Ballachurry Reserve, 2nd September 2016.

  

There is an autumnal feel to the Reserve now.

 When I arrived at the Reserve to do my weekly walk round on Friday afternoon I found James and his sister, Clare, hard at work removing the rotten wood from the hide roof in preparation for the "Green Roof Special" work party next day. Unfortunately the wet weather prevented this going ahead but James and helpers were able to continue on Sunday and it's hoped to add the turf next Saturday, 10th September, during the re-scheduled general work party.

This is just the wildlife report from Friday as I'll be  posting photos of the work on the hide separately later. 

Birds:

SC209694 juvenile Moorhen on pond

SC209694  2 x juvenile Blackbirds in Rowan

Seen from Gorse boundary, SC209694, Sparrowhawk being mobbed by 4 corvids.

Butterflies:

SC210694   Small White; Speckled Wood

SC209694    Common Blue; Speckled Wood x 2; Small Copper; Red Admiral

SC208694   2 x Speckled Wood

SC208695  Speckled Wood x 2

Dragonflies:

SC209694 Common Darter ( 1st I have seen this year) 

Ladybirds:

SC208694 7spot on thistles

Flies:

SC209694 Rhingia campestris Hoverfly

SC209695 Marmalade Hoverfly

SC209694 Possibly Leucozona lucorum Hoverfly

SC208694  Marmalade Hoverfly

Shieldbugs:

SC209694 Unidentified Shieldbug - possibly Sloe Shieldbug ? Seeking ID confirmation on this as would be a new record. ID now confirmed.

SC208694 12 x Gorse Shieldbugs + nymphs

SC209695 Hawthorn Shieldbug nymphs on Rowan berries

Spiders:

SC210694 Undentified Crab Spider

SC209694 Cross Spider ( pregnant female) in the hide

SC209694 Unidentified Wolf Spiders,  possibly Tegenaria gigantea, in the hide

SC208694 Nursery Web Spider cocoon.

 Other:

SC208694  another underground wasp nest close to the path

SC210694 Field Grasshopper

7-spot Ladybird

Another view of the same ladybird

Common Darter

Tiny Crab Spider on nettles

Nursery Web spider nest

One of the very large spiders spotted during work on the hide.

This spider was even larger

Large Cross Spider ( pregnant female) in hide

Field Grasshopper

Gorse Shieldbug and nymph

Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph on Rowan
(5th instar?)

Hawthorn  Shieldbug nymph on Rowan
( 3rd instar?)

 Sloe Shieldbug( also known as the Hairy Shieldbug)

Small Copper

Marmalade Hoverfly

 Leucozona lucorum Hoverfly

Juvenile Moorhen

Two young Blackbirds feasting on the Rowan berries

Juvenile Blackbird on Rowan