15th: The Thyme Broomrape cliff below Treshnish House cliff hasn’t shown me many bees since the spring possibly because it is often windy and it was the same today. I only had fleeting views of a couple but I did find a nest of a solitary wasp which I think could be Crossocerus dimidiatus.
1 very probably male and female Smooth-faced Furrow Bees beside runnel just below Treshnish House and another female furrow bee a little further down the track before the first gate.
Painted Lady larva just below first gate below TH
Knot Grass larva at Thyme Broomrape cliff
13th:
1 female Emerald Damselfly female at Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
1 small metallic furrow bee at Treshnish wood waterfall
1 Tachina grossa at Treshnish Old Schoolhouse
1 Volucella pellucens at Treshnish wood waterfall
12th:
1 male Bloomed Furrow Bee near Treshnish wood Nissen hut, 1 male Bloomed Furrow Bee at south end of lower Ensay meadow
and 1 male Bloomed Furrow Bee at cliff b to south of Ensay Burn mouth (all accepted and firsts for Mull).
1 male Common Furrow Bee (accepted) at Treshnish wood waterfall.
1-2 female furrow bee near Treshnish wood Nissen hut
1-2 prob male Smooth-faced Furrow Bee near Treshnish wood Nissen hut
1 brief view of what was probably Chrysotoxum bicinctum at south end of lower Ensay meadow.
1 Volucella bombylans near Treshnish wood Nissen hut
1 Linnaemya vulpina near Treshnish wood Nissen hut
1 female Emerald Damselfly at south end of lower Ensay meadow.
10th: Possible Black Clock Beetle Pterostichus madidus found inside our house
8th: 1 Platycheirus granditarsus (accepted), a new hoverfly for Mull at boggy stream running to cliffs to south of Ensay Burn mouth.
1 Small Flecked Mining Bee (accepted) at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site D).
1 Crossocerus pusillus (varus) with prey at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site D)
and an hour later another (possibly the same)
1 -4 small metallic furrow bees at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site D)
and another possibly the same 7 minutes later
and half an hour later
and an hour earlier
1 female prob Tormentil Mining Bee at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site D)
1-2 mini-miners at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site D)
1 male Common/Bloomed Furrow Bee at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site D)
1+ Geoffroy’s Blood Bee at cliff a to south of Ensay Burn mouth
1-3 male Turquoise Furrow Bees at cliff a to south of Ensay Burn mouth
1 male Common/Bloomed Furrow Bee at cliff a to south of Ensay Burn mouth
1 Turquoise Furrow Bee behind cliff a to south of Ensay Burn mouth
1 male pob Smooth-faced Furrow Bee at cliff b to south of Ensay Burn mouth
1 Turquoise Furrow Bee female at cliff b to south of Ensay Burn mouth
1 male prob Smooth-faced Furrow Bee behind at cliff -a to south of Ensay Burn mouth
Volucella pellucens in Ensay wood just to south of where side stream enters burn (don’t know how i missed this species before)
Leucozona glaucia just up from Eucalyptus along farm track through Treshnish wood (I won’t mention this species again because if it anything like last year they should be common from now on)
1-2 Ferdinandea cuprea at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site D)
prob Syritta pipiens at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site D)
Linnaemya vulpina at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site D)
7th: Gwynne’s Mining Bee female nr Eucalyptus on farm road through Treshnish wood
1 female prob mini-miner nr Eucalyptus on farm road through Treshnish wood
1 male Common/Bloomed Furrow Bee at Treshnish wood waterfall nr old metal gate
1 Gwynne’s Mining Bee female at Treshnish wood waterfall nr old metal gate
2 male Common/Bloomed Furrow Bee behind cliff a to south of Ensay Burn mouth
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1 prob male Smooth-faced Furrow Bee behind cliff a south of Ensay Burn mouth
1+ Turquoise Furrow Bees at cliff b south of Ensay Burn mouth
1+ Geoffroy’s Blood Bees at cliff b south of Ensay Burn mouth
1 Myathropa florea [check] nr Eucalyptus on farm road through Treshnish wood
1 Eristalis intricaria nr Eucalyptus on farm road through Treshnish wood
Painted Lady larva on Spear Thistle behind cliff a to south of Ensay Burn mouth
Went to see if there were any flowering Broad-leaved Helleborines at one section of the nearby site. I couldn’t see any but found 13 Narrow-leaved Helleborine (11 new) and 1 Broad-leaved Helleborine below fallen down old metal gate (all vegetative)
6th: 1 Xylota jakutorum (accepted) at Ensay, south side of lower meadow (westerns end of bank = new site D), a new hoverfly for Mull.
Eristalis intricaria near the Eucalyptus on farm road through Treshnish wood
Volucella pellucens between the Eucalyptus and the cattle-grid
I am not sure what this hoverfly is at site D, possibly only a Platycheirus albimanus, I will ask an expert. [Yes confirmed albimanus].
1 prob male Smooth-faced Furrow Bee at Ensay, south side of lower meadow (site D).
3 Gynne’s Mining Bee at southern end of lower Ensay meadow.(site B).
1 blood bee at southern end of lower Ensay meadow.(site B)
4 Field digger Wasps Mellinus arvensis (accepted) at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site B).
This one is taking prey back to its nest burrow.
