Ballachurry Reserve, Rushen, IOM.: Ballachurry Reserve, 30th May 2016. Bank Holiday Monday.

Bank Holiday visitors

I visited the Reserve on Bank Holiday Monday, I was one of at least 14 people there that afternoon. Everyone was enjoying watching the wildlife or just strolling about in the sunshine. Friends had alerted me to the fact that there was another wasp nest in the hide. This one was hanging from the seat of one of the benches, just inside the door! So the first part of my visit was to deal with that. Bigger than the last one, it was also more advanced with grubs rather than just eggs inside. Certainly a very determined wasp!

I then did my usual survey, so here are the results:

Birds:

SC209694 ( on and near Ginny's bench) 2 x House Sparrows; Goldfinch.

SC209694 (hide) 2 x Great Tits going in and out of the nest box. Blackbird; Pheasant heard but not seen. Pair of Mallard on water

SC209694 ( stream near hide) pair of Blackbirds flew up out of stream as I crossed the bridge

SC209695 ( near orchard entrance) 2 x Great Tits; 2 x Goldfinches; Chaffinch heard but not seen.

SC209694 ( gorse boundary) 2 x Willow Warblers; Magpie; 2 x Goldfinch; Sparrowhawk being chased off by corvid; Blue tit;Chaffinch; 4 x Blackcaps ( 1 adult male feeding 3 young) just over the boundary in the firs at Old School House. House Martin & Hooded Crow flying over.

SC209693 Sedge Warbler; pair of blackbirds turning over bark path in search of worms. 7 x Jackdaws on wires

SC208694 & SC209693 Chiffchaffs heard but not seen.

SC210694 Swallow on wires

Butterflies:

SC209693 Green Veined White

SC210694 2 x Small Tortoiseshells

SC209694 Common Blue ( just over bridge near hide)

SC208694 Small White ( near firs)

SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Common Blue; Unidentified White flying

SC209694 ( path junction) Small White

Caterpillars: ( plenty of food for the birds)

SC209694 Numerous Small Tortoiseshell caterpillars on the nettles

SC208694 The Blackthorns along the path are again hung with the webs of Orchard Ermine Moth caterpillars, as last year.

SC208694 Hemlock Water Dropwort has tiny Depressaria Daucella caterpillars just emerging from flower buds. (Type of Moth) See http://ukmoths.org.uk/species/depressaria-daucella/

Shieldbugs:

SC208694 ( near reed bed) 20 + Gorse Shieldbugs

SC209694 ( gorse boundary) some Gorse Shieldbugs but no proper count done

Ladybirds:

SC210694 7spot ladybird on Red Campion

Hoverflies:

SC208695 Rhinghia campestris hoverfly

SC208694 2 x unknown hoverflies

SC209694 ( gorse boundary ) unknown hoverfly

Spiders:

SC209694 Spider with egg sack. Rather too far away in the nettles for a good view,

SC210694 NEW RECORD Tiny, well camouflaged Salticus spider ( jumping spider) on wall

Other:

SC210694 On garlic mustard flowers: unidentified ant; cuckoo spit leaf hopper;

SC210694 On wall, Garden Snail

SC209694 (Gorse boundary) Whitefly aphid on Sycamore sapling leaf. I thought it was surrounded by eggs but on screen it's possible to see they have legs, so these must be aphid nymphs ( all clones of Mum?)

SC209694 ( hide) nest of Common Wasp

SC209694 Bee on Hemlock Water Dropwort

Flowers:

The Reserve is looking lush and beautiful with Hawthorn, Buttercups, Hogweed, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Yellow Flags and Purple Iris all in flower

Notes:

A special thanks is due to volunteer, Peter Hayhurst, for building the enclosed part of the notice board. An excellent job done. Our notices should now be more weather-proof. Gura mie mooar ayd!