3rd Nephritoma flavipalpis Cranefly for Scilly

Found this striking Nephritoma flavipalpis Cranefly at Trenoweth yesterday only to be told later that's it the 3rd record for Scilly!

  In the warm sun yesterday afternoon, we took the ducklings for a walk around Trenoweth and searched for insects in a hedgerow and were rewarded with a few new species including a sheildbug and a very colourful cranefly. I also started looking at flies more carefully and got what I believe is a scarce species, Phaonia errans House Fly

Finale instar of the Hairy Sheildbug

Myathropa florea Hoverfly

Nettle Tap Moth

Buff ermine Moth

Metellina sp Possibly segmentata 

Froghoppers come all kind of forms

Leafhopper sp?

Sarcophaga sp Flesh Fly

This Crab Spider was taking on more than it could chew in this Phaonia errans House Fly

Then the spider turned on me!!

I was searching for bugs in the very same hedge that was keeping the ducklings and Jo in the shade from the sun while they were sleeping

Later at the airfield we had 5 Wheatear and the first Water Rail of the autumn and the Ruff down at Porth Hellick.

  Two day ago we took the ducklings down to their favored area, Porthloo Beach and with a juvenile Mediterranean Gull on a rock on the beach was a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull. 'Rocky' Robin called to say he had a Ruff at Porth Hellick but by the time we got there it had flown off. However, a return visit in the evening to the latter site and there it was with a Green Sandpiper 

Juvenile Yellow-legged Gull showing very well at Porthloo before flying off after being disturbed by folks walking the beach.

A few days ago I saw 5 juvenile Mediterranean Gull at Morning Point. So I kinda of surprised to only see this juvenile feeding on the surf with some 50 Black-headed Gull

  Four nights ago, Jo and I gave it 45 minutes looking for bugs meters from the digs area on the Garrison. As we've only been searching for bugs at night since June, most critters we find are new species to us and this included three species of Harvestmen, three species of caterpillar, although I've seen the moths as they're pretty common on Scilly and a single moth. Earlier in the day, Ren found a Denticulate Leatherbug   and with less than ten records for Scilly, a few of us were keen to see it.

This Denticulate Leatherbug was new species for some, including Jo and I, that Ren found at Sallyport

Female Dicranopalpus sp Harvestmen 

Male Leiobunum blackwalli Harvestmen

Paroiligolophus agrestis Harvestmen

Phytocoris varipes Capsid Bug

Gracillaria syringella Moth

Willow Beauty Moth 

Dark Dagger Moth

The alien like Heteropelma amictum Ichneuman Wasp are very common on the Garrison

Then I got home and found 2 Silver Y caterpillars feeding on one of my plants indoors!!

During the day, there were 2 Common Darter at the Star Castle duckling Pond although this individual was at Rose Hill. 

The Painted Lady numbers have dropped from 100s to ones and twos. These were taken in the Star Caslte garden two days ago with good numbers of Red Admiral 

The 4 ducklings follows us wherever we go

And they love Porthloo Beach as Pablo Jr leads the way