I don't know if you remember the summer, you know those few days in July when the sun came out...
I suppose in some ways my garden is a 'wildlife' garden, most plants and trees are there for a purpose, usually based around wildlife but you might not know to look at it just a mess! I have a triffid in the front garden, I don't know what it is called, well I don't remember, same thing, and it grows from a rhizome and has red flower spikes at this time of the year... it is a magnet for flying insects.
Each year I try and study what is flying around and I simply haven't got a clue. Some of the obvious things I can identify... whereas others, no idea. Anyone with a modicum of knowledge may well know immediately but I don't fall into that category. So I have spent a bit of time, when the sun was out, trying to photograph what was around with a view to identification. I still haven't got a clue. Some of the 'bees' I'm not even sure are bees but imposters – if anyone can help me out I'd be pleased to hear from you. Otherwise it will be further research, which may take a few weeks at the moment.
There have been very few butterflies about this year, a particular lack of Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Red Admirals so I wanted to record my first sightings... only trouble is this was about three weeks ago, I'll check the date... 21st July.
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| white-tipped abdomen, note 'yellow' |
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| white-tipped abdomen |
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| white-tipped abdomen |
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| included because I quite liked the flower in focus and 'be' out of focus... 'art photo'! |
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| red-tipped abdomen |
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| red-tipped abdomen |
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| red-tipped abdomen |
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
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| Gatekeeper |
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| Large White |
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| Holly Blue |
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| I quite like this photo of a Holly Blue... another 'art photo'. |
Perhaps I should add; I don't know my wasps from my hornets from whatever, and it is the drone flies, 'volucella bombylans' in particular that do a good impersonation of a bumble bee, those with white-tipped abdomens and some with red that make me hesitant.
I also get dyslexic and call items the wrong thing, even though I know what it is, so please advise and correct me where I make a horlicks of it.
