Little things

Bev and I have had a very quiet day, today. We drove across to Deal, around 11.00hrs, for breakfast on the pier, before heading across to Goodnestone to visit Sarah, Berne & Bryn then onwards to Ash to see Dad. A quick dash around Tesco's at Manston (Newington in reality) before we called in on Gadget and Anne. Very quiet! We finally got back to the bungalow around 17.30hrs - job done!
I'd taken my camera with me, as I'd started the day in the back garden failing to get any usable shots of Swifts - the first time this year that I've heard their fantastic trilling scream as they tear about the skies over Dumpton. The Deal Pier breakfast was OK, but nothing better! I suggest you go there and make your own opinion - don't allow me to stop you from enjoying the experience. What was rather interesting was the fact that there is still quite a sizable flock of Scoter (Common Scoter) present off the end of the pier; I'm surprised that they haven't departed for their breeding grounds, further to the north.
It was in Sarah's garden that I had my first chance to grab a few images of the mini-beasts that share our spaces. The Hoverfly, Rhingia campestris, was a species that I'd seen here in 2012 - so I was delighted to get my first chance to get decent images of this very distinct species.

 

A distinctive hoverfly (Rhingia campestris) - the extended "beak" making it a very noticeable insect.

There were a couple of male Orange-tip butterflies around the garden, but they stubbornly refused to pose for the camera. Bryn, Berne and I went for a wander around the Fitzwalter Estate, a very short walk on this occasion, and I found many more subjects to point the lens at. The Nursery Web Spider was sunbathing on a track side leaf. I'm sure that I've seen the species before, yet this was my first chance to get a photo - this being a female (if my ID is correct?)








A female Nursey Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)

 





The day continued to provide photo opportunities - there was a very confiding cock Pheasant in the church yard and I grabbed a few images of a "Cerceris" wasp sp. (?) when I found one enjoying the warmth in the lea of some dense track side vegetation - wasps are certainly a fascinating group.



Multi-coloured Bush Chicken - the alien species which allows many UK estates to
ensure that native species are able to remain in viable habitat. If we stop "country sports" then many of the
habitats (woodlands) will be lost as the landowners seek to replace this shooting income with agriculture.

Wasp sp. - a Cerceris sp. ? - I have photographed a very similar insect in Turkey (Oct 2012)
The lack of simple id info is a frustration, but not the end of the world!

 

My search hadn't yet ended; I finished with the discovery of a small fly sp. My best efforts are that it is a female Bibio hortulanus -  a close relative of the St. Mark's Fly. The image is a little grainy as it was taken in shadow - my camera skills are very basic.