No Flies On Us 24. Hoverfly (Melanostoma scripta) Oxwich, South Wales

 

A fly at Oxwich.

No Flies On Us 23. Hoverfly (Melanstoma scalare) National Botanical Garden of Wales

 

Another hoverfly in the National Botanical Gardens Wales.

Sandwich Island Saga 42 Back in Oahu

Once more into the breach!

No Flies On Us 22. Hoverfly (Leucozona leucorum) Loughor, South Wales

 

White flashes.

No Flies On Us 21. Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus) National Botanical Garden of Wales

 

In the UK’s largest greenhouse (NBGW)

No Flies On Us 20. Hoverfly (Chrysotoxum cautum) Bynea, South Wales

 

A wasp mimic?

No Flies On Us 19. Hoverfly (Blera sp) Martiniere, France

 

A hoverfly in France,

No Flies On Us 18. Housefly (Musca domestica) Bynea, South Wales

 

Making more houseflies.

No Flies On Us 17. Greenbottle (Lucilia caesar) Oxwich, South Wales

 

Greenbottle on the catkins

No Flies On Us 16. Flesh fly (Sarcophaga carnaria) Loughor, South Wales

 

Sins of the flesh?

No Flies On Us 15. Fever fly (Dilophus febrelis) Bynea, South Wales

 

You give me fever!

No Flies On Us 14. Fallenia fasciata Bynea, South Wales

 

Big and striking.

No Flies On Us 13. Hoverfly (Episyrphus baleatus) Crymlyn Burrows, South Wales

 

Fly amongst the flowers!

No Flies On Us 12. Empis tessellata Loughor, South Wales

 

Waiting for Godot?

No Flies On Us 11. Drone fly (Eristalis tenax)

 

Drone amongst the crocuses.

No Flies On Us 10. Cleg fly (Haematopota pluvialis) Loughor South Wales

 

Yer 'horsefly'

No Flies On Us 9. Chrysotoxum bicinctum Oxwich, South Wales

 

A hoverfly?

Googling Emissions

 

Google's proposed hyperscale data centre in Thurrock (Essex) is said to be essential to boost artificial intelligence (AI) capacity. When operational, however, the centre is estimated to churn out circa 570,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. This will, of course, make it progressively more difficult for the UK to meet its commitments on reducing  'greenhouse gas' emissions  (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/15/google-datacentre-kent-co2-thurrock-uk-ai). It's also the case that the centre will require vast quantities of water for cooling. Thought the English South-east was in the throes of a water shortage? Perhaps the government should google it?

Trawling Through

Marine Conservation Areas (MCAs) are quite rare around the UK. MCAs are needed to prevent over-fishing. They allow surrounding denuded areas to be repopulated with fish, crustaceans and molluscs. Bottom trawling is the most environmentally-damaging method of fishing. It effectively makes a waste land of the sea bed. It's consequently hardly rocket science to deduce that MCAs and bottom-trawling are wholly incompatible (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/12/the-guardian-view-on-fishing-and-nature-bottom-trawling-boats-dont-belong-in-conservation-zones). It does seem very strange to allow any incidences of this form of fishing into protected areas.

Seeing the Changes 2187

In Loughor, Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) was prominently in berry.

Seeing the Changes 2186

The fungus season is also early this year with what might be a Summer bolete (Boleatus reticulatus) in my Loughor garden.

No Flies On Us 6. Robberflies mating Water Gardens, Sikkim, NE India

 

No Flies On Us 5. Fly at Fambong Lho, Sikkim NE India

 

No Flies On Us 4. Flesh fly Hidden Forest Retreat Gangtok, Sikkim

 

No Flies On Us 8. Blue bottle (Calliphora vomitaria) Swansea, South Wales

 

No Flies On Us 7. Bee fly Bombylius major Clun Gwyn South Wales

 

 

Pseudobee in the heart of South Wales.

No Flies On Us 3. Large Bibio sp Gangtok, Sikkim, NE India

 

No Flies On Us 2. Bibio anglicus Gangtok, Sikkim, NE India

 

No Flies On Us 1. Tabanus nigrovittatus Gangtok, Sikkim, NE India

 

Science Isn't a Case of 'Pick and Mix'!

 

It's certainly disturbing that anyone charged with preserving an entire country's health would apparently have little time for science. Science, after all, has been responsible for much of the improvement in living conditions for the human species. Science depends, however, on:- 1) Intellectual honesty; 2) An understanding of what constitutes a well-designed experiment; 3) Replication (showing that the finding is reliable rather than a consequence of deliberate or unintentional bias) and 4) A professional consideration of all the available data. Science, we know, deals in probabilities and not absolutes. It's still, however, much better than the 'snake-oil solutions' of yesteryear. In health regulations, there should be little place for 'pet' obsessions and even less place for removing folk who fail to share them. Medical science is complex, so it's generally best if the decision-maker has a good understanding of the issues/complexities involved  (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/12/rfk-jr-does-not-just-reject-vaccines-he-rejects-science-and-must-step-down). Casting unreasonable doubt on science, is most likely to injure folk, who would normally rely on 'expert' opinion. 

'Energy Drinks' : It's Not Just the Caffeine!

