Lunchtime Safari

I don't like to sit in the office at lunchtime. Only the very worst conditions will keep me behind the desk, so in some fine but breezy weather I set out for a stroll at lunchtime to see if anything was about. It didn't look too promising until I headed for a sheltered spot on the edge of a patch of woodland, where a combination of full sun and flowering shrubs meant that a few insects were gathering.

Initially I spent a good few minutes chasing a couple of Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) butterflies around the clearing. Though landing frequently, they were very flighty and active, but I managed a couple of reasonably useful shots. 

An obliging bee provided the next subject. I'm calling this a Tawny Mining Bee (Andrena fulva), though the colouring is paler than I'd expect, being more gingery than red. Maybe an older, faded specimen, or another Andrena though. If anyone can confirm or identify, please let me know.

Lacking the 'pollen basket' of the bumblebees, notice how the pollen is stored among the bristles of the hind legs.

Finally, I found some Xylota segnis sunbathing on sycamore leaves. This species is probably among the most familiar hoverflies, though perhaps not commonly recognised as such. I never seem to see the doing much hovering anyway. They're quite a large fly, with a wing length of 7-9.5mm, and the combination of size, colouring, and the large hind femur can make them look somewhat menacing. Like all the hoverflies though, they're harmless.

The genus Xylota is represented by about a half dozen species in the U.K., but this is the most frequently encountered. 

This photo isn't the best, but conditons were getting breezy, and even using flash I was struggling to keep things looking still, so there's a bit of 'judder' in this one.