Maesteg cemetery and lower Mynydd Bach

The weather has been unusually warm for February (16c peak today) as a southerly air flow has brought in weather from the Mediterranean. The valley is still a barren wasteland as far as insects are concerned at this time of year. So the trick is to find islands of habitation that are even warmer than its surroundings. I found three such islands on my walk today that attracted early emerging insects each is described below.

1. Coltsfoot stream.

This small stream coming off the mountain, was covered in moss which in turn gave a good bedding for early flowering Coltsfoot. I recorded my first and earliest for the year hoverfly here a female Eristalis tenax. The flowers also attracted a few honey bees and pollenia fly species.

2. Flowering Gorse plant

Lots of the Gorse had a few flowers on them, but this one in a wind-shaded sun trap was in full bloom and covered in flowers, which in turn attracted about a dozen Honey Bee, incidentally Eristalis tenax is a honey-bee mimic and its good to compare photos of each species.

3. Maesteg cemetery graveyard.

The graveyard can be a good source of insects due to the constant replenishment of fresh flowers amongst the graves at this time of year. Today there was a few Dung Fly, Honey Bee and a smart queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

This Honey Bee however must have been a little confused, trying to feed on an artificial flower at a graveside.

Also in the undergrowth at the cemetery were plenty of feeding Blackbird and Song Thrush. This Blackbird looking considerably better than me after polishing off a bottle of Smirrnoff vodka, although our eye-rings are probably the same colour.

Lletty Brongu

The temperature peaked at a balmy 12c in the afternoon, thought I'd take a look at the lower end of the valley in case a few insects were out early in the suntraps in the wood. As it turned out the only insect besides spring midges was a Honey Bee feeding on Sallow catkins. A few plants were starting to flower in Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage, Daisy and Lesser Celandine, I also recorded the Polybody Fern growing in a rot hole of a Sallow Tree.

Birds were about in good numbers with a pair of Dipper displaying on the river as well as 2 pair of Grey Wagtail holding territory and 4 Mallard (3 male). The trees held good numbers of Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Chaffinch and Woodpigeon. The sewage works had very little as there is a lot of building and ground work going on inside. The mole population has obviously been disturbed by this as there were a lot of fresh mole hills present outside the fence of the sewage works.

First Lesser Celandine of the year.

Cold weather birds

Last couple of days has seen the temperature drop to -4c and a covering of snow which isn't melting above 300 metres. So I've been around a few places making notes of what birds are about.

Caerau (01 Feb) - untagged Red Kite (late news)

Caerau (31 Jan) - A Red Kite has been around Tudor Woods and it has an orange wing-tag on the right wing meaning it was tagged as a nestling in 2014, but the left wing tag was missing (or at least I couldn't see it) meaning you couldn't tell where it was from. A Sparrowhawk swooped through the street after starlings but was unsuccessful. A Stock Dove at Foel-y-Dyffryn is also unusual, not seen too many over the years here. Lots of LBB/Herring gulls in the air too. Garden feeder highlights were 8 Long-tailed Tit and 2 Collared Dove. Grey Heron over the church another unusual sighting.

Caerau Forest (30 Jan) - Another Red Kite, this one untagged otherwise fairly quiet besides 6 Bullfinch (3male, 3 female) dotted around, A male Stonechat was high up around Darren-y-Bannau cliffs, odd in itself but it also had a bright rosy-pink rump but nothing else to suggest a rarer species. Good numbers of Coal, Blue, Great Tit, Chaffinch along the forestry edge accompanied by a Great-spotted Woodpecker.

Mynydd Ty-Talwyn (29 Jan) - Another untagged Red Kite along with 13 Buzzard (12 in one field worming), 7 Raven and 35 Starling. A flock of 57 Lapwing was flushed from Mynydd Baeden by a light aircraft overhead, while loose flocks of 48 Fieldfare were feeding on what berries were left and finally 2 Great Black-backed Gull were in attendance on a sheep carcass above Cwm Nant Gwyn.

