24th: Red-backed Shrike still around.
It had to transfer prey to its claws in order to cough up its pellet from the the previous feast. I saw it do this at least three times.
I didn’t notice until I looked t the photos that it was creating a cache on the Hawthorn thorns here with a White-tailed Bumblebee.
23rd: 1 1st winter Red-backed Shrike from 10.45am until 7pm on south side of Treshnish wood beside farm road
22nd: 1 1st winter Red-backed Shrike from 10am until 6pm on south side of Treshnish wood beside farm road.
21st: 1 1st winter Red-backed Shrike at 9am this morning on south side of Treshnish wood beside farm road.
Only got a terrible shot through a window and when i tried to open it, it disappeared.
I tried to re-locate it for 30m but no luck and had to go to work. Hopefully it will be around this afternoon and takes a liking to the insects in our garden,
12th: 2-3 Swallows over Treshnish wood.
11th: 1 Sparrowhawk on our gatepost at dusk.
7th: Bullfinch heard in Treshnish wood. Swallows still around.
Possible Smooth-faced Furrow Bee at Treshnish wood waterfall.
A new hoverfly for me and Mull, Ferdinandea cuprea by Treshnish wood waterfall.
This was an odd way to see another new hoverfly species; Baccha elongata being dragged by an ant at Treshnish wood waterfall!
Rhingia campestris photographed to west of concrete ramp, Treshnish wood.
Flying beetle with turquoise wings at Treshnish wood waterfall, possibly Thanatophilus rugosus
A new site on the Ensay side of the burn of Corn Mint, a rare plant on Mull.
6th: Bullfinch heard in Treshnish wood.
Pretty sure this is a male Gwynne’s Mining Bee in our garden. I am pretty sure this is what I have seen twice earlier this week but I didn’t get a photo.
and half an hour earlier a possible Orange-tailed Mining Bee
At Treshnish waterfall saw this entering a nest burrow. It is a female halictid with a turquoise thorax, possibly Turquoise Furrow Bee
Chrysotoxum arcuatum beside the road near our septic tank. I’ve only seen this twice before, once in 2nd Sept 2015 and on 6th June this year near the concrete ramp (so very close to this one).
Xanthandrus comtus
4th: 1 House Martin & 3 Bullfinches over Treshnish wood.
1 male Common Furrow Bee just 25cm from the nest hole seen on the 30th. It only stayed for a second so not a great shot.
and 2 hours later at exactly the same spot a female of what is almost certainly the same species
3rd: 1 Whitethroat and 4 Bullfinches in Treshnish wood.
The larvae I found on nettles beside our garden on 9th Aug which I thought was probably a Painted Lady emerged and it turned out to be a Red Admiral. The other found on the same day is still in the pupal stage and I have no idea what it is. The one which I found on Creeping Thistle earlier and which I have no doubt is a real Painted Lady is also still in the pupal stage. It smells musty so I hope it is OK.
Nearly 2 hours at the waterfall on a sunny afternoon yielded no solitary bees. I did see some unusual behaviour of a Garden Bumblebee. It was pumping its tongue out repeatedly for over a minute.
Eventually I moved some vegetation to get a better look and it flew a short distance away for a few seconds and then flew off.
I can only think that it was smelling the air, possibly for a female. I couldn’t find any mention of this behaviour in an internet search.