18/10/2016

[Jaybee]

As windy as yesterday, overcast and very cold (first day for a long time I have had to don my fleece).
The cold was the killer, and a measure of how much effect that had on the hoverating was the fact that not a single S. pipiens, H. pendulus or E. pertinax seen.

http://northeastwildlife.co.uk/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=lastup&cat=0

Episyrphus balteatus - male and female



Eristalis tenax - male and female



Eupeodes luniger - male Specimen retained


Platycheirus albimanus - female


Link to spreadsheet

[Jaybee]

Mid afternoon the sun gave a very good impression of it being nicer outside.
I took it's bait and headed back to the dandelion field for an hour.
As it happened the air temperature was 6 degrees - 2 less than this morning.
Only hovers seen were a handful of E. tenax (male and female) and a couple of P. albimanus (female).
There did appear to be a much large count of dung flies on the ragwort and hogweed - perhaps they take the falling temperature as a signal that prey may be a lot more docile if they land ????
Roger the numbers seen this afternoon have been added to this mornings spreadsheet.

[Roger K.A. Morris]

Many thanks John