Darryl

In the hills again. Tree Pipits on the move, 10+ over between S and W today. And a Green Sandpiper over NW, dunno where he was going(?!). #birdingWales

… also Clouded Yellow, Grayling, Painted Lady, Dartford Warbler, Egyptian Goose, etc. Moreton: Jersey Tiger and a nice salad. Middlebere: 2 Spoonbill, Whimbrel, Water Rail, etc. 2/2

Scarlet Darter Crocothemis erythraea

Three days in #Dorset. Tyneham/Worbarrow Bay: Lulworth Skipper and a paddle. Silverlakes: 10+ species of Odonata incl. 2+ *Scarlet Darter*, 1-2 Lesser Emperor, 2+ Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, plenty of Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Keeled Skimmer, etc., … 1/2

Early Ynysyfro WeBS this morning, the GC Grebes having *another* crack at nesting was probably the best of it. #gwentbirding #WeBS

Absolutely *convinced* RS Thomas spent a lot of time at Goldcliff Point. #birding

Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa).

🩸👃🏼🪲 #coleoptera #beetles

How marvellously realistic and well observed. Clear evidence of a, as yet undiscovered (presumably extinct?), species of huge-legged, goggle-eyed, bikini-wearing owl. #WhathavetheRomanseverdoneforus? #owl #birds

Anasimyia transfuga.

One of my better finds whilst cheering from the sidelines at Junior Park Run. Anasimyia transfuga aka ‘Golf-club Duckfly’ or ‘Golf-club Swamp Fly’. Presumably Bob Fossil coins the trivial epithets. #diptera #thegolfclubguy #thewaterfeaturesneaker

Tredegar House Lake: Ring-necked Parakeet. #gwentbirding #birdingWales

Cover of ‘BABY BJORNSTRAND’ by Renée French (2014). ISBN 978-1-927668-13-9

This remains one of the best books in the history of books. #babybjornstrand #ReneeFrench #bestbooks #books

If it was in a Roman fresco or on an Egyptian tomb there’s a good chance some muppet would be suggesting it depicts a now extinct species of huge-legged Osprey that specialised in eating tiny-weeny fish.

The picture below is, apparently, in the United Kingdom’s national collection of British art. Presumably in a dusty folder marked ‘Why sculptors stick to sculpture’ or ‘Plates for a hilariously shite illustrated book about birds’. #birds #art

Hmmm. Ta.

Bar chart showing heat-related deaths in several European cities from 23 June to 2 July 2025, distinguishing between numbers due to human-caused climate change and those due to natural variability Milan: 317 from human caused climate change, 182 natural Barcelona: 286, 54 Paris: 235, 138 London: 171, 92 Rome: 164, 118 Madrid: 108, (then some relatively small number not given) Athens: 96, 79 Budapest: 47, 24 Zagreb: 31, 25 Lisbon: 21, 71 Frankfurt: 21 (then some relatively small number not given) Added text says two-thirds of heat deaths in London were attributable to climate change Guardian graphic, source: World Weather Attribution, Grantham Institute, Imperial College London

Yes climate change is already killing people

www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/pub...

And now, a statement from Mr. Buzz Killington, Chairman of the British Ornithologists’ Union Party-pooping Committee,…

Mute Swan. Little feet, tiny body, looooong neck, hoooooge heed.

Uh-oh. More evidence pointing toward the emergence of a novel highly pathogenic avian body shrinking virus. 😱 #birds

Melanostoma scalare, female, with turquoise haltares and a distended abdomen.

Just had a Melanostoma scalare with eye-catching turquoise halteres (usually off-white or pale yellow). An image on Steven Falk’s Flickr also shows this (see www.flickr.com/photos/63075...). Both seem to have distended abdomens, evidence of an entomophagous fungi? #diptera #syrphidae #syrphing

Six-belted Clearwing.

Shrill Carder Bee.

Phasia hemiptera.

A few inverts from Uskmouth this morning: egg-laying Six-belted Clearwing(!), Shrill Carder Bee (🥱) and the winner of best-looking Tachinid competition, Phasia hemiptera. #moths #bees #diptera

Image of a deceased Black-headed Gull alongside the wording: Please report sightings of dead birds. Image by Dawn Balmer.

Please report sightings of dead birds for possible testing for Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) ⬇️

📌 In England, Wales & Scotland: www.gov.uk/guidance/...
📌 In Northern Ireland: www.daera-ni.gov.uk/...
📌 In Republic of Ireland: aviancheck.apps.serv...

Spined Mason Bee (Osmosis spinulosa), female, on Ragwort (Senecio sp.).

Spined Mason Bee (Osmosis spinulosa), heavily worn male, on Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica).

Spined Mason Bee (Osmosis spinulosa), female, on Ragwort (Senecio sp.).

Spined Mason Bee (Osmosis spinulosa), female, on Ragwort (Senecio sp.). Pollen brush appearing buff coloured, presumably due to bleaching and/or presence of pollen.

Osmia spinulosa, the rather diddy Spined Mason Bee, on a brownfield site in Glamorgan yesterday. The females were looking a little bleached and worn, the males decidedly cream-crackered. #knackered #bees #diddy

Purple Hairstreak (Favonius quercus), female, on Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.)

Purple Hairstreak near Pen-carn yesterday during an entomology interrupted 40km circuit on the mountain velocipede. Probably worth checking any oak heavy hedgerow on the levels. #bugsbybike #butterflies #flutterbies

Leucozona laternaria, male, on umbellifer.

Leucozona laternaria, female, on umbellifer.

Leucozona glaucia, male, on umbellifer.

Leucozona glaucia, male, on umbellifer.

And a few Leucozona glaucia and L. laternaria, just because they’re aesthetically pleasing. 3/3

Chrysogaster cemiteriorum, male, on umbellifer.

Chrysogaster cemiteriorum, male, sort of thing I could easily miss. 2/3

Lapposyrphus lapponicus, female, on Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare).

A few hoverflies from Saturday at Fedw Wood/Chepstow Park Wood: Lapposyrphus (= Eupeodes) lapponicus, only 7 records on Aderyn, none in VC35(?!). 1/3

OOF!

“… trailing by 810 runs.” OOF!
#oof #surreycricket

Science eh?! 🤯 #science

Crossbill high over the garden. #gwentbirding #birdingWales

Tredegar House Lake: 2 Crossbill over. #gwentbirding #birdingWales

Sicus ferrugineus.

Eristalinus aeneus.

Eupeodes luniger.

Bit more #bugsbybike round the western levels. Nothing too exciting, a few syrphs, bee-grabber, etc. Also Med Gull at Peterstone Gout and Kingfisher along Pencoed Reen. #diptera #syrphidae #conopidae

Female Chloromyia formosa side-on.

Female Chloromyia formosa from above.

Little bit of soldierfly action in the garden. Female Chloromyia formosa. Probably the most common, and definitely not the best looking, but a soldierfly nonetheless. #gardensafari #diptera #stratiomyidae