andymus.bsky.social
All-taxa naturalist, on a journey to understand what biodiversity really means. Freelance ecological consultant. Norfolk Sawfly Recorder. BUBO founder. Pan-species Lister.
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No problem, I've sorted it there
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Nope. That's rosae for sure. It's the only Athalia with an orange front lobe of the thorax. I've never been convinced by this cordata/Bugle thing - you can find a range of Athalia around Bugle (and around Skullcap for that matter)
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I'm hearing more Cuckoo this year too, but never sure if it's just the places I'm going. @birdtrack.bsky.social does show a slight increase nationally though
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This was one that was collected for identification during a professional survey. So not on this occasion. Many insects cannot be reliably identified without microscope identification of specimens.
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It is indeed a mayfly, one of the Ephemera species (can't remember which offhand)
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Just checked my records. And yes, first saw it at Upton Fen in 2013. Since then, at Woodbastwick in 2016. Not since.
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Great, thanks James
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I can't see enough to key it really. Always try to get a good pic of the antennae, so we can sex it first. If it's a female though (?) then it's not leucophthalma as that has black scutum (=top of the thorax). Nomada flava/panzeri would be my guess, but dunno really from the pics.
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Er, maybe again, with photo....
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Back again this week. Have given up writing down Firecrests at last. Plenty new insects and many more still to work out when back home!
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Great find. Looks like it's about to be eaten by a massive hairy caterpillar!
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All my records of Cinnamon Teal
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If you ever happen to notice any aphids on Tower Mustard then it is worth flagging them up - there is a host specific species, Lipaphis turritella (influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Lipa...), but it hasn't been recorded in Britain for about 100 years! Probably not many people looking though...
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Interesting coincidence of timing with that old Blagdon Lake bird which we first noticed 3rd May 1993 (stayed the summer)
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About another 300 to find...
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Me neither! Nice
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We had a Cinnamon Teal female paired with Shoveler at Blagdon Lake back in the 90's, with a female Blue-winged Teal also present nearby, causing immense confusion. My memory is somewhat vague now though, so can't help you with this one!
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I bet! I didn't manage to get that close, it took a while even to get these pics.
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You also get to avoid another bloody Christmas!
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Photo from the side is usually good enough
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Yeah I reckon. M. alboannulata seems a bit more widespread, I've only seen albicincta locally at Sweet Briar amongst Common Valerian
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Ditto. I've never seen them either
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Yep, definitely Euura in that ballpark but I don't know them well enough to say which from the pic