North Lincolnshire, Sunday 13th April 2025

With the prospect of a fairly decent forecast today I decided to visit a couple of local sites to see what i could find.

After meeting up with Dave and Andy at Messingham Sand Quarries first, we wandered around the reserve in varying amounts of sun trying to find any insects and the outside chance of finding a Large-red Damselfly perhaps, also.

As we walked a few summer visiting migrant birds were seen and heard, which included my first Common Tern and Reed Warblers of the year, along with a Blackcap cleverly mimicking a Crossbill, which had me fooled briefly and at least 6 Willow Warblers, with displaying Common Buzzards overhead.

A few insect finds included a couple of new species for me in the form of Micro Moth species Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella a species which its caterpillars mine Birch leaves. A colourfull little species which reminded me of Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner.

Another tiny Moth found by Dave, was Dyseriocrania subpurpurella a member of the Eriocraniidae family of Micro Moths. It mines the leaves of Oak trees creating a distinct bloth mine.

My first Mayfly species was also seen today and was another new species for me, or at least the first time i have attempted to ID memebers of this family of aquatic insects. It is known as Cloeon simile or Lake Olive, one of our more diminutive species found in the UK.

A nice selection of Hoverflies were seen and included several undidentifiable Syrphus and Cheilosia species and also some which could be ID'd to species which included Eristalis intricaria or Furry Drone Fly, Epistrophe elegans or Spring Smoothtail, Eristalis pertinax or Tapered Drone Fly and Platycheirus scutatus or Many-tufted Sedgesitter. The latter was the first i have positively identified to species level, so was a new confirmed species for me.

After enjoying my morning with the lads, they headed home and then i travelled over to site number two for the rest of the day to spend it with a species i hold in high regard, Woodlark.

I managed some lovely views of this gorgeous species and it was really great to hear their melancholy song overhead in that spiralling song flight, just fantastic to watch and hear.

After enjoying these beautiful heathland songsters, it was back home before the promised rain was to arrive. 

A cracking day out and about.

Heathland Habitat.

Male Eristalis pertinax - Tapered Drone Fly

Cheilosia sp.

Cheilosia sp.

Female Eristalis intricaria - Furry Drone Fly

Female Syrphus Sp.

Dyseriocrania subpurpurella

Female Epistrophe elegans - Spring Smoothtail

Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella