Early Spring Selection

Not this spring though. I haven't seen anything yet, mainly because I haven't really ventured out much, it's far too cold for me at the moment! These photos are all from April & early May a couple of years ago now, though it seems like yesterday! Roll on the better spring weather so I can get back out there and find some more.

Sidmouth Cemetery 4th April 2021

Female Hairy-footed Flower Bee - Anthophora plumipes

Male Hairy-footed Flower Bee - Anthophora plumipes

Male Hairy-footed Flower Bee - Anthophora plumipes and friend.

 

Female Orange-tailed Mining Bee - Andrena haemorrhoa

 

Male Orange-tailed Mining Bee - Andrena haemorrhoa

 

 Ashy Mining Bee - Andrena cineraria

 

 I can't identify this one from the photo but it's Andrena sp.

 

Yellow-legged Mining Bee - Andrena flavipes
 (I think)

Dark-edged Bee-fly - Bombylius major

Fabricius' Nomad Bee - Nomada fabriciana  

Slender Speedwell - Veronica filiformis

 Haven Cliffs, Axmouth 18th April 2021

The base of an old cliff-fall, with few nectar plants in flower but I spotted three species of butterfly here.

  Clouded Yellow - Colias croceus

This butterfly was newly emerged and not able to fly strongly yet. This species has no hibernating stage so it's amazing that the larvae survived the whole winter in this location. Mild winters are very common down here though.

Dingy Skipper - Erynnis tages

Wood White - Leptidea sinapis

The earliest ever one that I've seen. In fact this butterfly was officially recorded as the first one of the year in the UK!

Cream Spot Tiger - Arctia villica 

Yellow-legged Mining Bee - Andrena flavipes

Painted Nomad Bee - Nomada fucata

 

Marsham's Nomad Bee - Nomada marshamella
 

 

Large spotty-eyed Dronefly - Eristalinus aeneus

 

Hawkerland 6th May 2021 

This large flowered Leopardsbane is a hybrid between Leopardsbane - Doronicum pardalianches and Plantain-leaved Leopardsbane - Doronicum plantagineum. Growing on a roadside bank near the village of Hawkerland, so probably originated in a garden. It was a welcome new species for me.

Hybrid Leopardsbane - Doronicum x willdenowii