Ballachurry Reserve, Rushen, IOM.: Ballachurry Reserve, 5th May 2016.

The wild flowers of Ballachurry Reserve.

This week I had planned to visit the Reserve on Friday, but a message on Thursday from Neil Morris saying that there were 3 Grasshopper Warblers at Ballachurry made me change my plans! I had a dilemma - I reached a point on the path where I could see a Sedge Warbler on the left but hear a Grasshopper Warbler on the right. Which way to turn? I followed the sound of a fishing line being reeled in ( for the time being ignoring the sound of a football rattle) and quickly located the Grasshopper Warbler sitting atop of the Hemlock Water Dropwort. What a thrill and a new record for the Reserve! These are migrant birds, spending the winter in tropical Africa.

In fact, the Reserve was awash with birds and butterflies and I had a lovely afternoon there.

Birds:

SC209694 Grasshopper Warbler - 2 calling but I only managed to see and photograph one. NEW RECORD

SC209693 Grasshopper Warbler.

SC209693 Sedge Warbler

SC209694 Sedge Warbler

SC208694 Sedge Warbler

SC209694 Chaffinch

SC209693 Wren

SC209694 Hybrid mallard pair on pond

SC208694 Wren

SC208694 Goldfinch x 2

SC208694 Blue Tit several sightings, sometimes 2 together.

SC208694 Blackcap male

SC209694 Wren

SC209695 Blue Tits x 2

SC209695 Chaffinch x 2 (pair)

SC209694 Willow Warbler -several sightings

SC209694 Great Tit

SC208694 Willow Warbler

SC209694 Moorhen

Flying Over: Herring Gull; 3 Lesser Redpoll NEW RECORD ( pointed out to me by Allen Moore, Manx Ornithological Society Committee member, who also saw one in a hedge later.He had also come to see the Grasshopper Warbler ); Hooded Crow; Wood Pigeon. Swallow; Mallard.

Heard but not seen: Chiffchaff; Pheasant.

SC209694 My husband had also seen a Whitethroat and Reed Bunting earlier in the day, but I was not so lucky.

Butterflies:

SC210694 Small Tortoiseshell

SC209694 Small Tortoiseshell x 2 On site I only saw one. At home on-screen I noticed the second one!

SC209694 Male Orange Tip ( first I've seen this year)

SC208694 Unidentified White

SC209693 Small Tortoiseshell

Spiders:

SC208694 Wolf spiders on bridge

SC208694 Very small spider making web in gorse

Flies:

SC208694 Noon Fly

SC208695 Unidentified Hoverfly on dandelion

SC208695 Noon Fly

SC209695 Unidentified fly on gorse.

Shieldbugs:

SC208694 6 x Gorse Shieldbugs

Mammals:

SC208695 Large Hedgehog in grass. Immobile but breathing. Gone on my second circuit.

SC210694 Domestic cat. Given the number of cats that visit the reserve I fear for the ground nesting birds.

Bees:

Wild bees active in orchard. Several Bumble bees on the wing and in the grass. Honey bees in gorse, including SC208694

Carpet life:

I lifted just one square and saw two large beetles, many small beetles, white legged snake millipedes and several worms. There were also some pale slugs and some kind of larva.The thin black "slugs"(?) are a couple of inches long and seem to leave a slime trail.SC209693

Stream life:

SC209695 Several Water Crickets,on surface; several water shrimps; very small pond snails? what appear to be worm casts?

Plants in flower:

Sorrel; Lawn Daisies. Spanish bluebells; Stitchwort; Marsh Marigolds; Flowering Currant; Garlic Mustard Ladysmock; Rowan in bud; Sycamore in flower ( leaves have caterpillar damage but I couldn't find the culprit) Hemlock Water Dropwort flowering in places, Speedwell to be identified.Oaks in leaf

Notes:

Several new Ladysmock plants in area that is no longer being mown.

Pleased to see the Garlic Mustard I planted last year is flowering - caterpillar food plant.

I went back again next day - but that is another story!