A day in the garden, although intermittent and eventually persistent rain forced me inside at times. I had intended to try and get pictures of as many hoverflies as I could, but in the end I only got three! There were lots of the migrant marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus).
Episyrphus balteatus the marmalade hoverfly
The large number of Alliums are attracting lots of greater bulb fly (Merodon equestris).
Merodon equestris cleaning its face
My best was a species I have only seen ion the garden a few times, the large and rather impressive Sericomyia silentis.
Sericomyia silentis
It favours boggy ground and is especially common in the north and west of Britain, but locally it is fairly common in the New Forest.
The above pictures were all I managed in the few minutes of sunshine. In looking for the hoverflies I could not help but notice that many of the flowers were covered in tiny beetles, I think they are pollen beetles, some of the evening primrose flowers had dozens of them.
pollen beetles
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve 