It was volunteering day today, so I was blowing leaves off the boardwalk and doing other such things and didn't do much birding, but I did notice as I walked along the track towards Reedbed Hide, lots and lots of what I think were stoneflies flying around. Hundreds, I'd say. I got quite a good look, though no photo, and looked them up on wikipedia when I got home, and the ID seems right to me. Admittedly it's over 40 years since I did any entomology, but when I looked at them, the word Plecoptera dropped straight into my head!
It did seem an odd time of year for the adults to be emerging. Does anybody know anything about these beasties?
Hi Rob
Some stonefly and also caddis flies emerge in the late autumn months, the one thing I do remember about them is that they are tricky beasts to identify to species level!
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
Thanks Ian. I went back a few days later and got a photo, which I hope I've posted in the photo's gallery. Armed with the photo, I changed my mind and decided they are caddis flies, so Trichoptera, not Plecoptera. Hope I'm right this time! Didn't try to ID them to species level.
Hi Rob, just looked at the picture, spot on with trichoptera, i'm not brave or clever enough to try to get that to species level though! With a number of caddis fly I think you need a key and a microscope to confirm species!
I bet they proved popular with the spider and bird populations at the mere though!