hermitage pt3

24th March

Another lunch break trip to the Hermitage. Not quite such ideal weather for butterflies, but it was sunny so I put my camera and sandwiches into a backpack and cycled to the Hermitage for lunch-hour. The same one or two commas were sunbathing on the lowest shelf of the herb garden but there wasn't much about apart from the occasional hoverfly. I wolfed down my pieces and cycled to the downstream site where the butterbur was. Again not that much activity. I checked further downstream but I think the cool temperatures were keeping things locked down. 

don't know what this ahem lovely fly is!

There was a solitary small tort crouched in the undergrowth.

On the other side of the stream there was a grey wagtail. It hopped about keeping half an eye on me but the longer zoom of the new camera managed to bring it closer.

Tony Montana!

I was pleased to come across this bee-fly. They are not so commonplace and quite small, so are easy to overlook. But are really very cute fuzzballs with long legs and a long proboscis - just what's needed to get deep into flower heads. I was impressed at the detail the camera caught, and how close I could zoom in without crowding the insect. It very nearly made up for the lack of butterflies.

dark-edged bee-fly

Iain, the butterfly guru, reckons it's a week after sighting a bee-fly that the orange tip butterflies appear. Unfortunately the weather has been iffy here since then so I haven't had the chance to test this. I think it was 8 days in his neck of the woods (Berwick/borders area) so a fairly accurate predictor. I think we will have to wait for temperatures to rise again before any signs of orange tips, which hopefully have had the good sense to stay wrapped up in their pupas. They are always a joyful and welcome sign of Spring. 

Japanese Butterbur next to the Braid Burn