I think your hoverfly is an Eristalini, one of the several types of drone flies. Some are quite variable and can appear very dark, without the bright orange markings on the abdomen and I think you've got one of those. However, I can't be more specific from the photos.

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Nige   Flickr

Thanks Nige. More photos from this morning.

10 mins of hard study, I've given up. I see what you mean, Nige, about the photos not being detailed enough. I didn't realise there were quite so many similar species! Gut feel says arbustorum but will have to get more photos, and probably binos.

In reply to Robbo:

Handsome looking moth that Garden Tiger - assuming I've ID it correctly. 

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Regards,Tony

My Flickr Photostream 

I believe they're scarlet tiger moths, TJ. Lots about here. I believe there are garden tiger moths here as well, but have to confess I assumed they were all the same species until recently. We've got a lot of comfrey in the garden, so assume the scarlet tigers are more common here because of that.

More of the hoverfly. Wondering if it's abusivus as middle legs are pale from what I could make out outside.

I think I've got most of these i.d's covered. The first one, the wasp species, is the one I have struggled with, so definitely could do with help on. Any ideas??? Of the rest, the bumblebee on clover I am fairly sure is a scruffy white tailed bumblebee, but am happy to be corrected. The two bands were 'grubby' and different coloured. The bee was small as you can see from the clover. The black bumblebee I am pretty certain is a red shanked carder, which I'm rather pleased about. I do have a nest in the dry stone wall. Unfortunately, I've yet to get them in focus coming and going as they don't stick around. I think though, that the nest is a red tailed bumblebee which is very similar looking.  The flowers are a couple of pyramidal orchids. Got at least five of them in the garden now. Was mowing the lawn the first few years I was here, then let bits get longer until a couple of years ago, one of these flowered. Since then I've found six. The one in the back garden I found this year is a common spotted orchid.

Less and less lawn is getting mown each year!

In reply to Robbo:

Im a newbie, just joined today, adore nature and wildlife, have a relatively small garden but birdfeeders and numerous bird baths placed round the garden are attracting lots of wildlife which fills me with great joy!
I just wondered do you not mow your lawn to encourage the growth of wild flowers for bees and butterflies.
I am also mowing less and less after reading last year about someone who turned their whole front garden into a wild flower meadow to attract insects.
So I have buttercups and a species of late flowering dandelion proliferating in the lawn and just this week spotted the most beautiful low purple cluster of flowers growing at the front.
Unfortunately my mobile doesn't take photos so would have to get help from a member of the family.
so really my answer is I cant identify anything unfortunately being a novice but wondered if thats the reason you dont mow your lawn and do you have something low and purple and clustery growing there.

In reply to Robbo:

Robbo said:

The first one, the wasp species, is the one I have struggled with, so definitely could do with help on. Any ideas???

Looks like a parasitic Ichneumon Wasp to me Robbo

 

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