Bee-fly

Photo: 24 March 2020

This was my earliest (Suffolk) garden sighting of a Bee-fly. I think it is a female as it looks as though there is a gap between the eyes. It seems to be Bombylius Major, the Dark-edged Bee-fly.

There is rather a good guide to these insects here.

Home Patch Species Update

First garden 'bug sighting' of the year, 25 February 2020

Insects are beginning to reappear in our gardens so it seems a good moment to update my species list... I have been using iSpot to receive (and, where possible, to offer) help with identifications. A red star * in my list below indicates that the ID has either come from or been confirmed by the kind folk who use this site.

Avian sightings: unlike the Big Garden Birdwatch, a bird seen clearly from the house or garden counts for my purposes. We have, for example, yet to see a Grey Heron landing in our home patch, but we have had several good sightings of these birds flying over in the direction of the local nature reserve, one road away, and perching on a neighbour's roof. We have often heard the local Tawny Owl, but I am not counting 'birds heard' (unless they are also seen) at present. [R] indicates a regular visitor and [O] an occasional one; and for wildlife in these categories I will not usually include updates; though it may be interesting, for example, to record first sightings of the year.   

Greenfinch

When we first moved here some seven or eight years ago, Greenfinches were frequent visitors to the garden. Some time after our arrival, and perhaps due to the general decline in their numbers which has been linked to avian trichomonosis, these colourful birds disappeared from our patch. It was with great delight that I finally saw one again earlier this year on 6 February. 

• HPb1   Great Spotted Woodpecker [O]  [early March, June 2020]
• HPb2   Great tit [R] 2020
• HPb3   Long-tailed tit [R] 2020
• HPb4   Blackbird [R] 2020
• HPb5   Song Thrush  [27 April 2019 - a pair] [27 March 2020]
• HPb6   Blue tit [R] 2020
• HPb7   Robin  [R]  2020
• HPb8   Magpie [R] 2020
• HPb9   Wood Pigeon  [R] 2020
• HPb10 Dunnock [R] 2020
• HPb11 Starling [R] 2020
• HPb12 Carrion Crow [R] 2020
• HPb13 Goldfinch [R] 2020
• HPb14 Jay [O]
• HPb15 Green Woodpecker [O] seen in passing [May 2020]
• HPb16 Wren [O] [27 March 2020]
• HPb17 Bullfinch [19 January 2017]  
• HPb18 Sparrowhawk [June 2020]
• HPb19 Mallard 
• HPb20 House Sparrow [1 June 2019] [June 2020]
• HPb21 Chaffinch 2020
• HPb22 Grey Heron [18 and 26 Feb 2020]
• HPb23 Collared Dove [R] 2020
• HPb24 Coal tit  
• HPb25 Redwing [20 January 2017] 
• HPb26 Kestrel  [8 June 2017]  
• HPb27 Blackcap [Feb 2020]
• HPb28 Greenfinch [6 Feb 2020]

Mammal sightings

• HPm1 (?Wood) Mouse
• HPm2 Bat ... [1st 2015 sighting 7 May 2015] [Apr/May 2015]  [22 Jan 2017]  [Aug 2018]  [8 Aug 2019] May 2020]
• HPm3 Shrew 
• HPm4 Grey Squirrel [R] and now [O] 2020
• HPm5 Stoat
• HPm6 Hedgehog  [9 Aug 2018] [1 June 2019]

Amphibian sightings

• HPam1 Common Frog [26 May 2019]  

