Yet another Newbie Essex/Suffolk borders

[BarrySpong]

Hello All

I've been dipping into this site for years so I thought it was about time I joined in. For years I've been fascinated with the way the season bring new life into my small garden. I leave a little area as "set aside" just to let the garden do as it wants.

A little pond attracts frogs and newts and recently I discovered a few fish have found it. Don't know how as I didn't introduce them - must have been eggs on an aquatic plant. I've never fed them, so it seems amazing they have survived as they are now quiet large.

What prompted me to join was a strange looking hovering insect that looks like a small hummingbird. It's about as long as a bumble bee with a "beak" about one third as long as it's body. I assumed it was a Hummingbird moth, but on looking at pictures of the moth, my insect doesn't have the long antenna.

I've attached a picture, not very good as focusing on such a small insect before it moves wasn't easy. Fortunately it seems to hover over the same area, so it was a question of waiting long enouh for a snap.

Maybe someone can tell me what it is.

[loripo]

It's a bee-fly - only just discovered these and they move so fast it's difficult to photograph. Here's a recent thread that gives details...
Please help id this bee/fly with long straight 'sting' at front?

[BarrySpong]

Thanks for the answer. Looked up some photo's and you're spot on. These do have chacteristics of a common fly, I noticed that while hovering they rub their back legs together as a fly does.

I'm amazed I haven't seen these before in my 61 years as their "beak" gives them a very odd look that makes you want to look more closely. They first appeared in my garden last year and this year there are very many more of them. Also I find it strange they always hover in the same place. Not timid either as they can hover very close - until you get a camera out

Thanks again.

Barry

[Jez]

Welcome to WAB Barry. I have been watching these of late and noticed on a few occasions that when they land on the ground they always seem to face North probably the sunlight is too much for them if they were to sit in the opposite direction? I don't know for sure, but found it fascinating watching a number of these flies doing exactly the same thing, it could be just coincidence so wonder if you could do me a favour and let me if the land on the ground which way they face.

I'd appreciate the feed back from your observations!

Cheers Jez

[treecreeper]

Hi Barry and welcome . Unfortunately you may have to choose between your fish and your amphibians as fish are often predators of tadpoles and newt larvae.

[BarrySpong]

Hello Jez

I've only seen one land on the ground, but didn't notice the direction it faced, I'll watch out in the future. Now you mention it, they do always seem to hover in the same direction - facing away from the sun.

I took a number of photo's yesterday while laying on a sunbed under their favourite hover place. Looking at the photos now I can see they are orientated the same direction (East - it was late afternoon). I wouldn't think they are all of the same bee-fly, so it would seem your observations are correct.

I'll let you know if I find any grounded (as my airplane is at the moment).

Barry

[animartco]

Yes, Barry Spong. My garden is full of them too. They are flies since they only have single wings, but they have evolved to resemble bees. Very interesting little creatures. I have never seen so many. They aren't the ones from rat tailed maggots are they? Oh couldn't be. They are too cute. Someone is about to give the latin name.

[animartco]

Originally Posted by loripo

It's a bee-fly - only just discovered these and they move so fast it's difficult to photograph. Here's a recent thread that gives details...
Please help id this bee/fly with long straight 'sting' at front?

Loripo the thing in front is the proboscis sheath. The actual tongue comes out from inside (OR under?) this and is about five inches long. I watched one hovering inches above a flower, and then the flower started to jerk around and I realised that the tongue was down in the nectar! Very interesting about direction of hover. Must watch out tomorrow.

[BarrySpong]

Originally Posted by treecreeper

Hi Barry and welcome . Unfortunately you may have to choose between your fish and your amphibians as fish are often predators of tadpoles and newt larvae.

Thank you for your welcome.

I built the little pond with the intention of leaving it to nature to decide what happens to it with little interference from me. So it's not ornamental, it's filled by rainwater from an adjacent shed roof and apart from a pump and filter it gets little attention and virtually no maintainence.

Even from the first season after it was built it attracted frogs and newts with copious amounts of spawn each year. I purpously didn't introduce fish so the tadpoles would at least stand a chance of surviving, so I was very surprised to find the fish a few weeks ago. Having said that I probably wouldn't have noticed them because much of the surface is covered in duckweed. It was during a duckweed cull they came to be seen (only just - as they are black). Judging by their size they have been in the pond for some years.

This year I have had very little frog spawn and what was there doesn't seem to have developed. Perhaps the frost was more to blame for that than the fish. My grandson also found insect larve in the pond, looked like they had wrapped themselves up in a "blanket" of pond vegetation. I guess they are dragonfly or damsel fly.

A problem I did have with the pond was the dreaded blanket weed. A friend told me that if you add watercress, this deprives the blankweed of required nutrients. I'm pleased to say it works, the cress can take over, but it's a lot easier to remove than the blanket weed. A cheap solution too as I just emptied a supermarket pack in the pond

Cheers
Barry

[wizzo]

Hi Barry and welcome to WAB - Wizzo