Wednesday, 30 December 2015

06 JUNE 2015



JUNE 2015

3rd June 2015

I was at Ballachurry today but only looking at wildlife for a short time as I had taken down some wild flower plants and was busy planting them for most of my visit.  Hemp Agrimony, a  large, pretty pink perennial which attracts many insects later in the season, including butterflies, grows well in damp places. Jack-by -the -Hedge / Garlic Mustard is one of the food plants for Orange tip and Green veined White butterflies. It likes a wall or hedge at its back so I have put it in suitable places including against the hide. Hopefully it will seed around the Reserve, although it may struggle against the vigourous grass. I discussed both species with Andree  Dubbeldam ( Wildflowers of Man Project Manager) before planting them to make sure they are appropriate.The butterflies clearly thought they were! As I stood with a pot of Jack-by-the-Hedge in my hand a female Orange Tip appeared from nowhere and fluttered round the pot! It obviously decided the seedling plants were not ready yet and settled on its other food plant, the Ladysmock instead!  What a good omen! It's always hard to see female Orange Tips and this is the first one I have seen at Ballachurry even though there are eggs there every year.  I planted all of the plants close to paths so that they should be easy to observe once established.

Birds:

20+ House Martins wheeling overhead near the entrance and over the pond.SC210694 & SC209694
SC209694 seen from hide : Moorhen. House Sparrow ( NB. The photo is a composite of 3 shots, all of the same sparrow which was darting about after insects)
SC210694 Robin flitting about near the open fronted nest box area. I looked at the box through binoculars but couldn't see any signs of nesting material.
SC209694 Goldfinch in young alder near the path junction. It was calling and moving its head from side to side in a very regular pattern.
Intermittent fleeting views of Sedge warblers - mainly heard not seen from various locations
Flying over: Wood Pigeon. Hooded Crow.

Butterflies:

SC209694 Female Orange Tip

Shieldbugs:

NEW RECORD: Hawthorn  Shieldbug SC209695   ( in Rowan, not hawthorn) They are very distinctive with redish spiky "shoulders". Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a good photo.
SC209694 Usual Gorse Shieldbugs in gorse. I counted 5 but only checked the bushes where I saw eggs last time ( couldn't spot the eggs again)

Plants:

Hawthorn looking good in full flower. Sorrel in flower throughout reserve
Purple Iris near the dam in flower and first hint of colour in the yellow flags. Brooklime. Water forget-me-not SC208694
Willows now seeding.

Fungi:

SC209694 There are several really large toadstools growing on the horse dung put round the memorial tree. They are quite magnificent. They may be some sort of inkcap but I am seeking help on ID. NEW RECORD in any case.

Other:

SC208694 Wolf spiders on the boardwalk
SC209695  Wolf spider carrying egg sack
SC208694   2 of the Blackthorns have caterpillars in webs. I think these are probably the sort that  can completely defoliate Blackthorn. I will find out more, as they might also be sort that can cause skin irritiation. NEW RECORD
Bumble and honey bees throughout reserve.
SC210694 2 x Garden snails on wall near entrance
SC209695 Hoverfly

Notes:
Some fouling.
Bench had blown over but otherwise seemingly little damage from Monday's storm.


















5th June 2015

Having spent much of my last visit "gardening" at Ballachurry I went back again for a proper look round this afternoon. I was so glad I did because I immediately saw some ladybirds just inside the gate. I have been rather worried about the lack of ladybirds everywhere generally, so it's good to see them back. I hope they find something to eat as there are no aphids as yet on the nettles or on the sycamores. They will have to make do with the black ones on the Campion. Here is the full list:

Ladybirds:

SC210694 7spot on Nettles near the concrete bridge. Another on the nettles near the Noticeboard.
SC209694 7spot  on nettles near Ginny's bench,

Birds:

SC209693 Sedge Warbler.
SC209694  in willows near path junction,Willow Warbler ; 4 x Goldfinches; 2 x Sedge Warblers
SC209694 from Hide, Moorhen
SC208694 second pond 2 x Moorhens
SC209694 Sedge Warbler
SC209695 2 x Bluetits going in and out of Nest box. This must be at least a second brood by now, I think.
Heard but not seen: Chiffchaff near firs SC208694; Chaffinch SC208694; Chaffinch SC209694; Pheasant SC209693
Flying over: Hooded crow; House Martins and Swallows; 2 x Wood pigeons.

SC209695 Sparrowhawk flew out of orchard and across reserve, mobbed by small flock of finch sized birds.

Butterflies & Caterpillars:

SC210694  Wall Brown flew into reserve over the gate, turned round and flew out again ( I was still in the car at this point)
Several unidentified White butterflies flying around the reserve,
SC210694 there are 5  lots of Small Tortoisehell caterpillars on the nettles immediately to the left of the Noticeboard. 
SC209694 nettles near Ginny's bench have pupating caterpillars "sewn" into the leaves.
SC208694 the caterpllars on the Blackthorn are still munching their way through the tree.

