Seeing the Changes 230

Went for a walk at Clyn Gwyn in the Vale of Neath. On the approach to the waterfall, there was lots of Devilsbit scabious (Succisa pratensis) being visited by hoverflies. The was also quite a bit a bracket fungus on dead wood. In Bynea, Golden samphire (Inula crithmoides) and Sea aster (Aster tripolium) were towards the end of their flowering. Most of the latter had had their purple petals blown away. In Loughor, Ivy (Hedera helix) was coming into bloom and also proving popular with hoverflies (e.g. Helophilus pendulus and Eristalis tenax). The Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) caterpillars had transformed to the chrysalis stage. There was also a soldier fly (Stratiomys chameleon) on parade along with an unidentified blue and red fly. A bunch of gregarious Buff tip moth (Phalera bucephala) scrummaged on an Alder. There were also three different kinds of Shield bugs (nymphs of Eurydema dominulus and Palomina prasina and adults of Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale) on ground vegetation. The Oak leaves were infested with the Common spangle galls of the gall wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum. Garden spiders (Areneus diadematus) were 'making hay' between the rainy periods. A Ruddy darter (Sympetrum sanguineum) made the most of the sunshine.