Birds, Butterflies, Bees, And Wasps.

Birds And Butterflies.

I took advantage of visiting our daughter in the Caton area, to have a wander around Bull Beck and the banks of the River Lune at Caton. 

This video of the Sand Martins at Bull Beck, I made on a visit here on 15 April 2021, was a pleasant reminder of the day I saw an Osprey flying upstream, and also found the Little Ringed Plover on the shingle bank opposite the Sand Martins.

Little Ringed Plover Bull Beck 2021. Pete Woodruff.

The LRP bred here on the shingle bank in 2021, in the same year 12 pairs bred along the River Lune between Arkholme and downstream to Caton. I didn't get as far to see the sand bank today, but there was a good number of Sand Martin flying up and down the river. It was good to hear a Garden Warbler, with a Chiffchaff and Goldcrest seen.

Although I saw neither of the birds, 2 Blackcap were heard, the one in this bush was in competition with another singing male within 20 metres. Butterflies seen were a Green-veined White and Orange Tip, best was my second of the year Painted Lady.

Bees And Wasps.

It was something special when I found Mason Bees entering the nest holes in our bee hotel last year, and even more special when we saw them in and around the hotel this spring.

Red Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

The Red Mason Bee Osmia bicornis are a delight to watch as they arrive on the scene and fly around and enter the holes in the hotel.

Blue Mason Bee. Pete Woodruff.

They are joined by the Blue Mason Bee Osmia caerulescens....Smart little critters.

But recently things have taken a worrying turn as some parasitic wasps have shown up. 

Greater Pennant Wasp. Pete Woodruff.

First on the scene was the Greater Pennant Wasp with its extra long ovipositor....I initially thought the Martians had landed!

The GPW was showing an unhealthy interest around the bee hotel.

Sapyga quinquepunctata Pete Woodruff

But what came next developed into something very interesting, it was another parasitic wasp with an elaborate scientific name. I did a little research on this one and found it to be only one of two of the Sapygidae family to be found in the UK, of which there are just 80 species globally.

Sapyga quinquepunctata/Osmia caerulescens Pete Woodruff

Until 2016, there were only 4 records of Sapyga quinquepunctata in Lancashire, all in the west of the county. But on iRecords I found 6 records in West Lancashire over the 11 years 2013-2024, the first on 1 June 2013 at an unnamed location in West Lancashire, and the last on 23 June 2024, this one at Crook of Lune in North Lancashire....So a pretty good find in our Lancashire garden.

I'm indebted to Dave Bickerton and Ben Hargreaves for helping me on some issues regarding this wasp.

I'd Sooner Be Birding!