 Raven perched at Darren-y-Bannau

 Robin at Caerau forestry

These 200 foot wind turbines really are monsters when up close, the photo is from 600 yards away to get it all in. They make quite a loud whirring noise too.

Photos of specimens

While taking samples of hoverflies, I sometimes take photos first if possible, below are a few examples to see if they can be identified by photo alone.


Chrysogaster virescens

These 3 photos show Chrysogaster virescens from various angles. The clear wings and lack of deep black on the thorax rule out "solstitialis". What you can't see from the photo is the lack of grey hairs on the lower side of the thorax, which rules out "cemiteriorum" and this species is also matt black, so the bronzy green colour of any Chrysogaster is at least a pointer towards virescens. It is a species of acid moorland and was half expecting to find it at Garnwen eventually, it is regarded as local and the rarest of the Chrysogaster. Incidentally Chrysogaster are much larger than any of the other metallic species of the tribe.

 Eupeodes latifasciatus

Male Eupeodes are difficult to identify from photos, I kept this one as it didn't fit neatly into the latifasciatus genus, but there are only 2 species with wavy yellow lines on the abdomen that don't reach the side (in Wales) and I thought this one might be bucculatus after looking at it under magnification but Roger thought not.

 Cheilosia fraterna

The yellow hind tibia is a diagnostic feature of the "grossa group" of 4 species, but the other 3 species are very hairy on the thorax and abdomen while this one is clearly not, so this species can be done from a photo.

Cheilosia proxima

The only way to identify proxima is to catch one to check the underneath of the abdomen for dusting, so there's no way it can be identified from photos.

Orthonevra nobilis

I was quite surprised when this species came back as "nobilis" as the wing venation suggested Chrysogaster genus and the grey dusting on the side of the thorax pointed to cemiteriorum. Taking it as an Orthonevra the length of the yellow antennae and sparse dusting on the side of face point to nobilis.

Pipiza austriaca

Pipiza are almost impossible to identify from photos except austriaca which has a thickened ridge to the hind femora underneath which is just visible in some of the following photographs.

Hoverfly specimen results for 2018

I have received the results of the specimens I took throughout the year from Roger Morris of the Hoverfly Recording Scheme. There were 3 new for the valley and are as follows

132. Chrysogaster virescens (4)     2 male     14 May 2018   Garnwen
                                                          1 female  30 May 2018   Blaencaerau
                                                          1 male     02 Jun 2018     Garnwen

3rd record for VC41, last recorded Swansea (2004)

133.  Cheilosia antiqua (1)             1 male       18 May 2018   Lletty Brongu Woods

2nd record for VC41, last recorded Ystrad Mynach (1997)

134. Cheilosia vulpina (1)               1 female    13 Jul 2018    Lletty Brongu Woods

4th record for VC41, last recorded Portenyon (2013)    




Other good records    

Neoascia meticulosa (1), Parasyrphus malinellus (1), Parasyrphus punctulatus (1),
Cheilosia fraterna (4), Platycheirus peltatus (1), Pipizella viduata (2),
Pipiza austriaca (4), Platycheirus clypeatus (2), Lejogaster metallina (1),
Eupeodes lapponicus (1), Cheilosia longula (1), Sphaerophoria interrupta (3),
Sphaerophoria philantha (1), Paragus haemorrhous (1).


Commoner records

Platycheirus albimanus (2), Eristalis nemorum (1), Eristalis arbustorum (1),
Melanostoma mellinum (8), Cheilosia bergenstammi (4), Sphegina sibirica (2)
Eupeodes luniger (3), Sphegina clunipes (1), Neoascia podagrica (1),
Cheilosia pagana (11), Melanogaster hirtella (2), Neoascia tenur (1),
Platycheirus scutatus (3), Cheilosia variabilis (1), Platycheirus angustatus (1),
Cheilosia proxima (11), Orthonevra nobilis (2), Eupeodes latifasciatus (4),
Syrphus torvus (2), Cheilosia scutellata (3), Syrphus ribesii (1),
Syrphus vitripennis (2), Melanostoma scalare (1), Eupeodes corollae (1)


So the valley list is now on 134 species and the total species for 2018 was 104.

