen records for 2021

 I have just received my specimen results for 2021 from Roger Morris of the Hoverfly Recording Scheme, who generously takes the time to confirm them for me, I had all of them right this year for the first time.

New for Valley

144.   Heringia vitripennis - 05 Jun 21   Garnwen (west) [SS8392]  This species although fairly common in Wales north of Aberyswyth has not been recorded in South Wales before and is therefore new for Glamorgan [VC41].

Important records

Eupeodes lapponicus - 3 Apr, 20 Jun, 22 Jun, 29 Aug 2021 @ upland forestry sites of Garnwen (west) and Gilfach (west). An amazing 35 records of this species this year and the Llynfi valley is still the only site in Wales where it has been located. 

Psilota anthracina - 22 Jun 2021   Blaencaerau. Recorded for the third year in a row and from three different locations within the valley. Again this is the only site in Wales where it has been recorded. 

Good records

Cheilosia fraterna (1), Cheilosia longula (1), Eumerus funeralis (1), Pipiza austriaca (1), Platycheirus clypeatus (1), Platycheirus peltatus (1), Platycheirus tarsalis (2), Sphaerophoria interrupta (2) and Sphaerophoria philantha (1).

Common records

Cheilosia bergenstammi (3), Cheilosia proxima (9), Cheilosia scutellata (4), Cheilosia variabillis (1), Cheilosia vernalis (1), Eupeodes corollae (1), Eupeodes luniger (1), Melangyna umbellatarum (1), Melanogaster hirtella (1), Orthonevra nobilis (1), Pipizella viduata (1), Platycheirus albimanus (1), Platycheirus scutatus (2), Scaeva selenitica (1), Sphegina elegans (1), Syrphus vitripennis (1) and Xylota jakutorum (1).

The only photos I took prior to taken a specimen are below

Eupeodes luniger

Eupeodes lapponicus - spring

Eupeodes lapponicus - summer

6 Ring-necked Duck at Margam Opencast

 Some 2 weeks ago Paul Roberts visited Margam Opencast and to his astonishment he found 6 Ring-necked Ducks, a species from North America seldom seen in Glamorgan. They are still present today and were approachable to within 30 yards. Spent most of the time sleeping with bouts of feeding and were the only ducks on the lake, although there were 2 Mute Swan and a Canada Goose present also.

On the way back Mynydd Ty-Talwyn held 4 Red Kite, 13 Linnet and unusually 19 Rook. 

Late record (04 Aug 2021)

Just had the tachind fly Linnaemya vulpina confirmed on irecord. My 12th tachinidae photographed in the valley. It is always located on or near Heather where it's host species the True Lover's Knot moth is found and is widespread throughout Britain where Heather and the Host occurs. Recorded from Garnwen on 04 Aug 21 near the top of the hill, where there is a lot of Heather around the small cliff-face.