First
Three firsts for me today: First of the month (obviously). Pinch punch, etc., etc. The first photo I’ve posted of the ceanothus R and I recently planted against the yard wall, and which is now coming into flower. A couple … Continued
One of the earliest invertebrate arrivals in the garden this spring was a male Eristalis pertinax which was fond of basking on the aucuba, so it seems fitting that another male of that species should appear on the same shrub … Continued
I had a few candidates for tonight’s post, including some quite nice fungus that I found in the garden this morning, and a handsome little orb-weaver spider. In the end I’ve chosen this female Myathropa florea, feeding on ivy, because … Continued
I went over to Trench Wood early this afternoon, timing my arrival for the point at which I thought the morning crowd would have gone home for lunch. It certainly wasn’t crowded – though I only got a parking spot … Continued
I was lucky to spot this small, dark hoverfly on a dark ivy leaf in a shady part of the lane today. She’s Cheilosia pagana, the most common species out of the largest genus of hoverflies in the UK, but … Continued
One of the poignant pleasures of the late summer and early autumn is the emergence of the ivy flowers, which act as a magnet to all the invertebrates in the area that feed on nectar or pollen. I’ve been seeing … Continued
AOG – final day On the final day of this year’s Alternative Olympic Games the style medals were awarded. These events have attracted criticism from the athletes competing in more traditional events, because of the level of subjectivity involved in … Continued
AOG Day 9 The Hoverfly Copulation Competition concluded this afternoon, with what was surely an inevitable win for H. Hybridus, the hoverfly affectionately known to his team-mates in Team Eristalini as Alpha Male. Here you can see the unparalleled poise … Continued