Insect sightings 

• HPi1 Small Tortoiseshell butterfly [March 2014] [27 Feb 2017]  2019: where are these butterflies?
• HPi2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee [March 2014] [Jan/Feb 2016] [Mar/Apr 2016] [2017] 2020
• HPi3 Brimstone butterfly [April 2014] [5 June 2019] 2020
• HPi4 7-spot Ladybird [April 2014] [Oct 2014] [2015] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015] [Mar/Apr 2016] 2020
• HPi5 Small Skipper butterfly [July 2014] [26 July 2019]  
• HPi6 Meadow Brown butterfly [July 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015] [12 June 2020, six!]
• HPi7 Large White butterfly [July 2014] [Jul/Aug 2016]
• HPi8 14-spot Yellow Ladybirds [July 2014] [May 2019]
• HPi9 Small White butterfly [May 2014] [Apr/May 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015 - larvae] [2 May 2019] 2020
• HPi10 Orange tip butterfly [May 2014] 2020
• HPi11 Harlequin ladybird  [May 2014] [October 2014] [Sept/Oct 2015] [1 April 2019, N.B. spotless] 
• HPi12 Garden Chafer (Phyllopertha horticola) [June 2014] [June/July 2016] [18 May 2018]
• HPi13 Ruby-tail Wasp [June 2014] [May/June 2015] [May/June 2016] [21 May 2017]  [May 2020]
• HPi14 Blackfly [R]  2020
• HPi15 Marmalade Hoverfly [July 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Jul/Aug 2016]
• HPi16 Gorse Shield bug [27 March 2020] New!
• HPi17 Migrant Hawker dragonflies [July 2014]
• HPi18 Gatekeeper butterfly [Jul/Aug 2016] [9 Aug 2019]
• HPi19 Comma butterfly [August 2014] [June/July 2016] [2017] [8 Aug 2019] 2020
• HPi20 Red Admiral butterfly [August 2014] [October 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015] [8 Aug 2019] [14 June 2020]
• HPi21 Peacock butterfly [August 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Nov/Dec 2015] [8 Aug 2019] [27 March 2020]
• HPi22 Green bottle flies [August 2014] [May/June 2015]
• HPi23 Ants [R] [27 March 2020]
• HPi24 Squashbug aka Dock Bug, (Coreus marginatus ) [August 2014] [May 2018, mating]
• HPi25 Birch Shieldbug (late instar?) [September 2014]
• HPi26 Lacewing [October 2014] [Sept/Oct 2015]  [14 June 2020]
• HPi27 Cereal Leaf Beetle [Apr/May 2015]
• HPi28 Painted Lady [2018] [8 Aug 2019]
• HPi29 Rosemary Beetle [[Sept/Oct 2015] [May/June 2016 - four] [May 2017]
• HPi30 Hawthorn Shieldbug [May/June 2015] 
• HPi31 Forest Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes) [Sept/Oct 2015] 
• HPi32 Early Bumblebee [Mar/Apr 2016] 
• HPi33 *Species of Miridae [Mar/Apr 2016]  
• HPi34 Cranefly [R]  2020
• HPi35 Crossocerus, wasps family Crabronidae [May/June 2016] 
• HPi36 Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietis) [May/June 2016]
• HPi37 Tree Bumblebee (Bombus (Pyrobombus) hypnorum) [May/June 2016] 
• HPi38 Moth Least Black Arches (Nola confusalis) [May/June 2016] 
• HPi39 Holly Blue Butterfly  [26 May 2017]  [27 April and 6 June 2019] 2020
• HPi40 Dark Bush Cricket (nymph) [18 May 2017] [10 June 2019] [10 June 2020]
• HPi41 Common Cockchafer  [18 May 2017] [14 June 2019] [10 June 2020]
• HPi42 Scorpion Fly [May2017] [23 May 2017]  
• HPi43 Soldier Beetle (Cantharis rustica)  [2017] [13 May 2018][2019] 2020
• HPi44 Cabbage Bug (Eurydema (Eurydema) oleracea)  [2017]  [9 June 2017]  
• HPi45 Light Brown Apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana) [2017] [23 May 2017] 
• HPi46 Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)   [9 May 2018] 
• HPi47  Common Blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus)   [11 May 2018] 2020
• HPi48  Speckled Wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria)   [15 May 2018] 2020
• HPi49  Ruby Tiger moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)   [18 May 2018]  