At least 1 Platygastroidea wasp (accepted) at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site B).
Loads of Painted Ladies now even in the wood
5th: 3-8 mini-miners south side lower Ensay meadow (1 to ne of orig site = C, 1 at orig site which is probably the sides of an ancient track = A and 1-5 at runnel bank near original site = B)
3+ Gwynne’s Mining Bees at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site B)
1 male Common/Bloomed Furrow Bee s side lower Ensay meadow (site A)
1 probable male Smooth-faced Furrow Bee at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site A)
1 small metallic furrow bees side of fence to Treshnish wood waterfall
and another small metallic furrow bee along with a nesting Gwynne’s Mining Bee at new nearby site to north of the waterfall.
1-3 blood bees at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site B)
4 Field digger Wasps Mellinus arvensis (accepted) at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site B).
1-2 Platygastroidea wasp at south end of lower Ensay meadow (site B)
1 Chrysotoxum bicinctum s side lower Ensay meadow (site C)
3 mating leafhoppers possibly Cicadella viridis s side lower Ensay meadow (site C).
Dung Beetle possibly Spring Dumbledor Trypocopris vernalis land near Treshnish wood waterfall. I have an accepted record of this species but was surprised to see now, that it is a scarce species in the UK.
4th: Whitethroat at cliff near Ensay Burn mouth and Ensay Burn cattlegrid.
1 male furrow bee with an extremely long antennae (apparently even longer than Smooth-faced Furrow Bee). I waited around for quite a while to get better shots but no luck.
1-2 mini-miners, 1 blood bee and 1-2 small metallic furrow bees at south end lower Ensay meadow.
This is one of the mini-miners
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and this is the other
1 male Common or Bloomed Furrow Bee behind cliff a to south of Ensay Burn mouth.
1+ Geoffroy’s Blood Bees, 4 Turquoise Furrow Bees (accepted) at cliff b south of Ensay Burn mouth.
1 male Common or Bloomed Furrow Bee
and 1 Gwynne’s Mining Bee at Treshnish wood waterfall.
1 Sericomyia (Arctophila) superbienus (accepted) ear Ensay Burn cattlegrid, a new hoverfly for Mull.
1 Cheilosia illustrata
and Leucozona glaucia on farm road through the wood (first of the year).
1 prob Syritta pipiens, 1 Ferdinandea cuprea
and 1 Chrysotoxum bicinctum at south end lower Ensay meadow (I’ve only one record previous to this) but probably overlooked as it is a grassland species.
Painted Lady larvae on Spear Thistle behind cliff a to south of Ensay Burn mouth.
3rd: Whitethroat at Haunn
13 Painted Ladies around west cottages, Haunn with 5 more at East cottage, c40 along road through Haunn field and 10 in Black park, 30 in lower Ensay meadow.
Antler Moth in daylight at Ensay/Treshnish bridge.
At least 1 Geoffroy’s Blood Bee,
at least 1 White-footed Furrow Bee
and 1 Crossocerus varus at cliff b to south of Ensay Burn mouth.
2nd: Jean Laura counted 50 Painted Ladies down the driveable track to Langamull House.
Geoffroy’s Blood Bee at cliff b Ensay Burn mouth.
which are predatory upon the Turquoise Furrow Bees there.
Sexton beetle possiby Nicrophorus vespilloides at Ensay Burn cattlegrid.
1st: 1 Whitethroat on lower Ensay meadow.
Dunnock
1 male and female Common Hawkers at cliff b Ensay Burn mouth. I always try to photograph any hawkers in the hope of seeing something new. Southern Hawker has occurred in southeast Mull coastland and also occurs on the surround mainland. The Argyll mainland around Mull hosts two other hawkers: Hairy Dragonfly (the only area in Scotland) and Azure Hawker as well as Downy Emerald, Brilliant Emerald, White-faced Darter, Variable Damselfly and Azure Damselfly! The latter two are very similar to Common Blue Damselfly so perhaps go overlooked on Mull.
3 Painted Ladies at Treshnish Old Schoolhouse, 3 to northeast, 3 in lower Ensay Meadow, 2 at cliffs to south of Ensay Burn mouth/
Leena reported seeing hundreds of Painted Ladies on a walk to the boathouse, Haunn and back.
If there was any doubt about Scotch Argus last week, today was for sure.
At least 3 male Geoffroy’s Blood Bees (accepted) at cliff b Ensay Burn mouth. A new bee for Mull.
1 male Slender-faced Furrow Bee (accepted) near Treshnish wood Nissen hut.
Probable Tormentil Mining Bee female at cliff b Ensay Burn mouth.
Leafhopper possibly Cicadella viridis at Treshnish Old Schoolhouse.
Photographed behind cliff a s of EBm: female furrow bee, male probably Common Furrow Bee, Painted Lady larva on Spear Thistle
Photographed behind cliff b s of EBm: Crossocerus (x2 with prey), probable male Smooth-faced Furrow Bee, Gwynne’s Mining Bee, Myothropa florea, small metallic furrow bees later confirmed as Turquoise Furrow Bees,
Photographed near Treshnish wood Nissen hut: female furrow bee, Ferdinandea cuprea.
Photographed near Treshnish wood concete ramp: Sicus ferrugineus