A 'flying black thing' and friends

A chum had told me he had seen 'a yellow bird' nesting on some canal lock gates not too far away, so when opportunity presented itself I thought it worth checking out. I guessed the yellow bird would be a Grey Wagtail and I have seen single birds myself, on and off, around lock gates for about three years now (including on the frozen canal in winter!). I looked everywhere but could see no sign of a nest or bird. Fleetwood Mac!! ....

'Oh well'...

nevermind).

However as I returned to the car I thought my time was up, flying horizontally and straight at my nose in direct flight was this black thing – I was waiting for it to go straight up my nose and drlll it's way into my brain – 'Alien sixteen' or whatever number they are up to. Needless to say it didn't but shot past. Strewth! Talk about Close Encounters!

As I was by a meadow and after the rain the sun was coming out... the results follow. Now while 5 Spot Burnets may be considered  'common' and I recall seeing the odd one, I have never seen so many in one place in such a short period. I was in the right place as they were emerging everywhere... well not everywhere like a plague of locusts,  just lots of 'em. So here are a few photos of the spotted black things and their friends in the same field... I think they are 5 Spot Burnets, please correct me if I'm wrong as I know nowt.

Emerging

Drying and flexing the wings

Feeding, or about to...

'probiscus' if that's the right word

with hoverfly

five feeding on vetch, note wing damage

anyone know what the beetle is?

with Meadow Brown

... and a female large skipper

and another skipper cos I like the photo – from a different location