Bee / Fly

I think I may have struck very lucky today by pointing the camera at a couple of ticks. But, I'll reserve judgement for the moment. Annoyingly, both appeared whilst I had camer in hand and not whilst I had net in hand. I need to find a camera and net technique .....

This hoverfly literally appeared under my nose as I was about to snap something else. I grabbed a couple of quick shots, but it zipped off never to be seen again when I reached out for the net. I think it is Cheilosia caerulescens.

Post-script - record confirmed and accepted by Roger Morris

And this mining bee appeared briefly on the lilac bush ....

Andrena nitida

And whilst I'm at it, another green fly that I'd ignored from a few days ago.

Lucilia sericata

I've been posting the odd weed from the garden. How the hell did I miss this one!

Sycamore Norway Maple

Every spring I literally pull up around a hundred sycamore/maple seedlings, and it never ceases to amaze me how several get missed and overlooked until suddenly it's there in your face poking through other plants.

Also from today, another beetle caught in flight though not one I needed to pot and scrutnise.

14-spot Ladybird. In hand.

I've also got a nice-looking Ichneumon type thing to look at, and an Amara type carabid to key out.

The moth trap was pants last night, and then to top it off the control gear literally fell to bits, so I've had to quickly knock something up this evening which is not pretty or safe but hopefully will work! Trouble is the only control chokes I have are for double-tubes. And I only had spare actinic rings, so have had to run a 22W synergetic and a 22W actinic together (with the extant 12W blacklight LED).

Choke dangling from loose wires, no housing for electrics, precariously balanced double-decker tubes. It does not meet any safety standards .....