Flying things

[Fat Bloke]

I was up on Win Hill yesterday afternoon.

Saw a buzzard wheeling about - fantastic sight.

BUT there were clouds of these flying insects. Kind of like flying ants but with a sort of two pronged back end that hung down. There was clouds of them, landing on you, getting in your hair and ears. The heather is out and they seemed attracted to that.

So:

What were they? Any ideas?

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[Derby Tup]

Heather flies fb They drop onto stillwaters along with other 'terrestials' like Crane flies (daddy long legs) and trout eat them. I saw some during the recent D&W ultra event in the Peak

[Fat Bloke]

Ah! Of Course!

The old 'bibio pomonae'!

I should have realised - stupid of me, really.

Thanks DT

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[Richard]

I was walking along Stanage Edge yesterday with the Mrs. and the air was thick with these things. Coming back down near High Nebb was the worst - clouds of them!

Spotted this beastie up there as well, it was well over an inch long, I looked it up and I think it is a Giant Wood Wasp. must have got blown up there from the plantations below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardmoore/3849048800/

[The Piglit]

Absolutely swarms of em near Burbage this arvo. Got one stuck behind me glasses and another down me shirt.

2 weeks ago - on the path up to Grindsbrook Knoll from Edale, swarms of flying ants for several hundred yards, most unpleasant.

[Man from Del Monte]

i was on Carrock Fell on Saturday and the same thing there. swarms of them. not nice to walk through

[mr brightside]

Yeah i hate the little shits too, there was billions of them out and about the Howgills when i recced Sedbergh.

Regarding that waspy thing have you ever seen a Warble Fly? They're over an inch long and look like Hornets, they sound like model aircraft. A scotsman told me they lay eggs in the spines of cattle which hatch inside and the larvae eat the animals spinal cord before hatching into adults.

[Al Fowler]

I swallowed a few flies on saturday at Darwen Gala.
A woman was stood at the side of the path clapping and giving encouragement and all i could do i was cough and choke as i ran past.

[mr brightside]

One of those massive Hurcules aeroplane things came up Bishopdale and banked into Wharfedale today, it was about 500' off the valley floor and well below the height of Buckden Pike. I was walking above the scars towards Cray from Yockenthwaite and it was not a great deal higher than me. Obviously joyriders.

[plodding bear]

The flying bugs have returned, spring has sprung. Time to slap on the Avon skin-so-soft, keep the beggars at bay!