A few bugs and things

A bit of a mish mash of the last week or so starting today whilst sat on my garden bench I noticed a wasp fly out of a piece of wood which fell off said bench last week!  Having taken these not so good photos I think I have identified it as Ectemnius continuus and if you zoom in you can see its taking some prey into a nest chamber - happy to be corrected if you know better

 Volucella bombylans - Bumblebee Hoverfly

Not sure what this little bee is nearest guess Sand-pit mining bee - left hand insect ???

No idea what this is - help required with id please!

Plenty of emerging Black-tailed Skimmers at Messingham just hanging around drying out

A grizzly find at Messingham - tested me for  a while until I found the rest not far away

Sun Fly - Helophilus pendulum - quite a few on Alkborough Flats

Lots of Scorpion flys out at Messingham on Friday

Took this yesterday whilst dipping the Black-winged Pratincole at Frampton - a Grass Spider - look carefully

and finally took this Cheilosia illustrata at Messingham - its a fly that mimics a furry bumblebee

Time to catch up

Its a long time since I did a blog post seemed to have got out of the habit but feels like I ought to resurrect it so...

Lets start with Alkborough and a pair of 14-spot Ladybirds followed by my so far highlight of the spring Hairy-footed flower bees and Common Mourning Bee 

 Hairy-footed flower bees

Common Mourning Bee predating Hairy-footed colony

These were down on the flats and my nearest guess as to what they are is Devils Coach Horse Larvae - hopefully someone will put me right!

Perhaps no definitely the most exciting find was a pair of Spotted Flycatchers building a nest in our front garden in a box my father made 15 years ago and today they have been mating so hopefully eggs soon!

Almost exciting was this discovery in the park last night a male lesser stag beetle - only the second one I have ever seen

and again only my second encounter with the delightfully named Dog Vomit Slime Mould also in Normanby Park

Hairy-footed flower bee excavating

Common Mourning bee presumably just laid an egg in Hairy-footed chamber!