These are the eyes of tachinid flies (males have the eyes close together, females eyes wide apart). They are protelean parasitoids, meaning that the larval stage is parasitic and consumes its host whereas the adult stage is not parasitic. Tachinid flies lay their eggs in or on the larvae of other insects so they were loitering with intent around the holes, hoping to find a suitable victim. There are nearly 10,000 known species in the world and around 275 in the British Isles. Viewed close up they look scary but also quite marvellous.
Several holes are occupied by ectemnius wasps, solitary wasps that catch flies and use them as a food source for their larvae.
Another insect on the trees was an earwig, an omnivore which is a target of tachinid flies.
I saw one spider but I expect there were lots of others on the prowl.
This bumblebee was just resting but was big enough to stick up for itself.
So it is dog eat dog in the insect world. Eat and don't get eaten seems to be the motto.
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