Ballachurry Reserve: Retro Photos

 Those of you who looked at the Blog in April will remember that a computer glitch prevented me from adding photos to the posts. I'm glad to say that I have finally caught up and have added them retrospectively.  If you have the time and the inclination you can see these by going to the right hand side of the page and scrolling down to where the years and months are listed under Blog Archive.  Click on April  2026 and you should be able to go to 13th and 20th to see some warblers etc. as well as the usual "walk round" views. Similarly for 5th May. 

As usual, clicking on the photos should enlarge them.  

Ballachurry Reserve: Tuesday afternoon, 9th June, 2026.

Ballachurry meadow on a rather cool June day

  I was loading my  wellies, camera and binoculars etc. into the car on Tuesday afternoon ready to go to Ballachurry Reserve, when it began to rain! I retreated indoors and waited for the sharp shower to blow over. When the sun came out later I tried again, finally arriving at the Reserve about 13.40. The sunshine was short lived and twice I had to sit out showers in the bird hide. However, I  still had an interesting afternoon. Here is what I recorded ( Manx in Brackets):

Birds: (Ushagyn)

SC210694 Chaffinch (Ushag y Chloau) heard not seen.

 SC209693  male Blackbird (Lhon Doo) on the path; Sedge Warbler (Kiaulleyder Cliogagh) heard from the reeds; 2 x Blue Tit (Drean gorrym)

SC209694 ( hide) 2 x Moorhen  (Kiark Ushtey) with 2 x chicks; Mallard (Thunnagh feie) duck + 1 duckling;  male Chaffinch(Ushag y Chloau) ; Song Thrush (Threshlen)  heard not seen; male Blackbird (Lhon Doo) singing from top of shrubs.

SC209694 ( elsewhere)  Blackcap (Bayrn Dhoo) x 2; Blue Tit (Drean gorrym)  carrying food to nest box; Chaffinch (Ushag y Chloau) heard not seen; 3 x Goldfinch (Lossey ny Keylley) at path junction; Song Thrush(Threshlen) heard not seen.

SC208694 Swallow (Gollan Geayee) flying over; Chiffchaff (Beealerey) heard not seen; Chaffinch  (Ushag y Chloau) heard not seen.

 SC208695  Adult Blue Tit (Drean gorrym) with  fledgling begging for food.

SC209695 Willow Warbler (Drean Vane). 

Butterflies and Moths: ( Foillycanyn as Lhemeenyn)

SC209695 Speckled Wood (Breck ny Keylley).

SC209694 Painted Lady (Foillycan yn Onnane).

SC210694 Depressaria  daucella caterpillars on Hemlock Water Dropwort (Lhemeen y Dhaaue bane).

Other: ( Reddyn Elley)

SC209695 Hoverfly on buttercup.

SC210694 3 x 7-spot Ladybird larvae on nettles.

SC209694 wasps going in and out nest box on noticeboard.

Blue Tits close to the main reed bed

Blackbird seen from the hide

beak full of insects

Goldfinch

Goldfinch elsewhere

Moorhen with chick

each parent still has a chick

they were actively swimming round

both together

and occasionally independently

the Mallard is an indulgent mother - the duckling chooses where to go

 she dutifully stands guard when it goes ashore

a well deserved nap later

Speckled Wood during a sunny interval

a rather faded Painted Lady seen briefly

Depressaria daucella caterpillar ( Water-dropwort Brown Moth) 

Hoverfly on Buttercup

Hoverfly on Gorse

7-spot Ladybird larva

another 7-spot Ladybird larva

the new nest box on the noticeboard........

has been colonised by wasps

the wild roses are lovely at the moment

a pioneer Hemlock Water Dropwort by the dragonfly pond

yellow rattle, plantains and buttercups near Ginnie's Bench

sycamore keys turning red

and now the usual tour of the reserve, starting near the gate

I took the longer route to the hide

hard to see the hide now from the usual spot

I could hear a Blackcap here and glimpsed it briefly

there was a Sedge Warbler calling from just opposite the hide

usual view from the ramp - an ominous looking sky!

usual views through the shutters

I took the path beside the meadow

and crossed the bridge

the coppiced willows are sprouting well

extra light has encouraged flowering

looking towards the end of the willow copse

usual view of the boardwalk from  near the bridge

looking back over the meadow from the the boardwalk

usual view from the boardwalk

hard to believe that this is the usual view of the stream

along the gorse boundary

to the dragonfly pond

the surface is covered in duckweed - it's not algae

too cool to linger on the bench today

another shower is heading this way - time to go home!

a  final glance over my shoulder as I leave

 Despite the showers, an interesting afternoon at the Reserve

please click on photos to enlarge them