Flies
of the lower Adur Valley including Shoreham-by-Sea27
April 2011
The
predatory small Dance Fly,
Empis
tessellata was seen with its
prey of a smaller fly.
26
April 2011
Crane-flies,
Tipula,were
mating on the lower slopes of
Mill Hill.
A handful were noted, but I expect there were many more.
8 April
2011
Common
Bee-Flies,
Bombylius
major, flitted around the Butterfly Copse near the Waterworks
Road, Old Shoreham.
3 April
2011
A
Common
Bee-Fly,
Bombylius
major, was also spotted amongst the Dog
Violets on the
lower slopes of Mill Hill.There was another
one amongst the Alexanders at the top of
Buckingham Park, north Shoreham.
22
March 2011
The
first Bee-fly
of the year was seen on the southern steps to the lower slopes of Mill
Hill. It was not identified to species.
1 August
2010
Two
large Hornet Robber Flies,
Asilus
crabroniformis, my first of the year
settled on the Pixie Path (next to Frampton's
Field, Old Shoreham).
18
April 2010
A
Dotted
Bee-fly, Bombylius
discolor, was spotted hovering about
and visiting Dog Violets on
the lower slopes of Mill Hill. Its
identity was confirmed by a poor photograph.
Dotted
Bee-flies Information
| 17
April 2010
Small flies on Dove's Foot Cranesbill. |
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11
April 2010
At
least two Common Bee-Flies,
Bombylius
major, were seen in the Butterfly Copse next to the the Waterworks
Road.
9 April
2010
The
first Bee-flies
of the year were seen near where Cowslips
were in flower on the Downs-Coastal
Link Cyclepath.
23
July 2009
Under
a cloudy sky at the top of the Pixie Path the
first Hornet Robber Fly
of 2009 settled
briefly.
6 April
2009
Three
Bee-flies
in the north-west scrub on Mill Hill did
not settle. They were most likely to be the rarer Dotted
Bee-fly seen in this location before.
However, it was a Common Bee-Fly,
Bombylius
major, that landed on the steps of the Butterfly Copse next to
the Waterworks Road.
5
April 2009
There
were frequent Dotted Bee-flieshovering
in mid-air and visiting Ground Ivy
on the Coastal Link Cyclepath near the Cement
Works.
Dotted
Bee-flies Information
29
March 2009
An
unexpected treat was three or four individual Dotted
Bee-flies, Bombylius
discolor, using their long feeding
tubes to take nectar on a large patch of Ground
Ivy, Glechoma hederacea.
 |
 |
Previous Record on Mill Hill
23
March 2009
At
least two Common Bee-Flies,
Bombylius
major, were also spotted hovering over the vegetation bordering
the grassy area at the top of Chanctonbury Drive,
Shoreham, south-east of the bridge over the A27
to Mill Hill.
| 22
June 2008
The small Soldier Fly, Chloromyia formosa, illustrated on the left was seen occasionally and was probably frequent at the top of Buckingham Park, Shoreham, amongst the vegetation under the canopy of trees. This is not a hoverfly. Marmalade Flies, Episyrphus balteatus, were seen on Mill Hill. |
 |
 |
6
June 2008
A few of the distinctive Panorpa flies were seen amongst the Privet and Brambles on the lower slopes of Mill Hill. |
11
April 2008
On
a breezy afternoon, the first two Common
Bee-flies,
Bombylius
major, of 2008,
buzzed over footpath that runs along the south of Frampton's Field, and
another one was seen at the top (north) of The Street, Old Shoreham.
29
March 2008
| One
of Britain's favourite butterflies may be being killed by a parasite. The
Small
Tortoiseshell Butterfly has suffered a
dramatic decline in recent years and it is thought that a tiny parasitic
fly, Sturmia
bella, is the cause. The butterfly
caterpillars eat the fly's eggs, found on nettles, which then hatch, killing
the host. The charity Butterfly
Conservation Society and the Dept.
of Zoology at Oxford University's are conducting research
to find out if the fly is to blame. It is
a common parasitoid of Nymphalidae in Europe but nothing can be said as
yet of the British status.
Times Report Image of Fly |
| 1
February 2008
A fly on a Dandelion at the top of McIntyres Field, north Lancing, was my first fly noted this year. |
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25
September 2007
A Hornet Robber Fly was seen on the Slonk Hill Cutting south in the open overgrown bit east of the hedgerows that close in on the path. |
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12
September 2007
A Hornet Robber Fly was seen on Mill Hill south of the Reservoir. These flies are very wary and I find it nigh impossible to get near enough for a decent photograph. |
|
The first Hornet Robber Fly seen this year was seen on the Buckingham Cutting south. |
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2 July
2007
 |
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| 2
March 2007
In a brief burst of early afternoon sunshine, I spotted my first Dung Fly at the top of Chanctonbury Drive (SE of the bridge to Mill Hill). |
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