SPOT THE BEE FLY ETC. ETC. UPDATE 17TH JULY 2023
Hello again, we have had a fair amount of correspondence since our last update, so many thanks to all the contributors.
Irene kicks things off, - thanks Irene:
8th July – “Dear Mike and Jenny. Many thanks for the latest Bee Fly. Great photographs of the gathering in my garden and thanks to everyone who came and made the afternoon such a success. A big thank you to you both and Chis for coming over Friday and putting up the gazebo.
On Sunday morning Mary, Chis and I met Sue and Steve Outram for a walk at Crab Tree Plantation to see Orchids and lovely wild flower meadows. The wind was rather strong which kept the butterflies down but we did see Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites in quite good numbers. Irene.”
Graeme has sent the following photo to prove that I was also at Irene’s party!
9TH July - “Hi Mike. Couple more to add to Irene’s party slot.”
A note from Bernard – remember the fly from our last update?
9th July - Mike,
“This is your fly. I once had one land on my hand so I decided to take its picture. I had just about got it in focus when there was a sharp pain as it stuck its mouthparts into me hand. Needless to say the photograph was not a success.
Twin-lobed Deerfly-Chrysops relictus - This is not my picture. Bernard” 
Next, some more from Mike Clift, - Mike, I think Chris was referring to the butterfly brand of blues. Thanks again for your support.
10th July - “Greetings Mike and Jenny. We have had some warm sunny weather So was able to get some more shots. Hope you approve. I noted that Blue damsels were in short supply according to your last Bee Fly report. These might help. Cheers, Mike”
Mary Robins has sent us the following note from her home in Weymouth, - thanks Mary….
10th July - “Dear Mike. Thank you for the latest bee fly, it was good to see Chris’s photos of our stay on Lundy!I looked up the Toadflax Brocade in my moth book but it was not there, however I do have the toadflax in my garden so will keep an eye out. We get the Jersey tiger here, just a bit later in the year. Good to hear about the Red Admirals, I have seen very few so far but I have noticed the butterflies I have seen are confined to small areas and bramble flowers are a favourite, so we must protect it! Mary”
Simon and Mark continue to keep in touch from their home in Worthing, this time with an interesting update on their garden wildlife and in particular their ‘Froglets’! Please also note their offer of the now surplus nematode treatment spray and their very kind open invitation for a cuppa and a cake (Don’t all turn up at once!). Thank you both.
16th July - “Hello Mike and Jenny. We hope you are both keeping well. You have certainly been keeping busy with the Bee Fly reports and we enjoy the photos and written articles very much indeed. We thought it was time to send you a minor update on what is happening here at 62 Maytree Avenue.
Wildlife gardening is our main aim and we have a pleasing selection of birds coming in, we keep records of sightings and Mark provides regular information for the BTO.
The two ponds have an active population of frogs, tadpoles, froglets, damselflies and dragonflies, also one newt and one grass snake.
Earlier in the year we transferred some of the frog spawn from one of the ponds into an up cycled water tank placed on the ground part way up the garden. We fed the tadpoles on boiled lettuce and protected them from predators by placing a wire mesh over the top of the tank. So far we have transferred over 300 froglets back into the ponds, we hope they do well. We have not seen the grass snake recently and that is, we feel, probably a good thing from the froglets point of view.
With regard to the box tree hedges and box tree moth, coupled with nematode treatment, we have decided to bring a halt to this and remove the hedges. We shall replace them with a green beech hedge in the back garden and Hornbeam in the front garden. We have discovered a local gardener who is going to do the heavy work for us and shows a real interest in wildlife gardening.
We have some of the nematode spray materials for use on box hedges to remove the caterpillars left over. If anybody would like to have these materials in order to carry on treating their box hedges, we would be very pleased to give these materials to them. We can easily post the materials on to them.
If any CNHS members are ever in the area and would like to drop in for tea, coffee and cake we shall always be very pleased indeed to see them. With Good Wishes, Mark and Simon”
I have added these photos of a Grass Snake in our pond several years ago and some Newts:
Moving on……Ken and I have had a particularly rewarding couple of walks over Warren Heath and Bramshill Plantation, we came across a Roe Deer within minutes of starting each of the walks, then became surrounded by lots of Skipper butterflies followed by sightings of Keeled and Black-tailed Keeled Skimmers and a good close view of a Small Red Damselfly. Neither of us had our cameras with a long lens so the five images below are from Ken’s archive!
Ken is always looking for another Fungus and has since told me that one we found at Bramshill has proved to be a rarity, so maybe watch this space!
Rounding off with a selection of insects from our visit to Wisley last week
Regards to all, Mike and Jenny