Third week of June

 New hoverflies are continuing to emerge pushing me past 75 species for the year, but the dry weather is affecting overall numbers, with totals struggling to match last year unless I get a very good day. Highlights for the week include higher than usual numbers of Volucella bombylans, Sericomyia silentis and Xylota sylvarum.

Comma butterflies second brood are now emerging as are the Longhorn Beetle Rutpela maculata. Quiet on the bird front but Swifts seem to be making frequent entries to the nest cavities probably started feeding young.

Cheilosia variabillis

Xylota sylvarum

Rutpela maculata

Garnwen after another fire

Second week of June

 Fine weather continues, a bit to warm at times. Hoverflies out in good numbers, 31 species seen at Blaencaerau on Sunday, mostly in the central field which is now coming into its own with Hemlock Water-droplet and Ragged Robin in full bloom along with Bramble. Highlights include Scaeva selenitica, Anasymia contracta and Xylota sylvarum.

Chrysogaster solstitialis

Eupeodes corollae

Amongst the butterflies Meadow Brown are starting to emerge and Common Blue are becoming more noticeable. The Five-spot Burnets are now out in big numbers and the huge numbers of Burnet Companian continue. Middle-barred Minors are regularly being seen feeding on umbellifers during the day.

Meadow Brown

Common Blue

Five-spot Burnet

Five-spot Burnet pupae case

Burnet Companion

First week of June

 Dry weather and hoverflies are emerging in bigger numbers, finally got my first Helophilus pendulus of the year, but still a few common species missing most notably Cheilosia proxima. But nevertheless I have reached 70 species for the year. Some good sightings at various places over the last week include Cheilosia lasiopa, Chrysotoxum festivum, Parasyrphus lineola and I think I have  Parasyrphus vittiger as a specimen from Garnwen, the only other Welsh record is from here a few years back at the same Hawthorn tree !.but will have to wait for confirmation from Roger Morris at the end of year. Hawthorn has served me well this year, but now its umbellifer season with firstly Ground Elder and Hemlock Water- droplet for the next 3 weeks before Hogweed and Angelica flower. Lots of Volucella bombylans of both forms around at the moment with Bramble finally blooming. 

The first Large Skipper butterflies have emerged as are Gold-ringed Dragonfly and various Hawkers. Bugs include Rhopalus subrufus but no Forester or Burnet moths yet, but there are literally hundreds of Burnet Companion, Soldier beetles and Oedemera beetles of various species are also very abundant too.

A maximum of 12 Swifts are over Caerau at the moment in the evenings. Protheroe Street, George Street, Victoria Street, Church Street and Caerau Road all looking like they are holding colonies. Cuckoos are still plentiful but am yet to see a Garden Warbler. House Martins sem to be lacking but Swallows are staring to be more noticeable.

Volucella bombylans bombylans

Volucella bombylans plumata

Helophilus pendulus

Large Skipper

Rhopalus subrufus

well camouflaged Crab Spider

Meadow Cranesbill

Bank Holiday weekend

 More sunny weather brought out many more hoverflies, my year list jumps to 63 after a somewhat poor spring. Over the weekend  I visited Gilfach (west)  [19 species], Caerau/Blaencaerau [42 species -a new May record] and Maesteg (golf course) [18 species]. All "the big boys" are starting to emerge like Sericomyia lappona and silentis, Volucella bombylans and Didea fasciata. Leucozona lucorum are emerging in the biggest numbers I have seen but the pine hoverflies are yet to kick off. Hawthorn is having a good year and is attracting a lot of hoverflies, but Bramble, Ground Elder and other umbellifers are yet to flower.

Sericomyia lappona

Sericomyia silentis

Volucella bombylans  -  plumata form

Pachytodes cerambyciformis

Rhagium bifasciatum

Dingy Skipper

Small Heath

Drinker moth larva

Large Red Damselfly

2022 specimens and last week

 I received my results of my hoverfly specimens from 2022 from Roger Morris of the Hoverfly Recording Scheme, who is rather busy upgrading the new Hoverfly Wildlife Guides book (due Nov 23) nothing new but some interesting records in :-

Cheilosia carbornaria - 4 records   -   3rd - 6th for Wales, 2nd - 5th for valley and Glamorgan

Cheilosia Psilophthalma - 1 record   -   3rd for Wales, 2nd for valley and Glamorgan

Good records - Cheilosia lasiopa (5), Cheilosia longula (3), Heringia vitripennis (1) [2nd for valley and Glamorgan], Pipiza noctiluca (1) and Platycheirus tarsalis (1)

Also 49 records of 26 commoner species of hoverfly

Last week the fine weather meant more and more hoverflies are emerging and I quickly past the 50 species mark for the year. The highlight being new for the valley species in Brachyppalpoides lentus [147]. Sadly it was too quick to photograph. It looks like there is going to be a good Hawthorn crop this year, so I will be very busy this week 🔍. Lots of other insect families also emerging with my first Dingy Skipper and Red Admiral butterflies of the year along with the longhorn beetle Rhagium bifasciatum.

On the bird front at least 8 swifts are back so far over Caerau and Cuckoos are everywhere, at Blaencaerau I even saw a pair mating a first for me. 

