Nature: You NEVER Stop Learning

The cat food left by the cats was going down but no cats or birds.....?

I stand there and....hover~flies...two at a time coming and taking lumps of meat almost as large as their heads. two hours later still going at it.

The wasp/bee pattern is camouflage and having watched wasps kill flies in the same dish a few months back I know why!

Called "mock bees" and "mock wasps" they have NO stinger but morons still kill them.they are also sometimes called "flower flies", or "syrphid flies" and they make up the insect family Syrphidae. They are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae (maggots) eat a wide range of foods.

Best photo is not mine but gives a better view. Love watching these in sunny weather.

Never seen them grabbing cat food before

UPDATE
Same plate 30 minutes later....