Progress

On an average walk along a hedgerow, I reckon 90% of the flying objects considered to be flies will actually be micromoths. Micromoths vary in size from 2-3mm long to around 25mm long, but the majority are around 10-12mm.

In flight they can be distinguished as solitary fliers with an ungainly, often spiralling, flight. I followed this one until it landed (often the only way to get a good look at them) and was delighted to find it was a handsome specimen of the gloriously-named Schrekensteinia festaliella. Those rear legs have been turned into thorny spikes that would prevent any predator from approaching. Length 5-6mm. Note the feathered, almost hairy rear edge to the wing, which is a recurring feature of many micromoths.

My first mollusc of the year is the Banded Snail:

And yet one more member of the Orthosia family of moths. This is Orthosia gothica - Hebrew Character, and it feeds on.......willow pollen.

The last of the new queens that I expect to see: Bombus terrestris. These are huge bumblebees that buzz slowly over the ground looking for a nesting site.