HoverflySpotterM.D
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hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
HoverflySpotterM.D
@hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
46 followers 74 following 48 posts
Naturalist, Environmental Biologist and Data Analyst specialising in hoverflies. Trustee of the British Naturalist Association & recipient of the Richard Fitter medal.
My site https://hoverflyspotter.blogspot.com is about Hoverflies & Nature's Joy.
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hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
🐛 Hoverfly Genera 🐝
Buzzing with facts! An acrostic postcard all about Helophilus hoverflies. Hope it makes you smile! 🌸 #Nature #Nature #Hoverflies #EcoEducation #Biodiversity #Flies #Insects #Pollinator #Diptera #Syrphidae #FunFacts #Entomology #Art #ArtAppreciation #NatureIllustration
Acrostic Helophilus genera postcard with Common and Lemon Tiger Hoverflies and fascinating facts.
November 28, 2025 at 6:11 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Bright Night festivals light up the UK! Barnsley’s ‘The Collectors’ by Bethan Maddocks blends art & nature beautifully. Such an Inspiration 🌙✨
#Nature #Light #Illuminations #Art #ArtAppreciation #NatureIllustration #HiddenWonders #Autumn #EcoEducation #Birds #Insects #Moths #Butterflies #Ladybirds
November 23, 2025 at 5:19 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
🐛 Hoverfly Genera 🐝
🌿 Discover Volucella hoverflies with an acrostic postcard of fascinating facts! 🦋 Learn & share!
#Nature #Hoverflies #EcoEducation #Biodiversity #Flies #Insects #Pollinator #Diptera #Syrphidae #FunFacts #Entomology #Art #ArtAppreciation #NatureIllustration
Volucella genera acrostic postcard of fascinating facts
November 22, 2025 at 6:03 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Volunteering at #RSPB Old Moor yesterday, cleaning out a pond - searching for Hairy #Dragonfly nymphs (Brachytron pratense). Adults recently discovered at the site. NBN- handful of records North of Leeds. 🐉 #Nature #Insects #Pondlife #ClimateChange #Conservation #Biodiversity. Nymphs relocated.
Water spider, pea mussel, sticklebacks, backswimmers, pond and ramshorn snails all relocated.
November 20, 2025 at 3:52 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Thank you for sharing, I know of them but haven’t seen one in the wild unfortunately, even when I have visited France. In the UK several horseflies have similar stunning eyes, but they do bite. We have two hoverflies with dotted eyes which are stunning to find, Eristalinus.aenus and sepulchralis.
November 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Fungi Art –
Mushroom stands alone,
Grassland whispers to the wind,
Birds paint the blue sky.
#fungi #mushrooms #mycology #fungifriends #nature #autumnvibes
A grassland scene created as a reflection on a fungi
November 16, 2025 at 12:21 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Comet 3I/Atlas orbits the Sun—perfect time to dive into Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama. What if alien visitors came instead? 🚀✨ What if it wasn’t a comet but a starship? 🚀
#SpaceExploration #SciFiBooks #Comet #BookTok #BookLovers #SpaceVibes #SciFiReads #CometWatch #Astronomy #Cosmos #Space #SciFi
Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C.Clarke SF Masterworks published by Gollancz 2006.
November 13, 2025 at 9:42 AM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Explored the grounds of #WortleyHall S.Yorkshire yesterday with the BNATs and spotted 20 species of #Fungi – bringing our monthly total to 53 species from two visits!. Wortley Hall is truly a magical spot for fungi lovers. 🌳✨ #Mycology #NatureWalk #Nature #BNATs #Wildlife #Autumnvibes #Fungifriends
Withes Hat, Poor Man's Liquorice and Yellow Fieldcap
November 9, 2025 at 11:33 AM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Lunuled wings gleam,
Banded dancers trace green paths—
Ivy hums with life.
#Haiku #haikupoem #haikupoetry #Hoverflies #flies #Insects #pollinator #nature #syrphidae #knowledge #biology #wildlife #diptera
Left picture Lunuled Aphideater (Eupeodes luniger), Right picture Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) all found on the Ivy bush centre.
November 7, 2025 at 5:33 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
After 2 yrs, a hedgehog’s back in my garden! 🦔🔥 Before lighting bonfires, MOVE & CHECK for hidden hogs! #Wildlife #Autumn. Haven’t seen it in a week so it might have gone into hibernation?
-Check a fire save a ‘hog. 🦔🔥 Nobody likes a crispy Hedgehog! -
#Bonfire #Fireworks #NatureLove #Hedgehogs.
November 5, 2025 at 10:17 AM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Mild autumn vibes 🍂 Hoverflies still buzzing! 🐝 Spotted a Common Dainty Hoverfly (Baccha elongata) on the ivy today 🌿 #flies #Insects #pollinator #nature #syrphidae #biology #wildlife #diptera #garden Bit late in the season for this little one. #climatechange
Common Dainty Hoverfly (Baccha elongata) on a Ivy leaf. Photo didn't come out very well so this is from earlier this year Photograph of Common Dainty hoverfly taken today on Ivy, shame the picture came out blurred.
November 3, 2025 at 4:11 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
First Culture book read: Player of Games by Iain Banks. Loved the mind-games, still baffled by rules of the #boardgame Azad, frightening to think that their emperors & positions of power are selected from how good you play this game! Any other Culture must-reads I wonder? #Scifi #Booksky #Bookreview
Front cover of the book The Player of Games by Iain M.Banks 1988 2nd book of the culture series
October 28, 2025 at 10:50 AM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Super half day at #RSPB Mersehead yesterday mass flocks of Barnacle geese, wonderful views of Pintail, whilst in the skies were Buzzards, Red Kites & Merlin. On the beach was a Small Spotted Catshark #Eggcase, no Skate/Ray cases.
