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| flowery path to the hide |
Wednesday was forecast to have the best weather of the week and so it turned out to be, with a lot of unbroken sunshine and light winds. I was determined to make the most of it and visited Ballachurry in the morning and, after a brief lunch break, walked my Butterfly Transect at another MWT Reserve in the afternoon. Ballachurry was not short of butterflies either and I saw a variety of insects generally. The insects feed the fledgling birds, of course, and I saw a Willow Warbler with a beak full of them. Here is Wednesday's report with Manx names in brackets where known:
Birds: (Ushagyn)
SC209693 female Blackbird ( Lhon Doo)flew up from track ahead of me: Dunnock (Drean Mollagh) in Hazel bush; Blue Tit (Drean Gorrym) contact call heard; Willow Warbler (Drean Vane) heard not seen; Wren (Drean)heard not seen.
SC209694 ( hide) Adult Moorhen (Kiark Ushtey) and juvenile seen separately.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) Song Thrush( Threshlen); Grey Heron (Coar ny Hastan) flying over; Blue Tit (Drean Gorrym) contact call heard; Blackcap (Bayrn Dhoo) heard not seen; Goldfinch (Lossey ny Keylley) "chatter" heard; female Blackbird (Lhon Doo).
SC208694 Chiffchaff ( Beealerey) heard not seen ; juvenile Robin (Spittag) near the compost heap; 2 x Woodpigeon (Calmane Keylley) flew up out of trees; Wren (Drean); Goldfinch. (Lossey ny Keylley) "chatter" heard and 1 seen in tree; female Chaffinch (Usahg y Chloau); Great Tit (Drean Mooar) flying; male Blackbird (Lhon Doo) on boardwalk; Sedge Warbler (Kiaulleyder Cliogagh) singing near boardwalk.
SC208695 Wren (Drean) heard not seen.
SC209695 adult Willow Warbler (Drean Vane) with beak full of insects, juvenile on branch nearby calling; adult male and juvenile Chaffinch (Usahg y Chloau); 3 x Goldfinch (Lossey ny Keylley).
Butterflies and Moths:( Foillycanyn as Lhemeenyn)
SC208694 Common Blue (Gorrymag Chadjin) x 2; Painted Lady (Foillycan yn Onnane); Red Admiral (Ard-marragh jiarg); Speckled Wood ( Breck ny Keylley).
SC209693 Painted Lady( Foillycan yn Onnane); Red Admiral (Ard-marragh jiarg).
SC209694 Painted Lady( Foillycan yn Onnane); Speckled Wood ( Breck ny Keylley) x 2
SC209695 Speckled Wood (Breck ny Keylley).
SC208694 and elsewhere Depressaria daucella Moth (Lhemeen y Dhaaue Bane )caterpillars in Hemlock Water Dropwort
Other: ( Reddyn Elley)
SC209694 Blue-tailed Damselfly x 3.
SC209694 large Gnat species?
SC208694 Cranefly species.
SC210694 numerous flies on dog fouling near the entrance gate (could see, hear buzz and smell as I entered!) Unfortunately, an antisocial person has taken to regularly walking their dog on the reserve in defiance of clear signage.
SC208695 Great Pied Hoverfly + other unidentified flies and Hoverflies on Hogweed.
SC208695 unidentified fungi growing along the path.
SC210694 Grypocoris stysi bug.
SC208694 Carder Bee.
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| Heron flying over |
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| juvenile Moorhen |
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| adult Moorhen |
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| I heard the Sedge Warbler before I saw it..... |
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| going through its repertoire of clicks, and whistles |
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| it was close to the boardwalk |
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| Willow Warbler carrying food, glimpsed through the leaves |
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| waiting juvenile Willow Warbler, calling from time to time |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| another Speckled Wood, wings closed |
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| Red Admiral |
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| Painted Lady |
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| another Painted Lady elsewhere |
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| Depressaria duacella caterpillars still on the Hemlock Water Dropwort |
While I was looking for damselflies by the pond, one of the Southern Group Committee members came by on a weekly tour of inspection and stopped to chat. I mentioned that in previous years the Damsels and Dragonflies had enjoyed basking on the bench when it was in the sunshine. An inspection of the bench in its current shady position showed it to be damp and inhospitable for humans with tall grasses growing through the slats. It was moved there and then into the sunshine to dry out. I also explained that the large white stone that the insects loved to settle on had at some point last year rolled down into the depths of the pond from whence it was pretty irretrievable. We talked about how the damselflies had loved having a branch in the pond to bask on in previous years but how well meaning visitors had presumed it had been thrown in and regularly retrieved it! I found a suitable branch and placed it across the top of the pond. The next time I looked there were 2 Blue-tailed Damselflies basking on it! I tried to write on a barkless portion that it was there for dragonflies etc. but I doubt if the writing will last.
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| small branch for Damselflies and Dragonflies |
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| it did not take long for Blue-tailed Damselflies to move in! |
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| there was one at each end of the branch |
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| another Damselfly on a Bogbean leaf |
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| Carder Bee |
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| Crane Fly |
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| some kind of large Gnat perhaps? |
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| colourful Grypocoris stysi bug |
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| Hogweed is very attractive to insects |
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| the Hoverfly was much bigger than the Honey Bee |
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| Honey Bee with bulging pollen sacks |
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| Great Pied Hoverfly........ |
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| enjoying the nectar |
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| a much smaller Hoverfly |
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| Green Bottle Fly species on fungus |
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| unidentified fungi along the path |
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| numerous flies on the dog fouling |
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| a rather prettier sight - ripening Hawthorn berries and Lichen |
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| entering the reserve.... |
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| I took my usual route |
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| usual photo of the hide😂 I shall stop taking this photo in future! |
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| sunlit glade |
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| the path junction |
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| I always head for the hide first |
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| usual ramp view |
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| inside, the bench was tipped up |
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| usual views through the shutters |
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| alongside the meadow next |
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| meadow seen through the bramble cover |
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| very verdant! |
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| over the bridge as usual |
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| and a stroll through the willow copse |
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| back out into the sunshine, heading for the boardwalk |
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| looking across the meadow from the boardwalk |
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| the Dropwort each side is very fragrant |
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| usual view from the boardwalk |
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| the ash walk - dappled shade |
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| then a sunny spot near the Bowman Memorial Bench |
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| looking back towards the private entrance |
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| over the mini bridge and along the gorse boundary |
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| I checked the gorse for Shieldbugs but none seen |
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| the bench at the dragonfly pond was in deep shade |
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| it was fast disappearing under the vegetation |
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| it will soon dry out in the sunshine and looks more enticing |
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| the branch to encourage damselflies |
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| back to Ginnie's Bench near the entrance |
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| back at the Noticeboard - time to go home for lunch! |
A very pleasant morning at the Reserve.
please click on the photos to enlarge them
