Mating Hovers

They were cavorting in the nettles when I came along looking dodgy in a mac with a camera. They were also taking their time with their mating so I managed to get a few shots with the minimum nettle stings as possible, having to use the manual focus.

They are so colourful with the yellow and black stripes and close up I think their little pad-like feet are very cute. The males have bigger eyes which are closer together at the top of the head than the females.

Another first for me, mating hoverflies - sometimes called 'flower flies' or 'syrphid flies'. This is Helophilus pendulus a very common British hoverfly one of about 250 British species.

Definitely best viewed large