Gilfach (west) - Top Llangynwyd

Another cold day after overnight frost, this time I ventured up Top Llangynwyd to see if I could find a shrike but no luck. Walked from the car park area to the Bodvoc Stone and back via the moorland. The Usual winter birds were present in 2 pairs each of Raven and Jay and 3 pairs of Bullfinch dotted around. The moorland area held the most birds  with a very dark Common Buzzard and Kestrel hunting overhead, 6 Redwing, 25 Starling and Green Woodpecker flicking between the stands of trees. I decided to walk the small stream at the bottom of the moorland until I flushed a Snipe, it actually took me three steps so no more "booters" for me this year then 🙏. Other than these birds the place was a wilderness.

Witches' Broom above is caused by the fungus Taphrina betulina on Silver Birch, not a great example but you can see clearly the bunches of stunted twigs in various places on the branches of the tree. When small galls like these appear they have been described anecdotally as a "flock of roosting hedgehogs" before they become full blown "Witches' Brooms" in the spring when the tree starts to grow again.

A better example of Witches's Broom - Lletty Brongu [09/01/2019].

Blaencaerau and finally some sun

It's been quite a while since we've had some sunshine, so I made the most of it as we are having 2-3 days of cold crisp weather. A walk around the coal-spoil area produced a good size flock of 32 Lesser Redpoll feeding on Larch and Birch seeds as well as on the ground/fallen seeds but not much else, but included Meadow Pipit, Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit and Mistle Thrush for a total of 17 species. The garden feeders highlights were a pair of Collared Dove and 10 Long-tailed Tit.

No insects or any other genus of fauna. So onto the plants - I managed to find an Austrian Pine in the planted trees which is a first for Blaencaerau. Surprisingly I also located 4 species of plant in flower in Dandelion, Herb Robert, Ox-eye Daisy ssp. and Gorse. A lot of Sallow, Alder and Birch catkins were starting to open up and release pollen, but the next few colder days will put an end to that

Hoverfly 2018 round up

The hoverfly season is all but over for another year. I may get the odd records on sunny days, but nothing to trouble the statistics. 2018 started off very cold and a prolonged winter meant spring was 4 weeks later than last year, also this summer was hot and stayed hot for weeks giving rise to a heatwave that lasted from the end of June to mid August. This heatwave hit hoverfly numbers hard as a lot of the species (larva) either feed on aphids (greatly reduced) or are the aquatic type larva (pools and mud dried up). So overall numbers were down 17% on the average mean.

It wasn't all doom and gloom though as I added 2 new species to the list in Cheilosia chrysocoma (07 May) and new for Wales Eristalis similis (27 September). Paul Tabor also added 2 species to the list in Melangyna cincta and Eristalinus sepulchralis. Giving us a total of 132. I have sent off my specimens to the Hoverfly Recording scheme, I am averaging 6 new species a year this way and I think this year will be just as good if not better if my initial identifications are confirmed. So I expect the total to rise again by the end of the year.

Some yearly highlights included Didea fasciata (5), Eriozona syrphoides (1), Megasyrphus erratica (1), Eupeodes lapponicus (4), Parasyrphus malinellus (2), Rhingia rostrata (4) and Eristalis rupium (15). I recorded 101 species this year but that will rise with specimens identified, whereas 2017 which was my best year to date had 106 species including specimens. So here's looking to next March when I begin again in my quest to get 150 species for the valley.

Ivy watch

Spent about half hour at 2 Ivy spots today, still quite a bit in bloom. We've had quite a few frosty nights this week but there still seems to be a few insects hanging on. 4 species of hoverfly still feeding on Ivy included Platycheirus albimanus (1), Episyrphus balteatus (9), Eristalis pertinax (5) and Eristalis tenax (13).

Other insects noted were Small Copper (1), Bronze Shieldbug (1), Harlequin Ladybird (2), Honey Bee (14), Common Carder Bee (3), Tree Wasp (15), Common Wasp (10) and Noon Fly (2) as well as about 50+ Bluebottle type flies. Had a few moth leaf-mine for a change. No birds of note except Ravens were constantly in the air and squabbling.

Eristalis pertinax

 Platycheirus albimanus

 Harlequin Ladybird - 4-red spot form

 Phyllonorycter froelichiella - micro moth leaf-mine on Grey Alder

Stigmella plagicolella - micro moth leaf-mine on Blackthorn

Bits and Bobs last couple of days

After returning from Cornwall on Monday from ticking off the American Grey Catbird [my 400th British species], I have been visiting a few areas around the valley to see what's left and with the slim hope I might find something rare but to no avail. Today was warm for October and hit 17c by 1300hrs. But the next few days the weather is going to change due to stiff northerly winds and it has been forecast that on Saturday it will only be 5C during the day. Vapourer moths are now on the wing and I had 7 fly-bys today around Mynydd Bach. Surprisingly I also had three species of butterfly in Red Admiral, Small Copper and Speckled Wood. Hoverflies amounted to 11 flies of 6 species with the notably scarce Rhingia rostrata, my 4th of the year as the pick of the bunch. I continue to take photos of fly leaf-mines to fill the quiet periods and acquired another species. Again no Ring Ouzels at My. Bach, only 21 Meadow Pipits noted.

 Rhingia rostrata - at Halfway House, Llangynwyd, the same place I had one last year on the 1st November.

 Small Copper - on Yarrow at Waun-y-Gilfach Llangynwyd.

 Speckled Wood - also at Waun-y-Gilfach

 Common Shiny Woodlouse (Oniscus asellus) - My Bach top farm ruins.

Phytomyza cytisi - fly leaf-mine on Laburnum at Maesteg Cemetery entrance.

Hornet - there was an amazing 36 of this species feeding on Ivy and flying round Japanese Knotweed at the lane to Lletty Brongu sewage works. Up until this autumn I had only ever seen one before and that was at Bridgend Hospital 10 years ago. My total for this autumn is now over 50 and I have also recorded them at Maesteg Cemetery, Blaencaerau and Gilfach (west), Llangynwyd.

Lletty and Llangynwyd Ivy

The hoverfly season is all but over until next March or April depending on how bad a winter we get, with Ivy now being about the only food source left for flies outside the urban ornamental gardens. So I had a look at the Ivy along the lane to the sewage works and the lane leading from Llangynwyd past the viaduct and up to the entrance to Cwm Darren Woods. I wasn't expecting much as although it was bright the areas with Ivy were in the shade and made photography almost impossible. As it was I managed to record a healthy 9 species for the time of year. The surprise was at Lletty Sewage Works lane where small patches of flowering Ivy had a few migrants in a single of Xanthandrus comtus (*), Scaeva pyrastri (*) and 2 Episyrphus balteatus, there was also a Eristalis pertinax present. At the viaduct lane there was much more Ivy in bloom and I recorded Melanostoma scalare (2)(*), Platycheirus albimanus (4), Platycheirus scutatus s.l. (1), Episyrphus balteatus (7), Meliscaeva cinctella (1)(*), Syrphus ribesii (2)(*) and Eristalis pertinax (6)(*). Six of these species were my latest dates for the year and are marked with an "*". I also had another Eristalis "similis" type, but without a photo for confirmation I'll just have to record as "Eristalis species" with a footnote explain why it could have been "similis". The X. comtus was probably my last new hoverfly for the year, giving me a total of 101 species + what's new in my specimens (2017 = 106 species).

