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| Large Bee Fly - Bombylius major |
Is
it just me or is everyone seeing more Bee Flies this year?
Last
year was the first time I saw one of these enigmatic creatures. I
had noted Facebook postings about them and was delighted when I saw
my first one. No chance of a picture, but I was able to get a
distant, and not too sharp, photograph of the second one.
And
that was it for 2016 both were fairly close to the sea where I
usually see other bee predators such as Oil Beetle, One at a
woodland edge, the other almost on the cliff edge.
So
this year I thought myself lucky to see anther one this month in a
roadside verge. It was most obliging and settled so that I could
easily see the black fore edge of its wings confirming Bombylius
major. Then I saw my second one in a woodland ride in Coombe Valley
Morwenstow, quite near to the old mill. This was less obliging but
it was easily identified.
Then
came the third one. As I was sitting eating my lunch, I spotted a
Bee Fly from 5 metres hovering over bare soil in my garden. Yes
again I managed a photograph, but in my garden? I would never have
hoped to claim one on my home ground.
So,
is it me getting my eye in or are there really more Bee Flies about?
