Dry but dull.
Down by the Lough, huge swathes of woodland have been taken over by Himalayan Balsam. This is a disastrous plant that out-competes everything else. People tell me "but it's a wonderful plant for the bees". It is, but if we had enough native flowers we wouldn't need it, and what about the flies, wasps, micromoths and beetles that need the natives to make leafmines?
One of the brighter Eristalis hoverflies: Eristalis horticola. The key feature is the slight 'shade' on the wing in association with the double orange pattern on the abdomen.
All of my Helophilus specimens turn out to be Helophilus pendulus.
Tutsan flowers (left) and Tutsan berries with Square-stalked St. Johns Wort (right). Nice juxtaposition.
This Horse Chestnut looks just like a frog eye.