Attempts at Capturing Hoverfly Flight

A couple of very 'friendly' Eristalis pertinax hoverflies in the garden today, hovering right in front of me looking me straight in the eye so thought I would try photographing them. These are taken 1/8000th sec F6.3 giving ISO 5000 using manual focus. 

More Species Emerging in the Garden

Lots of activity in the garden today - with less breeze and warm temperatures lots of species were on the move including a couple of new species for the garden - the Europaean Paper Wasp and Pied Shieldbug plus, possibly, the Speckled Wood. Have found over a dozen Scarlet Tiger caterpillars - they are devouring the Comfrey at quite a rate.

Bees on the Japonica

The Japonica on our fence attracted a lot of bees (here the Common Carder plus Early Bumblebee (last shot)) early this morning in the warm sun. Flight shots were 1/1600 at F10 - obviously need faster to stop the wing movement but I like the movement in the wings.

More Species in the Garden

 A very humid and warm day - fewer insects than I expected but great to see the first Dark Bush Cricket babies as well as a Tortoise Beetle etc

Toft Bees Waking Up

Quite a variety of species of bees were on the wing today in the garden and churchyard. This very smart Orange-tailed Mining Bee was sunning itself in the garden. The most numerous were the Ashy Mining Bee males all flying around and fighting waiting for the slightly later emergence of the female.

Hoverflies on the Move

Four different Hoverfly species were very active in the garden today, along with a new mining bee Andrena nigroaenea (the Buffish Mining Bee), Hairy, Dock and a Rhopalid Bugs, and a rather tatty Peacock butterfly.