All of a Hover

 I've long found Hoverfles fascinating, but even with the generalist filed guides to insects that I've got , I've found that getting to the correct identification rather difficult.

The publication of a new guide, Britain's Hoverflies, by Stuart Ball and Roger Morris, by WILDguides, has made life a little easier. A beautifully produced book, with great photos and keys, and one of a series of terrific guides by this publisher.

 When I saw this chap sunning it's self on a fence in the garden it was time to test by identification skills using my new book.I have to admit I was only half successful. I did manage to get it to the level of the Genus, Eristalis, but wasn't sure of the species.This is a genus of Honey-bee mimics, but of course, unlike bees, they have just two wings.

The second great help is the UK Hoverflies Facebook page. I had joined this at the suggestion of Roger Morris when he put me right on a photo I'd uploaded on Flicker a while ago. Within minutes of posting a photograph I got the answer that this is Eristalis tenax

Unheard of - A publisher on Time!

When the first adverts came out of the Handbook of Birds of the World, to be published in 10 volumes, by a relatively little known (to birders in the UK anyway) publisher from Spain, it aroused a lot of interest and not a little scepticism that the project would ever be finished.

The first volume Ostrich to Ducks was so good that many found it irresistible and optimistically trusted that the series would be completed, at the rate of one every two years as promised. When it came obvious that to do the job properly it would take 16 volume, many of us in more advanced years wondered if we'd see the last books, even if it did get completed. Well, the publishers, Lynx, upped the rate to one a year, and unlike the publishers we are used to in birding literature in the UK, they kept to their time table. This week Volume 16 arrived, to finish the set, and what a fabulous achievement it is. Sixteen fantastic books, with many interesting subjects at the front of the family accounts in each one. Comprehensive studies of each family, with many photographs, and then plates illustrating each species. In all over twelve and a half thousand pages, over 1000 plates and six thousand seven hundred photographs. My only worry is, if ever I get asked onto Desert Island Discs will I be allowed to take the complete set as my book. If I was marooned for just one year I'd have to read and inwardly digest 34 or 35 pages a day to get through the set!

Here a summary of the books

vol	Pages	Plates	photos	year published
1	696	50	382	1992
2	640	60	302	1994
3	824	60	384	1996
4	674	70	236	1997
5	760	76	406	1999
6	589	45	385	2001
7	613	70	317	2002
8	845	81	477	2003
9	864	78	440	2004
10	896	81	427	2005
11	800	55	343	2006
12	816	56	436	2007
13	880	60	536	2008
14	896	51	657	2009
15	880	61	495	2010
16	894	81	499	2011
Total	12567	1035	6722

Lastly a warning, beware back ice. Hopefully I'll get my car back before Christmas, and luckily I was only going reasonably slowly when I touched my brake with the intention of moving over into a passing bay on Archers Court Road near the junction with Waldershare Road. I discovered that the road was the slipperiest I've ever known and lost my front bumper on the bank at the side of the road. No other vehicle involved, although the guy in the car coming towards me looked a bit worried as mine pirouetted into the road verge. Luckily no one hurt, but a bloomin' nuisance.

An irresistable Title

Over the years books on natural history subjects have had some truly romantic and evocative titles, Tarka the Otter, Born Free and even "the Biggest Twitch" imparts a feeling of excitement.

My newest acquisition on the mothing front does quite measure up to these charismatic strap lines, Bird-dropping Tortix Moths of the British Isles does have that ring about it that make most people want to read it. However if you have, as I have, spent many a minute looking at one of these camouflaged moths, puzzling over their identity, then it's true value might be apparent.

Epiblema Cyanosbatella

I only got it a few weeks ago, a birthday present to myself, well who else would by a book with that title? Today was the first time this year that one of this group appeared in a trap in the garden, and it was a doddle to identify it. Mind you it is a very distinctive moth that I've seen before, it has a distinctive yellow front to it's face (yellow palps), but at least I got to use the book.

