Myathropa florea is often known as the Batman Hoverfly, which is self explanatory if you look at the pattern on its thorax. Some are more marked than others, this is a particularly bright one. Size can vary, with a wing length between 7mm and 12mm. It’s quite a common hoverfly which occurs throughout the UK…
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Sunday book review – The Common Buzzard by Sean Walls and Robert Kenward
I grew up in Somerset where Buzzards were reasonably common but are now much more numerous, but I’ve spent most of the last 40 years living in the East Midlands and seen Buzzards becoming commoner and commoner sights in the skies here. Buzzards are fairly common across most of lowland Britain nowadays but holes still…
Tim Melling – Long-eared Owl
Tim writes: this is a Long-eared Owl carrying a Short-tailed Vole back to its hungry brood that were calling constantly from nearby trees. The male provisions the female while she incubates and when the young are small. But when the young are old enough to “branch” (leave the nest and clamber about in the branches),…
Saturday cartoon by Ralph Underhill
Looking back on the last week…
This week of the year has become a busy one in my life in recent years. The run up to Hen Harrier Day, the day itself, the Inglorious 12th and the aftermath of that day create a fair amount of activity. So, how have things gone? Not much grouse shooting this year? There are lots…