Wall to wall wildlife

On the wildlife front, things have been quite low key this past week, perhaps we've reached that mellow point of Summer when it is noticeable that the year is turning. Until I moved to Orkney, I had never considered which species of wildflower was the last to come into bloom in Summer - it's Devil's-bit Scabious, here - and that feels like more of a slippery slope to mid-Winter than the departing of Puffins or other auks. Yes, it is also much quieter bird-wise, with an end to the frantic feathered fecundity for our breeding species, little in the way of birdsong and a steady trickle of migrants heading back south.

Looking at the images I have taken during the last week or so, there's a preponderance of insects, beginning with a moth discovered on the rear bumper of my van whilst visiting Stronsay. I think this is a Dark Arches. Whether I took it with me from Mainland, picked up a stowaway on the ferry or it was a Stronsay resident, I will never know.

A late afternoon wander along the Orphir coast on another day brought a pleasing number of insect species despite the overcast conditions.

Herd impunity

Hoverfly ID'd for me as Episyrphus balteatus (Thanks, SA)

A Meadow Brown butterfly on Devil's-bit Scabious

One of several Painted Ladies seen this week

A Common Blue butterfly

More Devil's-bit Scabious, this time with (I think) a Garden Bumblebee

Hoverfly ID'd for me as an Eristalis sp, possibly nemorum (thanks, SA)

A distant warbler, probably Willow Warbler

On a different afternoon, on the Birsay moors, I spotted this hoverfly feeding on an umbellifer. At the time, I blithely assumed its ID to be Volucella bombylans as I have seen many of those recently. However, reviewing the images later, I realised that was not the case and had to call in the experts once more. Several helpful folk on the UK Hoverflies Facebook page identified the insect as Cheilosia illustrata.

On a Sorrel plant, this caterpillar was feasting upon the flowers. I wasn't sure whether it was the larva of a Light Knot Grass moth or an early instar of the Emperor moth.

But most wildlife sightings of late have been at home. There are loads of Harvestmen around at the moment, with several turning up in bed (well, on the bed). A very-unused-for-drinking pint glass from the kitchen has been pressed into service, turfing umpteen of the loves back outside. Indeed, here's a photo of eight gathered by the front door frame.

Meantime, the cellar spiders are venturing further 'south' than the ceiling corners, this one below was discovered beneath the utensil rail in the kitchen. I didn't have the spoons to shift it, but by the next day it had contoured around to a door frame, safely out of my eye line, where we have developed an uneasy peace.

But the recent highlight was spotting a pair of Swifts feeding with Swallows and martins along the clifftops in Birsay. These have been my only two Swifts in Orkney this Summer, which was sufficiently pleasing to ensure a long-lasting grin.