Wednesday 27 March 2019

It's that bee fly time of year again!

I caught my first sighting of the year of dark-edged bee fly (Bombylius major) on Monday 18th March - at Whiteways Countryside Site, Bury Hill in West Sussex. I counted three individuals on the wing.

dark-edged bee fly 18th March

It took me until the following Sunday 24th March - before I clinched my first garden record of the year with two individuals being recorded front and back garden respectively.

dark-edged bee fly 24th March garden record

A walk to St Hubert's Church, Idsworth on the same day produced multiple sightings of B. major using the hedgerows or gardens along the route. The following day as I walked the holloway that is Mill Lane to Halnaker Windmill - I counted three B. major en route.

dark-edged bee fly Mill Lane, Halnaker
25th March 

Working from home today, I had an opportunity to keep one eye on the garden, and noted during a screen break - that a dotted bee fly (Bombylius discolor) was exploring the plant pots and weeds on the overgrown patio. Camera in hand I captured some record shots for iRecord - and doubled my days count of this species - when a second hove into view.


B. discolor 27th March garden record

At the end of the working day as the temperature dropped - I noted a B. major roosting on a plant pot in the receding sun line.


B. major 27th March garden record

Tuesday 19 March 2019

More reptiles on the chalk

Another survey on chalk grassland in West Sussex managed to record six adder (Vipera berus) and four common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) - the latter resolutely refusing to hang about for a photograph. I am still outstanding my first slow worm (Anguis fragilis) of the year on site?





five of the six adder recorded