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| Willows and firs seen from near bird hide |
Today dawned very hot and sunny without a breath of wind. "Great day for butterflies" I thought, "I'll go to Ballachurry this afternoon". So I went, but of course by afternoon there was a strong north-westerly wind blowing and butterflies don't really like wind! However, I did see a few including a Meadow Brown, the first I've seen this year anywhere. The Reserve is also awash with 7-spot Ladybirds. Their pale orange colour tells me they are freshly emerged from their pupae. They will redden up over the next few days, no doubt. Here's today's report:
Birds:
SC209694 ( Ginnie's Bench area) Great tits heard "keeping in touch" but not seen.
SC209693 ( parallel to road) Willow Warbler heard but not seen
SC209694 ( from hide) female Mallard + 9 ducklings
SC208694 ( compost area) Chiffchaff heard but not seen; female Chaffinch; Willow Warbler heard but not seen.
SC208695 ( old beehive loop) Chaffinch
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) 2 x Goldfinch; Great Tits heard "keeping in touch".
Ladybirds:
SC210694 ( near entrance) 7-spot Ladybird + 3 x 7-spot Pupae + 1 possible Harlequin pupa
SC209694 ( Ginnie's bench area) 7-spot Ladybird
SC209694 ( near Hide ) 7-spot Ladybird x 6 in Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil
SC208694 ( near dam) 7-spot Ladybird x 3 ( including one feasting on black thistle aphids)
SC208694 ( near boardwalk) 7-spot Ladybird x 5 on thistles
Total: 16 x 7-spot Ladybirds
Butterflies:
SC209694 ( near hide) Speckled Wood
SC208694 ( near compost area) Speckled Wood
SC208695 ( beehive loop) 2 x Red Admirals having territorial dispute; Speckled Wood. Meadow Brown.
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Unidentified White flying.
SC209694 ( Ginnie's bench area) Unidentified White flying
Caterpillars:
SC210694 ( entrance) I could only see one Orange Tip Caterpillar today. Either they have gone away to pupate or have eaten each other!
SC209694 Still one or two Depressaria daucella moth caterpillars on Hemlock Water Dropwort but many have pupated e.g. SC209693
Other:
SC209693 ( parallel to road) Common Blue Damselfly
SC208694 ( near compost area) Common Blue Damselfly
SC209693 ( parallel to road) Black & white Hoverfly
SC209694 (path junction) a different black & white Hoverfly.
SC210694 ( noticeboard) Hoverfly on ox-eye daisies.
SC209695 ( near Private entrance) Gorse Shieldbug
SC208694 ( near dam) first Meadowsweet in flower
SC208694 ( near boardwalk) tiny orange beetle near one of the 7-spot Ladybirds
SC209694 ( Ginnie's bench area) and elsewhere, some nettles have distorted orange stems -caused by Nettle Clustercup Fungus ( Puccinia urticata)
SC209693 ( parallel to road) area of sedges flowering that I haven't noted before.
SC210694 ( entrance) mating pair of Tephritis bardanae + 3 singletons
SC208694 and elsewhere - black aphids on thistles
SC209694 (near hide) Hawthorn berries ripening
SC209694 ( wild flower area near hide) unidentified spider behind buttercup - looks like a crab spider?
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| Goldfinch |
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| 2 more Goldfinches |
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| Mallard with ducklings |
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| close-up of duck;ings |
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| freshly emerged 7-spot Ladybird |
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| another 7-spot in the Hogweed |
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| 7-spot Ladybird in Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil |
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| 7-Spot Ladybird and unidentified beetle |
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| 7-spot Pupa |
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| 7-spot Pupa |
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| and a third 7-spot Pupa |
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| Didn't spot the spider until looked at the photo! |
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| Afraid this one looks like a Harlequin |
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| Unidentified Sedge |
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| Nettle Clustercup Rust Fungus |
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| Roses in June |
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| Marsh Woundwort doesn't smell as sweet as the wild rose! |
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| Meadowsweet |
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| Hawthorn berries ripening |
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| Lone Gorse Shieldbug |
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| Depressaria daucella moth caterpillar |
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| Depressaria daucella moth caterpillar pupating |
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| Mating pair of Tephritis bardanae flies on Burdock |
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| Orange Tip caterpillar |
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| Unknown Hoverfly |
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| Unknown Hoverfly |
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| Common Blue Damselfly |
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| Another Common Blue Damselfly |
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| Hogweed in the old beehive loop |
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| Plenty of black aphids on the thistles for the ladybirds |
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| 7-spot eating black aphids |
