Ravens and beetles
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Ravens and beetles

 
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wuthered
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Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 51
Location: Co Down

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 4:31 pm    Post subject: Ravens and beetles Reply with quote

Not knowing anything about birds or bees I confine my interests largely to what I can find on my doorstep. This past weekend I once again encountered a flock of ravens soaring over Slieve Binian. I counted about 15 this time. On a previous year, around the same season, I had been lucky enough to see a flock of more than 30. When I had described this to 'someone who knows' he had seen the same thing over Donard and said it was due to a hatch of tiger beetles.

So this time I looked around for these beetles, not knowing what they looked like. Just below the torrs, sure enough, there was a swarm of these insects.



My 'Boy's own book of beasts' does not list these, but does show that they are not the tiger beetle. Any ideas?

The whole experience came to a high as I raised my head above the granite torr. Three ravens which had been gliding silently to the same point but from the opposite direction all but collided with me. There was a furious beating of wings in my face as one after the other they braked and pulled for the sky. Some time later I took this blurry one on full optical zoom.



All in all a glorious day.

Mike
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Wildlifewriter
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Joined: 04 Aug 2005
Posts: 948
Location: Norn Iron

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like a good day out. (I've been stuck in the flat all day, working.)


The insect is a puzzler - I'm not very good on them, but it sure ain't a Tiger Beetle.

From the pics, it looks like one of the pterostichus group - but most of them can't fly, whereas this article clearly has wings.

You'll just have to go back up there tomorrow morining and get some more photos of it. Razz


-Wlw.
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RonnieH
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Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 37
Location: Balloch, Loch Lomond.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2005 7:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have looked everywhere to identfy the "beastie" and have come up with a family of flies that are very similar, could be one from that group!

http://eny3005.ifas.ufl.edu/lab1/Diptera/Bibionid.htm

http://www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/insects/bibionidae.htm

http://www.bioimages.org.uk/HTML/P3/P38552.HTM
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ghiribizzo
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Joined: 22 Nov 2005
Posts: 510
Location: Ferryport-on-Craig. The Kingdom of Fife.

PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd go with Ronnie re. the last of his links - the one pictured looks to be brown as against the brighter red in the photos taken. However, my copy of Chinery's book states that St.Mark's-fly - Bibio Marci - has eyes which are well separated in the female. Drifts slowly over vegetation with it's legs hanging.
So, female in one shot, male in other?
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