• HPi50  Mint Moth (Pyrausta aurata)   [24 May 2018]  [2019] 2020
• HPi51  Mullein Moth larva (Cucullia verbasci)   [14 June 2018] 
• HPi52  Silver Y moth (two)   [August 2018] 
• HPi53  Rove Beetle (Platydracus stercorarius)   [September 2018] 
• HPi54 *Species of Nomada [27 April 2019] 
• HPi55 Fire bug nymph [17 April 2019] 
• HPi56 Pine Ladybird [1 April 2019]  2020
• HPi57 Cinnabar moth [4 and 5 April 2019]  
• HPi58 Small Red Damselfly [20 May 2019]  2020 
• HPi59 *Tortoise Bug [3 June 2019]   
• HPi60 *Cryptolaemus montrouzieri [6 June 2019] 
• HPi61 *Varied Carpet Beetle (Anthrenus (Nathrenus) verbasci)  [6 June 2019] 
• HPi62 *Empis tessellata [31 May 2019] 
• HPi63 *Macrophya [22 May 2019] 
• HPi64 *Bagworm moth case (Psychidae) [31 May 2019]  
• HPi65 *Greater Bulb-Fly (Merodon equestris) [22 May 2019]  2020
• HPi66 *Figwort Weevil larva (Cionus scrophulariae) [22 May 2019] 
• HPi67 *Arge Sawfly (Arge cyanocrocea) [22 May 2019]  2020
• HPi68 *Sarcophaga [16 May 2019]
• HPi69 *Juniper Shield Bug (Cyphosthetus tristriatus) [16 May 2019] 
• HPi70 *St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci) [28 April 2019] 
• HPi71 Fairy Longhorn moth (Adela) [9 May 2019]  
• HPi72 *Dagger Fly (Empis Tessellata) [13 May 2019]  
• HPi73 *Honey bee (Apis mellifera) [31 May 2019]  2020
• HPi74 *Rutpela maculata [14 June 2019] 
• HPi75 *Soldier Fly (Stratiomyidae) [12 June 2019] 
• HPi76 *Small Dusty Wave moth (Idaea seriata) [31 May and 5 Sept 2019]
• HPi77 *Planthopper (Issus Coleoptratus) [18 June 2019]  
• HPi78 Sexton (Burying) Beetle [7 Aug 2019] 
• HPi79 Small Copper [3 Aug 2019]  [10 May 2020]
• HPi80 *Speckled Bush Cricket [3 Aug 2019] 
• HPi81 Dark-edged Bee-fly (Bombylius major) [24 Mar 2020]
• HPi82 *Rhyparochromus vulgaris Ground bug [2 April 2020] 
• HPi83 *Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena (Andrena) fulva) [11 April 2020] 
• HPi84 *Dolichovespula media [19 April 2020] 
• HPi85 Mother Shipton moth [May 2020]
• HPi86 Green Hairstreak [May 2020] 
• HPi87 *Angle Shades moth [25 May 2020] 
• HPi88 Green-veined White [Apr 2020]  
• HPi89 Malachite beetle [June 2020]   
• HPi90 Thick-legged Flower Beetle [June 2020]    
• HPi91 Common Froghopper [12 June 2020]     
• HPi92 Small Heath [13 June 2020]    
• HPi93 Stag Beetle (female) [13 June 2020]    
• HPi94 Red-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius, m & f) [18 June 2020]    
• HPi95 Long hoverfly Sphaerophoria scripta [18 June 2020]    
• HPi96 Blue-tailed Damselfly [14 June 2020]    
• HPi97 Common White Wave moth [13 June 2020]    

Molluscs

• HPm1 Brown Lipped Snail (Cepaea (Cepaea) nemoralis) [May/June 2016] 2020
• HPm2 Field Slug (Deroceras) [May/June 2016] 

Arachnids

• HPa1 Zebra Spider [Apr/May 2015] [May/June 2015] [Mar/Apr 2016] [May 2018] 2020
• HPa2 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) [May/June 2015] [27 April 2019]
• HPa3 *Cucumber spider (Arianella) [31 May 2019]  
• HPa4 *Jumping spider (Heliophanus) [22 May 2019]  
• HPa5 Crab spider, showing pink stripes, aka 'White Death' (Misumena vatia) [9 Aug 2019]   
• HPa4 Nursery Web spider (Heliophanus) [22 Mar 2020] Spiderlings hatch: 27 June 2020

I am currently reading Richard Mabey's book, Gilbert White: A biography of the author of The Natural History of Selborne. White is remembered for the meticulous observations he made of the natural world in one small corner of the country, and Mabey's account is proving a fascinating read. I would like to think that what we learn through our own observations leads to a deeper sense of respect for the natural world, and in turn a willingness to adapt in terms of making our gardens more wildlife-friendly in this age of plastic, paving slabs and patios.