I came across a decent assemblage of Jelly Ear fungus at Longrun Meadow in Taunton this morning, not a species I encounter very often.
31.01.2026 10:53
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I came across a decent assemblage of Jelly Ear fungus at Longrun Meadow in Taunton this morning, not a species I encounter very often.
The archetypal skulker, much more often seen than heard in my experience 🙂
Poor phone footage admittedly, but the clear, persistent piping drew my attention to this Water Rail moving smartly through the canal-side vegetation near Bathpool in Taunton today.
#ukbirding
A mobile Yellow-browed Warbler was working the trees along the path between Silk Mills Park & Ride and the western end of the lake at Roughmoor this morning. Associating loosely with two Chiffchaff.
#somersetbirding
Patient and majestic, a statuesque Grey Heron at Roughmoor in Taunton this morning.
#ukbirding
A Cormorant perched atop a dead tree, looking left against a blue sky.
The Sentinel.
A Cormorant surveys the scene at Longrun Meadow in Taunton this morning.
#ukbirding
A hoverfly with broad yellow bands seen from above, feeding on a Dandelion flower.
A smart red and black beetle climbing a reed stem.
A yellow ladybird with numerous black spots clinging to the edge of a leaf.
A Migrant Hawker dragonfly seen from above, perched in a dried reed stem.
Still plenty of insect action at RSPB Greylake on the Somerset Levels this morning: Eupeodes latifasciatus hoverfly, Anthocomoys rufus beetle, 22-spot Ladybird & Migrant Hawker dragonfly.
#bugsky
A head-on view of a Stoat with all four feet off the ground, crossing a path on the Somerset Levels.
It’s always a joy to see a Stoat, even if only very briefly. This one bounced across a path at RSPB Greylake in the Somerset Levels this morning & I managed just a single photo before it disappeared into the vegetation.
#ukwildlife
A side view of a Hornet sitting on the inside pocket of a pair of jeans pegged to a washing line.
A close-up view of the hornet, facing left.
I was surprised to see a European Hornet (Vespa crabro) resting on a pair of jeans pegged to the washing line earlier this afternoon. Unconcerned by my presence, after about 10 minutes, she excreted, waggled her abdomen for a few seconds and then flew off.
#bugsky
A male Didea fasciata hoverfly basking on a sunlit leaf. The fly has a pair of yellow markings at the bottom of the abdomen which are said to resemble ski goggles.
Saw only my second ever Didea fasciata (Pale-knobbed Lucent) hoverfly, in Taunton this morning, with the distinctive “ski goggle” markings on the abdomen.
#bugsky
Súitú, sir.
Side view of a Hairy Shieldbug on a plant stem. The purple and pale gold body markings provide great camouflage.
Fortunately, I caught this Hairy Shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum) moving from the corner of my eye as I walked past it today, the camouflage against the plant stem is terrific.
#bugsky
#bugsky
A sunlit male European Hornet feeding on ivy seen from above.
A sunlit male Hornet Hoverfly seen from above, feeding on ivy.
European Hornet (Vespa Crabro) and Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) on the same patch of ivy in Taunton today. The mimicry of the hoverfly is much more effective when it is flying.
A Robin’s Pincushion gall on a Dig Rose stem. It is a pom pom-like, woody growth with a red-tinged fibrous outer layer.
A Bedeguar Gall, aka Robin’s Pincushion on a Dog Rose stem, which is caused by the larvae of Dipoloepis rosae, a tiny gall wasp - at Longrun Meadow in Taunton today.
Cheers Helen, just got lucky 🙂
Only the females bite, I believe, so I felt at ease getting a few snaps from different angles 🙂
A very bristly Tachina fera fly seen head-down & from the side, feeding on a purple Scabious flower.
A Tachina fera fly nectaring on Devils-bit Scabious at Ash Priors Common near Taunton today.