Maiden's Blush

Somewhat more distinctive and with a romantic sounding name is the Maiden's Blush, the first I've caught this year, and one of those moths that shows that they can complete in the beauty stakes with their much more vaunted relations, butterflies.

There's no particular point to make about this picture, other than I like it, and I sat watch this chap noisily eating without him taking any notice of me. He did look up when I moved in my chair a bit, but then carried on with no worries.

Chinese tops the list

There's been a new survey on the nation's favourite food and it appears that Chinese has now over taken Indian with our own "British" coming third and Italian fourth.

We has some rice left over from a Chinese yesterday and rather than re-heat it today I donated to the birds. As if to emphasise the survey a group of Black-headed Gulls were straight down to finish it off, with out the mandatory chop sticks!

I did get a new garden year tick today when this Grey Wagtail popped in. It didn't turn round for a better picture before it went out of view, and I didn't see it again. In previous years they have been regular so I hope it will be back.

At Christmas my daughter-in-law asked me what I knew about James Audubon and did I have any books about him. I was surprised that when I looked in my library I didn't in fact have any of his books and none of the biographies that have been written about him. Considering what a towering figure he is in both American and World ornithology I thought I have a look around to see if I could fill that gap. As luck would have I found a rather nice, small and inexpensive book of some of his paintings. I have never been a great fan, some of the poses he paints birds in are rather strange but they do have a compelling fascination all the same.

There was also a fairly recent biography, that I'm reading at the moment, and it goes a long way in explaining his art style. I've a long way to go to finish the book, but I'm a slow reader nowadays, it's always difficult when you nod off when you sit down!

Heavy weight Volume

With the winds of the last few day the leaves that had been clinging on to their summer residence have suddenly begun to fall rapidly to the ground below, and then with the prevailing winds, into large heads against the back of the house.

This large Acer was still pretty well clothed last week, but now the majority are down. All I need is a nice rare warbler in it, now that it would be visible.

At this time the Ash out side my study sheds more than leaves, large twigs and even small, branches break off in to wind and litter the ground. Simon and Sam are visiting so I'm sure Sam will help with picking up the leaves! I was contemplating the clear up job when a large parcel arrived.

Volume 14 of the Handbook of Birds of the World, just two to go. 4.331 Kg of book, 893 pages, 17 Families, 120 Genera, 468 Species and 1176 Taxa. The largest family included is the Crows with 123 species. Many of these are the duller black birds that I've a habit of showing on here, but there are some dramatic looking Jays.

This photo of a Crested Jay was taken by Pete Morris, one of several photos he's got in this volume. It was taken on the Durango Road in Western Mexico. I was lucky enough to see them on a trip Pete led for Birdquest in March 2002. There are a lot of species of Jays in the southern part of the USA and Mexico, I think that this must be the area that they first evolved from as there is such a diversity.

The first of the new generation.

Things have been fairly slow as far as babies go, in the garden so far. The first brood of Blackbirds that I've seen in the garden were outside my study at 7.00 am this morning.

They always look very Walt Disney to me. This youngster managed to take some water from the fountain, that was only just dribbling until it was topped up. The adults quickly took it off into cover where I could hear them, but not see them.

As I am pretty well confined to a couple of short trips into the garden at them moment this little book is coming into its own. Originally it was to have be authored by Steve Hopkin who was tragically killed in a car crash. Richard Lewington, the main illustrator took over the book and has produced a little gem. The birds are illustrated by his brother Ian, which means that the books has pictures by two of the best wildlife illustrators in the country. It covers all the groups, and of course if it awakens a particular interest you call always move on to a more specialised book for that group. I find it useful and it is suitable for all ages.

Published by British Wildlife Publishing it is well worth the £12.95 price. British Wildlife also publish a superb bi-monthly journal of that name, that is a great read and covers all areas of the natural world.