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| Mid August meadow at the Reserve |
My first visit to the Reserve for 3 weeks. School holidays in Scotland and Ireland always keep us very busy! I was there before 9 on what promised to be a lovely summer's day. The breeze kept the temperature very pleasant despite the forecast for a bit of a scorcher on the "Adjacent Isle"! Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC209693 2 x Goldfinch.
SC209694 ( from Hide) Adult and Juvenile Moorhen; Magpie in Churchyard trees; 5 x Goldfinch flying over and later landing in vegetation at back of pond; unidentified Warbler in reeds (seeking advice from higher authority!)
SC 209694 ( elsewhere) Woodpigeon;
SC208694 Woodpigeon heard not seen; Wren in the willows; another Wren near Boardwalk; 2 x Goldcrest in willows; juvenile Robin in willows; 2 x Blackbirds flew across meadow into trees together; Whitethroat near boardwalk; Blue tit in tree; Sparrowhawk flew across meadow at eye level.
SC208695 ( feeders) 2 x Blue Tit; 3 x Great Tit; Buzzard heard not seen.
SC210694 Woodpigeon flew up from ground.
Butterflies and Moths:
SC209694 Common Blue x 3; Small Copper x 2; Speckled Wood x 4; Large White; Meadow Brown.
SC208694 Small Copper; Green Veined White; Speckled Wood x 5; Red Admiral; Peacock; Painted Lady; Common Blue x 3.
SC209695 Speckled Wood x 2.
SC210694 Small White.
SC208695 Red Admiral.
SC210694 unidentified Moth.
Other:
SC209694 14-Spot Ladybird.
SC209694 Harvestman.
SC209694 Green Shieldbug nymph.
SC209695 various Hoverflies on Cats Ear.
SC209694 ( dragonfly pond) 4 x Common Darter - 2 conjoined and ovipositing; 1 female ovipositing alone; single male giving mating pair a hard time.
SC209694 Female Emperor Dragonfly on floating log, possibly ovipositing or or testing log for ovipositing. NEW RECORD
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| adult Moorhen |
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| juvenile Moorhen |
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| Juvenile Robin |
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| seeking advice on this one |
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| same bird |
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| Great Tit, another on the other side |
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| Goldfinches |
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| Whitethroat |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| another elsewhere |
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| Common Blue |
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| Peacock |
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| Green Veined White |
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| Meadow Brown |
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| Green Veined White again |
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| Common Blue near Ginnie's Bench |
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| the same butterfly |
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| Small Copper on Hemp Agrimony |
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| Eye contact! Speckled Wood |
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| another keeping warm on the woodchip |
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| Red Admiral |
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| Moth to be identified |
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| 14 Spot Ladybird |
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| Common Darter |
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| another perched on pond vegetation |
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| male Common Darter dipping the female for egg laying |
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| mating pair of Common Darters |
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| this female appeared to be egg laying without being dipped |
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| female Emperor Dragonfly |
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| Harvestman ( Dicranopalpus ramosus?) |
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| Hoverflies were enjoying what I think is CatsEar |
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| nymph of Green Shieldbug I think |
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| Rowan Berries are looking ripe |
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| they will soon be attracting hungry birds |
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| Angelica flowering under the willows |
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| Rosehips are still green |
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| Hemlock Water Dropwort has now collapsed |
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| lots of what might be Cats Ear near the private entrance |
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| scourge for gardeners, Bindweed, is really a pretty wild flower |
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| the reserve still looks green despite the drought |
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| I took my usual route |
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| past the now not-so-new glade |
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| round the path junction |
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| to the bird hide |
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| usual views through the shutters |
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| usual view from the hide ramp |
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| Purple Loosestrife is currently in full bloom in the meadow |
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| ripening blackberries for the birds |
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| colourful meadow |
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| the meadow from the boardwalk |
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| rowan berries brightening the shade.... |
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| in the ash walk..... |
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| where the foliage is dying back now |
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| the Gorse boundary still looks lush |
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| usual views of the dragonfly pool |
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| the water level has dropped considerably |
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| over the bridge to the willow copse |
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| which now has open glades too |
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| the Speckled Woods love its dappled shade |
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| back over the bridge to the meadow |
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| barely a trickle of water under the bridge today |
To finish here is a short video of the Common Darters ovipositing in the dragonfly pond
With thanks to Pete Hadfield (dragonfly) and Chris Sharpe (warbler) for help with identifications.
please click on photos to enlarge them
And for the year of Manx language, Blein ny Gaelgey 2026 here is what was seen this morning:
Birds Ushagyn
Goldfinch Lossey ny Keylley; Moorhen Kiark Ushtey; Magpie Pieanat;
Woodpigeon Calmane Keylley; Wren Drean; Goldcrest Ushag y Fuygh;
Robin Spittag; Blackbird Lhon Doo; Whitethroat Fynnag ny Keylley;
Blue Tit Drean Gorrym; Great Tit Drean Mooar; Buzzard Shirragh.
Butterflies : Foillycanyn
Common Blue Gorryag Chadjin; Small Copper Cobbyrag Veg; Speckled Wood Breck ny Keylley;
Large White Baneag Vooar; Meadow Brown Donnag yn Aiyr; Peacock Peacag;
Green Veined White Baneag Gheayney; Red Admiral Ard-Marragh Jiarg;
Painted Lady Foillycan y Onnane; Small White Baneag Veg.