#bugsky
Close-up, overhead view of a hoverfly feeding on a Dahlia flower. The fly has a series of yellow bands on its abdomen and a pair of longitudinal white stripes on its shiny thorax.
One of my favourite hoverflies, a Dasysyrphus albostriatus (Stripe-backed Fleckwing), feeding on a potted Dahlia on our patio in Taunton today.
#bugsky
A soldierfly with an iridescent green thorax, a long thin abdomen and long hind legs, resting on the ceiling coving in our dining room.
A small black hoverfly with distinctive spotted eyes, seen from above on the stamens of a pink Dahlia flower.
Had a couple of insect “lifers” today, with a Bright Four-spined Legionnaire soldierfly (Chorisops nagatomii) in the dining room, and an Eristalinus aeneus hoverfly on our Taunton patio (normally a coastal species).
#bugsky
#diptera
@uk-soldierflies.bsky.social
A Waisted Bee-grabber seen from above on a purple thistle flower. The fly has an extended abdomen with a thin waist.
The Conopid fly Physocephala rufipes (Waisted Bee-grabber) at Longrun Meadow in Taunton this morning.
#bugsky
#diptera
Front view of an Eristalinus sepulchralis hoverfly perched on a dried seed-head. The fly has distinctive red eyes with multiple yellow dots on them.
It was good to see this Eristalinus sepulchralis hoverfly at Roughmoor in Taunton this morning, with its fabulous spotted eyes - the first one I’ve seen away from the Somerset Levels.
#bugsky
Me too, Barry - although I suspect I’m in a minority of one in thinking of the ovipositor as more of a pole-vaulters pole…
A species of Carrot Wasp feeding on yellow Fennel flowers. The wasp has a black body with a long, thin abdomen and an extremely long, white-tipped ovipositor.
One of the Gasteruption species of Carrot Wasp nectaring on Fennel in our garden today, another stunning example of insect architecture.
#bugsky
#diptera
A Conops quadrifasciatus (Four-banded Beegrabber) seen from the side sitting on a thistle flower. This black fly has a curved abdomen with a number of horizontal yellow bands, and long black antennae.
Pleased to see a couple of Conops quadrifasciatus (Four-banded Beegrabber) at Longrun Meadow in Taunton today, fabulous insects.
#bugsky
#diptera
Overhead view of a large Horsefly basking on a wooden rail. The fly has a dark body variously marked with pale lines & markings, and large, faceted eyes.
A head-on view of the same fly showing the beautiful eyes, largely brown but seeping to orange, yellow & turquoise at the lower margins.
A stunning male Horsefly (Tabanus autumnalis possibly) at RSPB Greylake on the Somerset Levels yesterday. Those eyes…
#bugsky
#diptera
Side view of a female Leafcutter bee cutting a section of leaf from a plant. The bee is facing left and has a dark body with a series of thin, pale stripes on top of the abdomen and a bright orange pollen brush on the underside.
A female Leafcutter Bee in action in our garden in Taunton today.
#bugsky
Chrysotoxum cautum hoverfly basking in a sunlit leaf. The fly is a good wasp mimic, with number of yellow bands across a black abdomen.
Spotted Longhorn beetle feeding on white Hogweed flowers. The beetle has a black head & thorax, yellow wing cases with a number of black marks on, and large black & yellow- striped antennae.
‘Arrangement in Yellow and Black’.
Two fine examples from Taunton yesterday: Large Spearhorn hoverfly (Chrysotoxum cautum) and Spotted Longhorn beetle (Rutpela maculata).
#bugsky
A frontal view of a Wool Carder Bee resting on some gravel. The bee has a yellow face & a series of yellow dots along the side of its brown abdomen.
A Pied Plumehorn hoverfly seen from above feeding in a daisy flower. The fly has a black body with a large white band across the abdomen. The wings also have a dark smudge near the centre.
Pleased to record two new species in our Taunton garden today: Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum) and Pied Plumehorn hoverfly (Volucella pellucens).
#bugsky
#ukwildlife
