THE HIDE – FLIES

The Hide – Flies

The flies are back for a week or two only . The particular species in question is the St Mark’s fly. They are a spring phenomenon appearing for a short period of time and then completely disappearing again. The St Mark’s fly, or ‘hawthorn fly, is a very common, long, shiny, black fly that can be found in large numbers during the spring around woodland edges, fields and wetlands. Here at the meadow the St Mark’s fly appears in large numbers and hovers about a metre above the meadow vegetation creating a huge spectacular black cloud, with its legs dangling underneath.

This spectacle only lasts for seven to ten days , which is pretty much the entire life cycle of an adult fly. The common name of this species comes from the fact that the adults usually emerge in large numbers around St Mark’s Day, April 25th. They are in fact non-biting and do not sting. We missed the spectacular display last year so it’s good to see that they are still here and once again in good number , plus the fly catching birds are having a bonus feast.

Speaking of the birds it has been a good day here at the hide with the usual display of European Robins , Great tits , Dunnocks and the Blue tits. A recent report from Surry seems to suggest that the Blue tit is fast taking over as the most populist bird here in the Uk , a title previously held by the House Sparrow. And our own very non scientific evidence from the meadow would seem to confirm the trend.

So who else has made this week’s list . The Blackbirds are another common sight here , then we have the Wren , Chaffinch , Wood Pigeon , Pheasant ( the brightly coloured male and his harem of females ) the Chiffchaff , Bullfinch , Goldfinch and Goldcrest. One noticeable absentee , the Great Spotted Woodpecker who hasn’t been around for a few weeks.

Then we have the mammals , starting with the expanding Rat pack , the naughty but photogenic Grey Squirrel gang and a couple of sunbathing rabbits.

As ever thank you for taking the time to read , like and comment on this blog. Your support is much appreciated.

Peter