Sid Day

 Sid in the lab (with a Bee-fly, some water fleas and a few moths- Hebrew Character and Early Grey) 

 Holly Blue- the first ones have appeared over last few days

 Eupeodes luniger? (Updated the Farmlands Hoverflies list HERE)

Bee sp (Adrena Bicolor?) . The dandelions were providing most of the feeding opportunities. Caught some Bees from a colony in the obs garden and reckon they are Adrena flavipes. 

A bit cool and windy today but Sid and I found the path along the North Lake to have plenty of insects hiding from the wind.

Pretty quiet on the bird front (cool westerlies not the best for visible migration here- keeps all the birds on the continent). A couple of LRPs, Willow Warbler, Blackcaps, Chiffchaff and a few Swallows.

WILDLOVE

More from Matt Berry:
WILDLOVE
WATER BOATMEN AND THE BOAT RACE

Migration Mystery

A cold front passed this morning bringing overcast skies and some rain. In theory such a change in weather (considering it was a high pressure, hot day with south winds yesterday- responsible for 30+ Hoopoes in the country) could produce a fall of migrants. Apart from a few bits locally- an Oystercatcher at Tice's Meadow, a couple of Little Gull at Walton, some Arctic Terns on the Thames- it was pretty quiet and decisively dead at the farmlands (only 5 Swallow, 2 Willow Warbler, 1 Wheatear (from yesterday), 1 Water Pipit (from all winter) and 6-7 Blackcaps along the path.

Will keep my eye on these cold fronts and will see if it makes a difference whether the front is a warm, cold or occluded one. 

Another spring day

 Male Blackcap (singing it's head off). About 4 males along the North lake path, also Willow Warbler there and 2 Chiffchaff. Had a Red Kite this evening, the guys had a Whimbrel this morning and a Wheatear, the first Yellow Wagtail of the year, a LRP and a few hirundines. The Great Crested Grebe is still with us, Gadwalls were flying round in courtship display (so hope they will breed), the Shelducks are hanging around near the gate by the rabbit holes (good sign), seems like going to be another good year for Little Grebes but unfortunately seems like the female Lesser Pecker is on her own again (maybe a control freak!?) . There's a front moving through tonight so might induce a fall- I'm up early tomorrow. 

 I reckon this is Eristalis Pertinax. Loop vein on R4+5 means it's Eristalis sp. Broad darkened face and yellow tarsi on the front and middle legs suggests Pertinax. I also reckon I had Syrphus ribesii, Cheilosia pagana, Melanostoma scalare and Epistrophe Eligans today. 

ahhhhh, this is exhausting- will leave the sawfly id for later. Aglaostigma aucupariae? 

A couple of new moths

 Dotted Chestnut- new for the farmlands 

Agonopterix ocellana- the second site record

Not bad last night in the moth trap. 

Chicks!

 Female Mallard with young- the first brood of the year

 Skylark- at least two pairs of Skylark holding territory on the mound

 Epermenia chaerophyllella - a new one for me

Melecta albifrons (Thanks for id Chris from I-SPOT) - in Hackbridge today feeding on Ribes 

Cheilosia pagana (Thank you UK Hoverflies)  Added to the photo list HERE

The Spring burst continues. A bit slow on the bird front- a few Buzzards, a handful of Swallows, a few more Blackcaps moved in and sounds like more Chiffchaffs. Seems like a few Goldfinches moving around today too.
Holly Blue and Specked Wood new for the year.
A few moths last night including a moth tick for me: Eperminia chaerophyllella, also Pale Mottled Willow, Common Quaker, Twin-spotted Quaker, Platyedra subcinerea, Oak Nycteoline, Emmelina monodactyla and Double-striped Pug.

If I was Prime Minister

If I was Prime Minister I would do absolutely f#ck all.
A corporate take over led by billionaires is near completion as our democracy evolves into a billionaire dictatorship. The parties have little power, the prime minister has no power at all- they are as history as the monarchy- merely theatre and museum.
Power lies in either becoming a billionaire or in resistance. Everyone and everything else is largely being processed into low entropy states as energy and resources is transferred to the new dictators.
Now that's me done with the  Election- I'm going to look at some more flies.