Bees:
SC208695 over in the orchard the wild bees were busy. There were also honey bees out and about in the reserve, including near the ash saplings. One or two bumblebees around, Carder bee in buttercups near boardwark SC208694

Spiders:

SC210694 Large "ginger" spider in nettles. I usually see this sort running in the vegetation and they are very hard to photograph, so I was lucky with this one.
SC208695 Small spider  carrying egg sack.
SC209694 2 small spiders mating in the gorse

Shieldbugs:

SC209695 near the stream 4 x adult Gorse Shelbugs, 4 x batches of eggs noted. Some empty egg cases.
SC208694 Gorse Shieldbug on bush by second pond.

Carpet life:

SC209694  There were 4 White leggedsnake millepedes and a very pale slug on top of the carpet surrounding one of the oak trees. Underneath was the same magnificen beetle that I have been trying to photograph for ID purposes for several weeks!

Plants:

Whole reserve looking very pretty in the sunshine with an increasing number of flowers in bud and in bloom.

Other:
SC208694  Ash saplings had Noon Fly ( something not quite right about this one, is it parasitised?) and another sort of fly.
SC208694  Hoverfly on buttercup
SC210694  Small green beetles mating in nettles
SC208694  two types of Water Boatmen
SC209694  oak sapling leaves showing signs of galls ( caused by type of wasp)

This was my last visit before my holiday.



























19th June 2015

Back from our trip to Donegal and anxious to see what has been happening at Ballachurry Reserve in my absence.

Birds:

SC209694  ( main pond)  2 adult Moorhens with 3 x chicks. Two seemed to be fending for themselves but one was being  repeatedly fed by the parent.It was flapping its little featherless wings begging for food.
SC209694 ( near the hide) Male Reed Bunting; Sedge Warbler.
SC208694 ( second pond) I could hear a Moorhen very close in the vegetation and there was another chick ( looked slightly older) on the water; Sedge Warbler heard not seen.
SC209693 ( between entrance and church corner) Sedge Warbler
Heard but not seen: Chiffchaff; Chaffinch.

Butterflies:

SC209693 ( between entrance and church corner) Wall Brown
SC209695  ( orchard entrance) Speckled Wood
Some unidentified whites flying

Caterpillars:

SC208694 The caterpillars in the Blackthorn are denuding the tree as predicted
SC210694 and SC208694 Hemlock Water Dropwort has numerous caterpillars.

Snails:

SC208695 Small White Lipped Banded Snail on Hogweed
SC209695  Unidentified  yellow snail.

Gorse Shieldbugs:

SC209695  2 x Gorse Shieldbugs in the gorse near the stream. Several batches of eggs.

Plants:

The Reserve is looking very pretty at the moment with many flowers in bloom. I took a lot of photographs but there are too many to include here. List includes Water Lily, Flag Iris, Cultivated Purple Iris,  Ragged Robin, Marsh Thistle, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Hogweed, Ox-eye Daisy ( SC208694 new record?) Red Campion, Brooklime, Sorrel, Docks, Water Forget-me-nots, Meadow buttercups, Common Valerian, Hawthorn.The sycamore keys are ripening.

Other:

SC209694  Hedgehog scats near Ginny's bench; Hoverfly and Soldier Beetle in the nettles.
SC209695  Large bumblebee resting on the grass.
SC208694  Wolf spider and unidentified beetle on the dam; 3 x Water crickets in the stream below the dam.
SC209694  Small irridescent green fly in gorse
SC209694  Still some fungus round the tree. I think this is Panaeolus semiovatus, the Egg Head Mottlegill ( new record).
SC208694  Hoverfly and Honey Bees on Hemlock Water Dropwort
Cuckoo spit leaf hoppers throughout reserve.


















27th June 2015

I went to Ballachurry this afternoon. Unfortunately it had clouded over by then and I even caught a shower but, as you will see "it was lovely weather for ducks"!

Birds:

SC209694 ( from hide)  2 x Mallard
SC209694 ( willow near gorse boundary) Sedge Warbler
SC210694  (Noticeboard) male blackbird  + female on the path
SC209693 ( church corner)  Goldfinch; 2 x Great tits
SC208694 ( near second pond) Goldfinch
SC209694, SC208695 & SC208694  Sedge Warblers heard but not seen.
SC209694 Willow Warbler heard but not seen from willows near path junction.

Ladybirds:

SC210694 2 x 7spot ladybirds

Grasshoppers:

SC210694  Grasshopper. Exactly the same colour as the remains of the aggregate on which it was sitting at first before moving off into the grass. Very hard to see its "distinguishing features", because of colouration and because it was not calling. The fact it was on bare ground at first suggests it might have been a Field Grasshopper.

Plants:

SC210694 Self sown poppy ( probably from bird seed?) a rich dark purple; Stinking iris just about visible in nettles; wild roses  in full bloom.
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Madow vetchling coming into flower; spear thistle.
SC209694 (hide bridge)  Common valerian

Other:

SC210694  ( entrance)Tephritis bardanae fly ? on the burdock ; also black aphids.
SC209694  ( Ginny's bench) Unidentified gold and green irridescent flies on Hemlock Water Dropwort;
SC209694  still several lots of Gorse Shieldbug eggs on gorse. No adults seen.
SC208694 Blackthorn caterpillars mostly hanging vertically as if about to  pupate.
SC208694  Green bodied fly on blackthorn.
Still several caterpillars on the Hemlock Water Dropwort throughout the reserve;