Drone fly

After a very misty start, it was sunny again by lunchtime. I went for a walk with a friend and we chatted as we strolled rather than me diving into the hedges for every photo opportunity.

This blossom was very close to the road and was busy with bees, bee flies, hover flies and ladybirds. When I was taking this shot, I thought I was tracking a bee. It was only when I looked at it again at home and saw the red marks on the abdomen that I realised that it was actually a kind of hover fly. I think it is a drone fly (Eristalis tenax), which, according to my ancient Chinery, has a bee-like appearance and is common on spring flowers. Its larvae is called the 'rat tailed' maggot as it lives in muddy ditches and breathes with a telescopic snorkel. As a muddy ditch runs along this road, it all seemed to fit quite nicely.

Book group again (which is why this was posted early next day).