Basking time

It is so good that the weather in Britain has been as it should be this summer time, although a little warmer than average. Still, many species of animal bask in the sun shine including birds and insects.Many species of insects need the sun to activate them more than any other group of animals. Some species can be fooled by warm objects and in the case of horse flies, a warm car can mimic a large warm bodied mammal. I parked by car under some trees on heathland only to have three different species of horse fly try to bite into the cars surface to obtain a blood meal. At least the car was warmer than myself as I am usually the firstobject biting insects alight on !

The deer fly (Chrysops caecutiens) is a pretty creature. Its eyes show all different colours at differing angles to the sun. It was leaning on its side trying to push its biting proboscis into the car ! next to it was the large (Tabanus sudedicus)

This is the largest British species of horse fly. And on another part of the car roof was the smaller species (Tabanus Autumnalis)

Nearby was another fly but a very rare species, the mottled bee fly(Theridanthrax fenestratus); it was basking on a path. These flies parasitise the sand wasp(Ammophila pubescens) which are very numerous this summer. All of these species live on the Dorset heathlands and are common , with the exception of the latter which are locally common.

The Grass snake (Natrix) basks concealed under the heather when it is hot during the morning. Most reptiles retreat to the cooler earth when the temperatures rise.

This blackbird suddenly appeared beside me as I lay basking; one moment it was not there and the next it was, just there, looking like this, not moving a muscle or even an eyelid for five minutes!

I thought it most peculiar !