Small Copper

Does the blog seem butterfly-centric lately? That's because they're fluttering around in rather impressive numbers these days, visiting the many flowers we've planted specifically to draw pollinators into the garden. This one is a Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas), a fast-flyer found throughout much of the British Isles (though missing from north-western Scotland, some of the northern Scottish islands, and mountainous areas). It prefers open areas, and lays its eggs on Common Sorrel, Sheep's Sorrel or Broad-leafed Dock — none of which we have in any significant amount in the garden at the moment. We'll have to add some to the bank we're planning to develop and plant in the coming year, because it's definitely a treat to see these handsome insects up close. They typically have 2 - 3 broods per year (4 in exceptionally good years), so we'd have multiple chances to make a difference for this declining species. And that's certainly something to aim for!

Cave Dweller

They're fledged! One of our local wren pairs has clearly been successful with at least one brood this summer, as a frazzled adult and five youngsters spent a fair bit of time in our garden this past Sunday. The fledglings, already quite good fliers, were bouncing through the brush pile stacked in the fire pit, rummaging among the thistles which are starting to die back in the wilder part of the garden, and flitting through the lower branches of some of the bigger shrubs. And the fledglings' high-pitched begging calls were both piercing and continual! Wrens (known formally as Eurasian Wrens or Troglodytes troglodytes) are common and widespread in the British Isles, found in virtually every habitat. That said, the Old World is surprisingly depauperate in the wren department. For comparison, there have been 32 species of wren recorded in Mexico, including 11 endemics found only in that country; there is one species of wren in all of Europe and Asia!

Tortoiseshell

They finally showed up this past weekend, the Small Tortoiseshells (Aglais urticae) that have been mysteriously and distressingly absent so far this summer. We didn't get many; it was only a trio buzzing around the Buddleia bush in one corner of the garden. But that was three more than we'd seen so far this summer — which is concerning. Insect watchers everywhere in the British Isles are reporting the same thing: the nearly complete collapse of this formerly common and widespread species. Unfortunately, no one is quite sure what's happening, particularly as some other species appear to be having a banner year. It can't be a lack of available food plants for either the adults or the larvae. Adults feed on a variety of plants, and the larvae feed on Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) which is ubiquitous throughout most of the islands. Hopefully, our many nettles will prove irresistible to any egg-laying female in the area!

Imposter

Merodon equestris

So, it's a bumblebee, right? You'd be forgiven for thinking so, since this imposter looks rather like the bumblebee it's mimicking. But you'd be wrong, because this is actually a fly — the hoverfly species Merodon equestris, to be precise — and looking like a bumblebee is its way of potentially avoiding predation. Known colloquially as the Greater Bulb-Fly, this is probably an introduced species, since it wasn't reported in Britain until the 1800s. Its larvae develop in and feed on daffodil bulbs (as well as the bulbs of a host of other species), so it may have originally stowed away in daffodil bulbs imported from Europe, where it's common and widespread. Greater Bulb-Flies can be quite variable in colouration, with somewhere between 4 and 7 different named varieties (experts disagree on the exact number) mimicking the patterns of several types of bumblebees. This one appears to be the form bulborum, which mimics the Red-tailed Bumblebee. They're most common in late May and early June, but are found from mid-March right through until the middle of October, so we're likely to see a few more before the year is out. Maybe we'll spot one or two of the other varieties as well!

Here Be Dragons

I finally got my first picture of a dragonfly in the garden on Tuesday; it's a Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta). She was hunting along the edge of the hedges near our herb bed, probably in pursuit of one of the zillion hoverflies or bees currently visiting the fennel and thyme flowers. Periodically, though, she'd hang up on a bit of vegetation (or, once, on one of our patio chairs) for a bit of a rest. I know it's a "she" because she only has two, rather than three, appendages at the end of her abdomen; a male would have a third, shorter appendage between the two longer ones. She's probably newly emerged, as older females have yellow rather than white markings on their brown bodies. The combination of the pale "flat-headed nail" shape at the top of the abdomen and the dark band above it is a useful ID feature.

Migrant Hawkers are common and widespread on the continent, ranging over most of Europe all the way east to Japan. In Britain, they're common in southern and central England and Wales, flying from late July well into the autumn. They quite the aerialists — among the fastest-flying of Britain's dragonflies, and capable of hovering and flying backwards. In general, they hunt above 2 meters (6-7 feet) off the ground, often along the edges of trees, catching their insect prey in flight. They breed in still or slow-moving water but range far from their breeding areas while hunting, as this one clearly did. Hopefully, she found the buffet to her liking and will be back!