Ballachurry Reserve, 20th & 21st April 2016

Driving past Ballachurry Reserve on Wednesday, I decided to make a brief visit to see if I could spot the Sedge Warbler, but there was no sight nor sound of it. I thought it must have moved on. However, my husband called in there today and heard no less than 2 Sedge Warblers in different parts of the Reserve. So they have arrived earlier than usual this year.

Whilst my visit on Wednesday was not meant to be an "official recording" visit, I couldn't help but notice the following....

SC210694 Robin sitting on the roof of the Notice Board.

SC209694 Great Tit. I also saw a Great Tit going in and out of the nest box on the Hide, which is good news. As far as I am aware it has only been used by wasps in the past.

SC208694 Male Pheasant flew in

SC209695 the area round the Orchard entrance was very busy with 2 x male Chaffinches, Great Tit, 3 x Goldfinches; Blue Tit and Wren.

There was some sort of raptor circling over the adjacent field. I only managed to get very bad,blurry photos of it but nevertheless Neil Morris has kindly been able to identify it as a Sparrowhawk for me. I'm more used to seeing them hop over hedges than circle up in the sky, so this was interesting behaviour.

There was a Green Veined White butterfly in the old beehive corner ( SC208695) and a Small Tortoiseshell near the  entrance SC210694

Notes:

Whilst there I collected up quite a lot of wind-blown litter, mostly from the ditches and also tried to bury a dead Longtail, found  in the ditch. I was concerned that if it had been poisoned it might be taken as carrion and poison something else in turn. 

My husband noted the following while there today

Sedge Warblers, Blackcap in Old School House trees, several Willow Warblers, Coal Tit, + the usual "garden birds".

He saw a Small Tortoiseshell near the noticeboard and an unidentified White butterfly flying. 

Welcoming Robin

Steve & Gill, this one is for you! Sparrowhawk.

Chaffinch

Small Tortoiseshell in Spanish bluebells

Small Tortoiseshell in nettles (its caterpillar food plant) 

Wren

Ballachurry Reserve, 19th April 2016.

A lovely spring day at Ballachurry Reserve

19^th April 2016

When I arrived at Ballachurry on Tuesday afternoon there was a battle taking place near the Notice Board as Small Tortoiseshells and a Peacock butterfly fought for territory in the nettles. At one point there were 4 Small Tortoiseshells chasing the Peacock butterfly, spiralling up into the air. A little later it was the Peacock butterfly chasing a Small Tortoiseshell! Although there was plenty of birdsong to be heard, there was not much flitting about, unlike last week. Here is the report:

Birds:

SC208694 Sedge Warbler  heard from inside the reed bed but not seen. This is  rather earlier than in previous years, from memory.

SC209694 Mallard drake; Hooded Crow; Robin; Goldfinch

SC208694 Chaffinch; Willow Warbler; Blue Tit

SC208695 Robin;  2 x Blue Tits;

SC209695 Goldfinch; Wren; Great Tit

SC210694  House Sparrows x 3 ( one enjoying a dust bath in the ditch) 

SC208694  ( firs) & SC210694 ( Old School House garden) Chiffchaff  heard but not seen.

SC209695 Domestic white hen in ditch

Butterflies:

SC210694 Peacock; Small Tortoiseshells x 4; Green Veined White.

SC208695, SC209695 & SC209694  unidentified Whites, flying

SC209695 Small Tortoiseshell

SC209694 Small Tortoiseshell

Shieldbugs

SC209694  Gorse Shieldbugs x 8

SC208694   Gorse Shieldbugs x 10, including 2 mating pairs

Spiders:

SC208694  Wolf Spiders near the dam

Flies:

SC208694 Unidentified Crane Fly; Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly;2 mating pairs of Yellow Dung Flies; unidentified small fly on gorse

SC209695 Eristalis pertinax on Bowman Memorial Bench

SC209694 There was a large Hoverfly with an orange look about it hovering near the willows. I hoped it might settle but it was more interested in hovering. 

Other:

SC209695  Water Crickets x 8 + leech egg sacks visible on stones in stream.

SC209694  White legged Snake Millipedes x 4, including ( I think) mating pair; Unidentified slug; Unidentified grub/caterpillar; Brandling worm

SC209694   First few Cuckoo Flowers/ Ladysmock in flower ( food plant of Green Veined White & Orange-tip butterflies) 

SC209695   First sycamore flowers opening

SC208694   Large  unidentified bumble bee on grass

Notes:

Despite the warm, sunny weather ( about 14 C) there were less birds flying about and less insects in the willows. The Reserve was noisier than usual with  heavy plant working across the road at Ballakilley. One of the Self Heal plants from under the Notice Board had been pulled out and was dead on the grids, probably  uprooted by foraging bird such as Blackbird or possibly the hen/ peacocks scratching from next door. I'll replace it when I can. 