#Naturewalk #HiddenWonders #Scotland #Birdwatching #Marinelife
A panoramic view taken on one of the walking paths around RSPB nature reserve Small Spotted Shark Eggcase brown and with plenty of tendrils
October 26, 2025 at 9:40 AM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Explored the stunning Wigtown coastal path Friday and ended at the historic Martyrs’ Stone. Spotted 27 bird species along the way – including an impressive flock of 60+ fieldfares! 🐦✨

#Naturewalk #HiddenWonders #Scotland #Birdwatching #Birding
A stone explaining the story of the Wigtown Matyrs The Matyrs stone
October 26, 2025 at 8:04 AM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
In Wigtown Scotland yesterday caught these 2 hoverflies basking in the sun and feeding on the Ivy. Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) and Tapered Dronefly. (Eristalis pertinax).
#Hoverflies #Flies #Insects #Pollinator #Nature #Syrphidae #Diptera
Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax) feeding on Ivy Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) basking in the sun on a Bramble leaf
October 25, 2025 at 4:40 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
In Caelaverock yesterday watching the thousands Barnacle geese and the few Whooper swans that had arrived so far #Birds #Nature #Migration #Autumn Hoverflies seen Common Banded, Broad Banded, Common & Tapered Dronefly, Common Grey #Syrphidae #Hoverflies
Scene of the pools at Caerlaverock wetland centre watching the Whooper Swans & Barancle Geese
October 24, 2025 at 7:38 AM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Happy National Moss Day! 🌿✨
Celebrating the tiny green wonders that carpet our forests, walls, and stones.
October 21st — a day to appreciate the quiet beauty of moss and its role in our ecosystems. 💚
#NationalMossDay #MossMagic #Moss #Nature #Autumn #HiddenWonders #Bryophytes
A mossy dog taken near Rievaulx Abbey near York. It wasn't a sculpture nor a dog statue covered in moss as far as I could tell.
October 21, 2025 at 4:08 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Spotted on my nature walk 🌳
A beech nut—absolutely crawling with life! 🐞
Counted Green Shieldbug, 7-spot & Harlequin ladybird... but who knows how many critters were hiding out of sight? Nature never disappoints. 🌿🔍 #Naturewalk #InsectLife #Autumn #ForestFinds #BugSpotting #Halloween #MicroSafari
A beech nut which had pierced a sycamore leaf, housing three critters a green shieldbug, 7 spot and harlequin ladybird.
October 20, 2025 at 2:35 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Its gall time, these were taken locally Cherry, Cola nut and Osyter gall on oak and a Beech Gall (Mikiola fagi) #autumn #ukwildlife #galls #nature #autumnvibes
5 Cherry Galls Cynips querscyfolii on Oak 4 Cola Nut Galls Andricus lignicola on oak Oyster Gall Neuroterus anthracinus on oak. Beech Gall Mikiola fagi
October 16, 2025 at 7:34 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Its fungi season, these were taken locally #fungi #mushrooms #mycology #fungifriends #nature #autumnvibes
Three Fungi Plums and Custard left, Fly Agaric centre and Birch Knight Right Picture of Shaggy Scalycap Pholiota squarrosa taken at a local nature reserve
October 15, 2025 at 6:47 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Still hoverflies around Carlton Marsh Nr Royston Saturday. Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) 3♀, Tapered Dronefly (Eristalis pertinax) 1♂, Common Dronefly (Eristalis tenax) 1♀, Marmalade (Episyrphus balteatus), Lunuled Aphideater (Eupeodes luniger) 1♀ #syrphidae #hoverflies
Lunuled Aphideater taken earlier this year
October 13, 2025 at 4:34 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
I am not a reader of biographies but I would totally recommend Making it So by Patrick Stewart. It was very easy read full of stories from #StarTrek, his early childhood in #Mirfield #Yorkshire and his #Shakespearean adventures before Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
The book cover of Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart
October 12, 2025 at 9:48 AM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Hoverflies return to Ivy bush after storm Amy. Common Banded (Syrphus ribesii) and Drone fly (Eristalis tenax) #hoverflies #syrphidae but mainly its full of wasps. The wall facing the sun is covered in Asian Lady Beetles (Harmonia axyridis) all of different varieties.
Common Banded Hoverfly on a Ivy bubil day after Storm Amy
October 6, 2025 at 3:12 PM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Last week I was at a conference in Sheffield, about the #uplands. Listening to passionate speakers debate what needs to be done to restore them #naturewriting, #rewilding, #hoverflies.
See some of my thoughts with brief notes from the main speakers. hoverflyspotter.blogspot.com/2025/10/a-wi...
A scene from the Uplands conference in Sheffield 1-2nd October.
October 5, 2025 at 10:23 AM
hoverflyspotter.bsky.social
Hi All.
I am new to this platform but have heard good things about it so here I am. Staying in from storm Amy with no chance of spotting #hoverflies today, hope they haven't been blown away. Here is a post from my blog site of a hoverfly seen recently. hoverflyspotter.blogspot.com/2025/09/hove...
Yellow-barred Peat Hoverfly (Sericomyia silentis)
October 4, 2025 at 2:14 PM