Other insects were a little scarce although I did have another Hornet feeding on Ivy at Lletty Woods as well as 10-20 Common Wasps and a single Honey Bee. The only bird of note was a female Sparrowhawk.

 Episyrphus balteatus - the dark orange colour instead of yellow would suggest this one hatched in UK rather than being a migrant.(darker colour in cooler conditions, brighter, yellow colour in warmer conditions)

Another fly leaf-mine, this time on Nettle - Agromyza pseudoreptans/reptans agg. (can only be distinguished by the differences in the larva, although pseudoreptans is the commoner/default species)

My. Bach

A walk around My. Bach mid-levels in the warm sunshine (21c) looking for passage Ring Ouzel proved fruitless, with the best bird being a female Goshawk. I bumped into Colin Richards returning from the top plateau where he saw 6 Golden Plover and a female Merlin chasing pipits, which outshone my sightings.

Insect wise it looks like this will be one of the last recording days for the year. With numbers of species and overall individual numbers declining rapidly. I managed 7 species of hoverfly mainly on a few patches of Meadow Buttercup and Creeping Thistle. Eupeodes corollae (1) being the best and Episyrphus balteatus (6) the most numerous. 2 species of butterfly were seen - Speckled Wood and Comma. Plenty of Honey Bees and Common Carder Bee were seen lower down as were Common and Tree Wasp. Green Shieldbugs and Harlequin Ladybirds were also seen on various plants. Also seen on one of the mountain ponds were 2 late male Southern Hawker. And finally another new fly leaf-mine in Phytomyza ranunculi on Meadow Buttercup.

 Eupeodes corollae

 Harlequin Ladybird - four-spot form

Phytomyza ranunculi - fly leaf-mine on Meadow Buttercup, there are 2 similar species but neither of these has the frass grains close together forming short (black) lines in the mine as seen in the bottom of the photo.

Cemetery re-visited

The Ivy at the cemetery was again disappointing so I switched my attention to the small damp meadow outside the main entrance. As well as holding Devilsbit Scabious, Creeping Thistle and various yellow composites the surrounding trees included Black Poplar, Grey Alder and Large-leaved Lime. The area held 7 species of hoverfly with the best being Eupeodes corollae (1) and the most numerous being Melanostoma scalare (10).

Otherwise a Red Admiral was on the car park Buddleah Bush and another fly leaf-miner confirmed in Agromyza albitarsis on Black Poplar. A goshawk made a pass-over.

 Cemetery meadow

 Red Admiral

 Eristalis tenax

Agromyza albitarsis fly leaf-miner on Black Poplar

Blaencaerau COP

The weather has been pretty grim today but we did have an hour break late afternoon. So I had a quick walk around the coal spoil area. I managed to find 6 species of hoverfly with a latish Helophilus pendulus the best and Melanostoma scalare the most numerous (8). Other insects included Green Shieldbug, 7-spot Ladybird and a day feeding Rosy Rustic moth. A flock of post breeding Goldfinch numbering 24 were the only birds to speak of.

 Helophilus pendulus

 Rosy Rustic - I think [can you confirm Sid ?]

Field Vole nest under a sheet of corrugated iron

Maesteg cemetery area

Hoverfly numbers have plummeted since the cold (near zero) night of the 24th September, in fact only two species seen today - Melanostoma scalare (6) and Episyrphus balteatus (3) neither of which was on ivy. The only insects on Ivy were 50+ Common Wasp and various Blow fly species. The Buddleah Bush didn't have the Eristalis similis I found a couple of days ago but held 3 Comma and 2 Speckled Wood Butterfly. Also present was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth, my 3rd of the year and the nearby shrubbery held a few Green Shieldbug, Harlequin Ladybird and Yellow Dung Fly and as they say "that was it".

 Episyrphus balteatus

Comma