Catching Up

Catching Up

It has been a while since I last wrote here

Over the past few weeks I have been out exploring different sites and habitats, finding some really interesting organisms and appreciating the abundance of Summer. I’ll detail some of highlights here.

The month of May was dry and rather dismal but there still was a few interesting finds. At the start of May, a trip to Rostrevor Oakwood and The Fairy Glen returned a nice suite of pollinators. Of particular excitement for me was the bold Chrysotoxum arcuatum, a wasp-mimic hoverfly, and the kleptoparasitic Bombus sylvestris.
Other pollinators were growing more abundant and diverse. Typical May species such as Epistrophe eligans were common, and worker bumblebees were becoming more of a common sight. From my observation Meredon equestris is having a good year, finding it In several new places from last year. The hoverfly Helophilus hybridus is also having a really good year too – a large and conspicuous species tied closely to wetlands. Local wetlands such as Canal Wood on Newry Towpath and Donaghguy Reservoir made me familiar with hoverflies of the genus Anasimyia, finding A. lineata and A. contracta at new sites which is always rewarding.

At the end of May, I found the Western Bee-fly again at Lower Loch Cashel, but it escaped before a photo! I ventured on to Croslieve the same day and managed to find another one and got a photo this time. I then went on to find it at another three sites in County Armagh in Camloch and Bessbrook! It seems like they are attracted to me. They are obviously severely under-recorded and I have been sent reports from people who believe they have seen them in other places, so I can investigate those.
Lackan Bog near Rathfriland was a new site for the nationally scarce hoverfly Parhelophilus consimilis, which I also found again in Brackish Bog near Portadown yesterday (20th June), along with its close relative P. versicolor. Other really nice finds for May include Sericomyia lappona (a first for me), near the Red Bog on Rostrevor and the bee-grabber Myopa buccata too.

This month, so far I have seen a lovely array of wildlife. Particular highlight was Chrysotoxum bictinctum in an upland meadow in Fathom. This upland meadow is an ASSI and has Lesser Spearwort, Alchemilla glabra, yellow-rattle but no orchids. I will return soon to see what has changed.
At Camloch I found two endangered bees, Hylaeus brevicornis a yellow-faced bee and the cuckoo bee Nomada goodeniana. It is good to see that there are rare and vulnerable organisms in the local area.

The last few days I have been in bogs. At Ardee Bog I was lucky enough to spot a Red-tipped Clearwing moth which is a new site for it. Also a lovely Xylota sylvarum hoverfly which is the first record for co. Louth. Brackish Bog in Portadown, returned 5 Eristalis species and the Variable Damselfly. The botanical diversity was amazing here: bog woodland, fen, cutover peat. Yellow Loosestrife, Marsh Cinquefoil, Marsh Orchids, Flag Iris and many otheThis is a very brief overview. I am excited to see what else I find as Summer progresses.

Image: Parhelophilus versicolor from Brackagh Bog, Portadown

Image: Four-spotted Chaser from Ardee Bog