Peacock butterfly

Small Tortoiseshell butterfly

Green Veined White butterfly

uidentified Bumble bee

Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly

Unidentified fly

Goldfinch

Robin

House Sparrow

House Sparrow enjoying dust bath

Willow Warbler

White legged snake millipedes

mating White legged snake millipedes

unknown grub

Brandling worm?

Unidentified Crane Fly

mating Yellow Dung Flies

another Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly

unidentified Hoverfly hovering

domestic hen from next door

leech egg sacks on stone in stream

mating Gorse Shieldbugs

first Sycamore flowers

lovely willows

Ballachurry Reserve, 14th April 2016.

Freshly mown paths near Ginny's Bench.

I went to the Reserve on Thursday morning but was under time pressure and had to leave after just one circuit. During this time I had seen a pair of Reed Buntings several times, often at very close quarters. Unfortunately they always flew away before I had a chance to photograph them .As the sun was still shining after lunch I decided to go back to see if I could see them again. I'm so glad I did! Not only did I see & photograph the male Reed Bunting,I saw a lot more besides. Here is the full report:

Birds:

SC209694  (path junction)  2 x Great Tits 2 x Blue Tits;; Meadow Pipit; male Reed bunting landed in tree about 4 feet away from me then flew away. Photographed in same area later.

SC209694  (hide area) Wren; pair of Reed Buntings in hawthorn and flying together. Swallow dipping over pond; Blue Tit; Robin

SC209692 ( thicket ) Pheasant heard, not seen

SC208694 ( near firs) Chiffchaff heard, not seen; Willow warbler seen singing in tree ( & having a good stretch!); Wood Pigeon. male Blackcap.

SC208694 ( reed bed pond area) pair of Mallard;  Wren; Robin; male Chaffinch;

SC208695 ( beehive loop) 2 x BlueTits; Wren;  Willow Warbler/Chiffchaff ( not singing) 

SC209695 ( Orchard entrance area ) pair of Chaffinches; 2 x Great Tits  with nest box; 2 x Blue Tits

SC209693 Willow Warbler singing

SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Willow Warbler/ Chiffchaff ( not singing)

SC210694  ( near entrance)  Great Tit

Flying over: Hooded Crow; Herring Gulls; Wood Pigeons;,

Butterflies:

SC209694  ( Ginny's bench area)  Small Tortoiseshell x 4 seen together

SC209694   ( near Hide) Small Tortoiseshell

SC208694 ( on seasonal path through willows) Green Veined White ( first I have seen anywhere this year) 

SC210694 ( near entrance) Green Veined White ( this one was larger) 

 Ladybirds:

SC209695  7-spot Ladybird in gorse

Shieldbugs:

SC208694  Gorse Shieldbug near reed bed on gorse

SC209694   Gorse Shieldbugs x 19 along gorse boundary

Bees & Flies:

SC208695  Wild bees active in the Orchard

SC209693; SC209694;  Bumble bees  flying, in willows and on the ground

SC208695  unidentified small fly on daffodil;  3 other flies on daffodils

SC208695  mating Yellow dung flies

SC208695  Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly on dock

SC210694  Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly x 2 on Hemlock Water Dropwort

SC209694  Eristalis pertinax on gorse

SC209694  Unidentified flies in willows

Honey bees throughout reserve

Mammals:

 SC209694  Large Longtail in the ditch near GInny's Bench. It looked unhealthy, with damaged tail. Suspect it has taken bait somewhere outside the Reserve.

SC209694   Rabbits x 2 on the path

Other:

SC209695  20+ Water Crickets near inlet pipe

SC208694  3 Fresh Water Shrimps swimming near dam

SC208694  signs of a small kill near reed bed pond

SC208694  the Hogweed plant near the reed bed pond has been in continuous flower since February! 

SC208694  Marsh Marigolds; large patch of Stitchwort;

SC208694  Colourful orange algae in water filled ruts

Male Blackcap

Either a Willow Warbler or Chiffchaff

Definitely a Willow Warbler....

having a good stretch....

and warbling away.

Blue Tit

Reed Bunting

Gorse Shieldbugs

7-spot Ladybird

Colourful algae in water filled ruts

Bumble bees

Unidentified fly

Unidentified flies on daffs

Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly

First Green Veined White of the year

Green Veined White - the green veins are on the underside of the wings

Fresh Water Shrimp

Close-up of Water Cricket

Small Tortoiseshell

"Longtail" - I won't use the R-Word here!

Mating Yellow Dung Flies

Not strictly in the Reserve - wild bees in adjacent tree

Willows attracting many  bees

another bee in the willows

unidentified fly

side view of same insect - Hoverfly perhaps?

Hogweed

Stitchwort

This year's proud owners of the nest box