Ballachurry Reserve, Rushen, IOM.: Ballachurry Reserve, 15th & 20th May 2016.

a bright splash of buttercups

Last Sunday, 15th May, I thought I ought to call in the Reserve to check on the wasps' nest in the hide. It was now the size of an egg cup, suspended from the ceiling near the door. No wasps at home, so I carefully removed it,as it would become a hazard to users of the hide if allowed to remain. It's an absolute work of art and I feel quite bad about removing it, but there you are! I shall give it to Dawn Dickens, the MWT Education Officer to show to her Watch and school groups. At the moment though it is in my freezer making sure nothing hatches out from the eggs inside. A wasp did come in through the door a couple of times while I was there but didn't bother me. We need to monitor for these in future I think. So much easier to nip in the bud than deal with a full-blown nest. In previous years there has been a nest in the nest box on the hide and, of course, this has caused no problem to visitors.

Naturally I took a walk round while there and saw the following:

Birds:

SC209695 2 x Goldfinch, Hooded Crow;

SC208694 Willow Warbler; Peahen sitting comfortably on the path!

SC209694 Male Blackcap; Moorhen.

Swallow flying over

Butterflies:

SC209695 Speckled Wood

SC208695 Male Orange Tip

SC209694 Small Tortoiseshell

SC209693 Wall Brown

SC210694 Wall Brown

Not bad for an unscheduled visit!

Wasp nest in hide

Close-up photo taken once removed

Looking inside the wasp's nest

close-up showing the eggs inside the cells

a rather distant photo of the Blackcap

one of the peahens from next door, now free-range in the reserve

Speckled Wood

Friday 20^th May 2016

My next recording visit was on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, it started to rain when I was only half way round the reserve. Although I completed the circuit it did of course mean an end to seeing butterflies etc. Nevertheless, there were a few highlights.

Birds:

There was a lot of birdsong but now the leaves are on the trees the birds are much harder to spot.

SC209694 female Pheasant crossed the path in front of me, followed by one small chick. ( delighted to see this)

SC208694 Goldfinch

SC209694 ( from hide) Moorhen; Hooded Crow; 2 x male Mallard ( including the usual hybrid) Great Tit

SC209694 the Peahen and the white hen were walking along the gorse boundary and elsewhere; Sedge Warbler.

Swallows flying over

Heard but not seen: Wren; another Sedge Warbler; Song Thrush; Willow Warbler; Chiffchaff

Butterflies:

SC208694 Small White; Green Veined White;

SC209694 Speckled Wood. I had just photographed this when it flew off along the gorse boundary towards the Peahen, some distance ahead of me. The Peahen immediately pecked it in mid air, making it fall to the ground and was about to eat it when I hollered and approached at speed! The Peahen moved off but alas the Speckled Wood was dead. I know I should probably have let nature take its course, but I feel it's one thing a wild bird taking a butterfly for food but quite another when a domestic pet does it.

Other:

SC208695 Mating pair of St. Marks flies

SC209695 Large Bumble Bee on grass; Noon Fly; Campion aphids; about 15 Water Crickets; Sorrel flowers

SC209694 unusual fly on sycamore sapling

SC209695 Crane fly

SC208.694 Wolf spiders, one carrying egg sack.

SC208695 unusual tiny flies in dandelion flower - will try to identify

SC209694 Gorse Shieldbug eggs; Horsetail.

SC208694 Dropping /pellet on bridge handrail. I had intended to dissect this to see what it contained but it had vanished when I went back for it later

SC209694 I deliberately looked for the black worms under the carpet as I needed a close-up photo for identification purposes. It has been suggested that they may be an alien species of flatworm (Kontikia ventrolineata) - an unfortunate new record both for Ballachurry and the Island, if so.

The Reserve is looking very attractive at present with the golden buttercups, white hawthorn blossom and red campion flowers, to name just a few.