Brooklime

Caerau Tunnel headstone

 

Caerau C.O.P. (weekend)

 The weather has been quite poor in the valleys so far this year. My hoverfly yearly total stands at a meagre 28, this time last year I was on 52.Over the weekend there was just about 3 hours sunshine on Sunday afternoon for a walkabout. Hoverfly numbers are still below average for the time of year and managed just 18 species headed by Chrysotoxum arcuatum, with Melanostoma scalare (18) being the most numerous.

Other insects are also a little scarce, just 3 species of Butterfly. But I did manage to photograph Gorse Shieldbug for the record.

Amongst the birds, summer visitors are now returning including singing/calling males of  Cuckoo (2), Tree Pipit (1) Grasshopper Warbler (2), Whitethroat (3), Blackcap (2), Willow Warbler (11) and Chiffchaff (4). No Swifts, Swallows or House Martins yet though (2 pairs of Sand Martin have returned to the lower valley site this week).

Although all the spring flowers are now in bloom like Cuckooflower and Early Dog Violet, the tree blossoms are all 3 weeks late like Rowan, Sycamore and Guelder Rose. In Fact Sallow is still in bloom from March ??.

Chrysotoxum Arcuatam

Tree Pipit

Gorse Shieldbug

Orange-tip

Adela reaumurella (I think?)

Cwmfelin Park

 Temperatures reached 15c today with very little wind, so went to visit the Blackthorn hedge at Cwmfelin Park which was in full bloom and dripping with spring hoverflies. Melanostoma mellinum (1m) and Epistrophe eligans (1m) were new for the year. Platycheirus albimanus (75) and Eristalis pertinax (45) were the most numerous. Other highlights included Parasyrphus punctulatus (3f) and high counts of Eupeodes luniger (4m, 3f) and 10+ Eupeodes not specifically ID'd. Also large numbers of Spring Syrphus (40+) of which Syrphus Ribesii (1m, 2f) and Syrphus torvus (7m, 2f) were checked in hand. 

4 species of butterfly were on the wing headed by 3 Brimstone, 3 species of mining bees - Clarke's, Gwynne's and Tawny as well as 60 Honey Bee. Bee-flies were numerous and a few 7-spot and 10-spot Ladybirds were basking on the larger leaves.

Only one singing Chiffchaff was noted and there were lots of fresh Mole hills about.

Blackthorn hedge at Cwmfelin Park

Epistrophe eligans

Eupeodes luniger

Syrphus ribesii

Easter weekend highlights

 Some fine weather saw me spending time outside for a change, with visits to Spelter, Cwmfelin Park and Gilfach (west).

Hoverflies are now starting to emerge in numbers, albeit a few weeks later than normal. Recorded 11 species of hoverfly with the pick being Melangyna lasiophthalma and Parasyrphus punctulatus. Hoverflies are still a bit skittish and difficult to photograph.

Other insects are also starting to emerge with Tachina ursina the pick of the flies, while Minotaur beetles are wandering near horse dung  and a few caterpillars out in the spring sunshine including Angle Shades.

Melanostoma scalare

Angle Shades larva

Tachina ursina

Minotaur Beetle

Melangyna lasiophthalma

On the bird front Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler numbers are starting to build and there seems to be a lot of Bullfinch about this year. Red Kites are also becoming more noticeable of late. 

[SS8691] Mynydd Bach (south) - 100 species for the 1km square

 Mynydd Bach (south) better known as the "cemetery 1km square" has become the 5th - 1km square in the valley to record 100 species following Paul Tabor's finding of a Cheilosia grossa on Saturday. Besides the cemetery the square contains some meadows, moorland and a coal tip reclamation area with some woodland.

The site itself was quite hard to work and was visited over 50 times. Unlike previous 100 species 1km squares the number of hoverfly species per single visit remained relatively low with peaks at week 20 (late April) and weeks 32-35 (August). One plus for the site is the cemetery has quite a lot of Ivy and records continue right up until week 45 (early November) while other sites were done for the year. The record of Eristalis similis is still the only record of that species for Wales.

Spring

specialities - Chriohina ascilica, Criohina ranunculi, Criorhina floccosa, Cheilosia grossa, Epistrophe nitidicollis

Summer 

specialities - Rhingia rostrata, Anasimyia contracta, Volucella zonaria, Cheilosia Lasiopa, Cheilosia longula

Autumn

specialities - Scaeva pyrastri, Sericomyia silentis, Didea fasciata, Eristalis similis, Xanthandrus comtus

species in red are rare for Wales or Glamorgan and blue are migrants from the continent.

Eristalis similis - 1st for Wales and Glamorgan

Ivy at the cemetery

Hoverfly season begins

 A late start to the hoverfly season with the first records of the year today. A visit to Lletty Brongu woods in the wind meant any insects were low down on the ground layer flowers like Lesser Celandine, Early Dog Violet and Opposite-leaved Saxifrage. Two species were seen in Platycheirus albimanus (7) and Eristalis pertinax (3). Had the camera out for the first time this year I think.

Not much else about, few bees and gnats. No summer migrants in the bird world yet either. Rooks are building at Llangynwyd square (4), the nests at the sewage works (2) look unattended from last year so far.

Platycheirus albimanus

Eristalis pertinax

Robin - watching me photographing hoverflies