 

Devi Sridhar (University of Edinburgh) notes that the sale of 'energy drinks' to under 16's has just been banned in England. She suggests that the real question is why this ban has taken so long. 'Energy drinks' have long been linked to obesity, lack of concentration and mood changes. Sridhar focuses on their caffeine content. Caffeine (also contained in tea and coffee) is certainly psychoactive and intake by children needs to be minimised. 'Energy drinks' are also, however, marketed on the basis of their glucose content. Slurping down glucose often produces reactive hypoglycaemia. Reactive hypoglycaemia is an undershoot of the resting blood level of glucose, produced by the monosaccharide stimulating insulin release. Our brains are entirely dependent on their blood supply for energy. No carbohydrate is stored there. I distinctly remember being involved in a study some decades ago. In it, students, after drinking glucose solutions, showed increases in irritability and hostility. These questionnaire-assessed mood changes, were especially prominent in male subjects. So glucose and caffeine are an unhelpful combination (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/10/england-ban-energy-drinks-caffeine-children-parents-social-media). If you need extra energy for a sport, eat a banana well before the event starts!

'Slopaganda' and Science?

 

Folk have been concerned about the probability of high-quality and convincing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated fake clips, being used to alter people's voting intentions. It seems, however, that clips neither need to be high quality nor convincing to be effective. Marcus Beard has coined the term 'AI-slopaganda'  referring  to "low-effort, inflammatory, part satire and part commentary". Such clips, in spite of their crudity, can (and do) generate millions of 'hits', financially rewarding their creators. They have become a kind of cottage industry (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/sep/09/angela-rayner-ai-slopaganda-politics-technology-deepfakes). There is, of course, every likelihood that  AI-slopaganda will also be used, by vested interests, to undermine any area of 'inconvenient' science. Something we will have to increasingly look out for?

An SUV is still an SUV!

 

It's legitimate to wonder why on earth the UK government is giving subsidies to folk purchasing massive Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) simply because they are also Electric Vehicles (EVs). Any EV produces less climate-altering/ health-damaging emissions than diesel or petrol-fuelled equivalents. SUVs are, however, by definition, taller and heavier than traditional cars. Most seem to be simply purchased as status symbols, rather than serving any specialist 'sporting' or alternative need. The height of an SUV prevents its driver seeing nearby children. Its weight (around 2 tons) results in a greater production of microplastics from its tyres and braking systems. Folk, hit by a heavy SUV, are much more likely to die. SUV's also damage road surfaces, increasing the formation of potholes. Pothole repair is expensive   (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/09/electric-suvs-subsidies-ed-miliband-climate-policy). It seems a 'no-brainer' to direct any 'green' subsidies to small EVs and to public transport. These represent the best way of countering the polluting effects of transport in UK cities. Very few folk, especially in UK cities, actually need an SUV.

Someone Has To Do It?

 

Given the current flood of scientific information, it seems important to at least attempt to provide a source of balance. I appreciate that everyone can get things wrong sometimes. There are, however, folk who appear to make well-paid careers out of deliberately misinforming. My blog just exceeded 2 million reads and I hope it's helped, in its small way, to clarify some debates. Science depends on a careful evaluation of facts. There are no 'alternative facts' in science. It also requires an honest presentation of the material rather than just picking the items that support your 'theory'.

Breathe in Those Microplastics

UK folk  appear to have recently fallen in love again with school uniforms. Uniforms might well give a sense of identity and preventing rich kids from flaunting their parent's wealth. Having said that, these items generally fail to reflect the working garb of most professional workers (even male teachers, are often excused ties). Most current school uniforms are currently made from synthetic cloths, making them relatively hard-wearing, as well as easy to wash and dry. Polyesters are, however, a major source of the apparently ubiquitous microplastics (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/06/what-is-in-childrens-school-uniforms). One might ask, whether it's really a good idea to increase the exposure of developing children to microplastics. Ingestion of these man-made pollutants seems likely to alter endocrine (hormonal) activity

Root Causes?

 In the UK and US, apparently popular and successful vegan/vegetarian restaurants are reportedly closing or adding meat to their menus (https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/sep/02/plant-based-problem-why-vegan-restaurants-closing-or-adding-meat-menu). There are a number of potential reasons for the downturn. They include 1. The impact of the Covid19 lockdowns. This has made life difficult for all eating establishments but impacts on specialist establishments may be greater; 2. A reason given by some restauranteurs for adding meat to the menu is that it enables 'herbivores' and 'carnivores' to eat together. Not all gatherings are exclusively vegan! Most restaurants now offer vegetarian options, so they could also cater for mixed groupings and 3. There's been a debate about the negative effects of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on human health. UPFs are not well-defined but some folk believe that certain vegan ingredients deserve this label. This could reduce the attractiveness of plant-based foods, especially in locations where the exact technologies used in preparation are uncertain I personally feel that reducing the intake of animal protein, benefits both the individual and the planet. Fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of nutrients. It's probably, however, better if they look like the actual ingredient rather than trying to mimic sausages, burgers etc. 

Seeing the Changes 2185

In Loughor, Elder (Sambucus nigra) was in berry.

Seeing the Changes 2184

After heavy rain in Bynea, butterflies, including this Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), came out to bask.