2nd September Work Party - update

We have some carpet!

Ballachurry Reserve - details of September Work party.

Despite three hours hard work by 18 volunteers on Bank Holiday Saturday, a few jobs remain outstanding at the Reserve. If you can join us on Saturday next,  2nd September, you would be made most welcome.

Remaining jobs:

 working on final section of stream - this is a priority by end of September.

 two more paths to strim

 boardwalks, bridges and ramps need weeding

 if additional carpet can be sourced a few more Hawthorns would benefit

 vegetation overhanging pavement outside reserve needs attention

 some careful pruning back of willow and blackthorn along paths required

 cutting back of brambles threatening to obstruct paths is always an ongoing job.

 vegetation under main gate needs removing by hand tools.

 removing docks from wild flower meadow.

As usual the time will be between 10 and 1 ( just drop in when you can). Refreshments half time.

Wellies and waterproof gloves required for stream work ( remember we have longtails on site, so gloves are prudent. A few spare "marigolds" available). Otherwise the usual shears, loppers, spades, rakes etc. useful if you have them.

For information and updates on work parties and other Southern Group  events please contact Janet Thompson on jthompson@manx.net  or ring 835524 / 428953

The Big Bank Holiday Ballachurry Work Out!

Saturday morning, 26th August, saw 18 volunteers at Ballachurry Reserve's "Green Gym". We bent, we stretched, we swung left and right, walked round in circles, lifted and swung mallets, did step-ups and step-downs in and out of the streams, pushed and pulled barrows, dug and delved docks. By one o'clock the Reserve had paths strimmed, hurdles in place, saplings weeded/carpeted, streams cleared of vegetation and excess silt. And all so much cheaper than a gym membership! Tired but toned we enjoyed refreshments in the sunshine and a real sense of satisfaction at jobs well done.

We also saw flitting butterflies, numerous water creatures and a swimming frog, as well as hoverflies and some beautiful wild flowers.

Many thanks to you all for your hard work and to our Baking Sub-Committee for the most welcome refreshments. Also to Stan Clucas for loan of an additional strimmer which really helped get the jobs done quickly.

I went back after lunch to retrieve some forgotten tools and take a few "after" photos and added the following wildlife notes to this morning's tally:

SC210694 Common Blue Butterfly
SC209694 Green Veined White Butterfly
SC209695 Speckled Wood Butterfly
SC208695 3 x Speckled Wood Butterflies
SC209694  Grey Heron in pond
SC208694 Swimming frog
SC209695 about 50 Water Crickets & several fresh water shrimps
SC209694 Large mixed flock of gulls and corvids flying over reserve ( photo shows about one third)
SC209695 Leaf Cutter Bee with section of leaf sitting on tool shed roof ( flew off with it before I could take a photo -New Record)

a spot of gardening with weed-suppressing carpet at the ready

making good progress

job done and young Hawthorns can breathe again

strimming

more strimming

can you see the stream? No, nor me!

Yet more strimming beside that stream

Hand tools at the ready

team work

finally found the water!

what a difference!

Looking back along the stream towards the Hide before....

...and after

wasn't there a dam here once?

visible again

path along gorse boundary before....

and after,
no more getting wet when walking through the vegetation

main stream not visible before work

getting stuck in ( but not in the mud, hopefully?)

raking out cut vegetation

that's better!

this is where the water comes in - looking along the stream!

Same view a few hours later

"the final hurdle"

This is where the stream runs into the reeds

finally visible again

we can now get round the back of the notice board again

no more brambles scratching the back of your neck
when sitting on the bench

time for tea at last!
( our very cool-looking Baking Sub-Committee!)

welcome break

in lovely weather

tea, coffee and cakes all round

doesn't fresh air make you happy?

And finally, a reminder why we work on the reserve

this is where water runs into the reserve

there were soon 50+ Water Crickets enjoying the open water
right by this pipe

close up of Water Crickets

frog swimming upstream

large mixed flock over reserve

female Wall Brown butterfly

Just some of Ballachurry's wonderful wildlife

Details of next Work Party follow shortly.

(P.S. I was tempted to continue the alliteration in the title by substituting Boot Camp for Work-Out, But it wasn't quite that bad - was it?)

Ballachurry Reserve, 24th August 2017.

View from the bird hide, late August

I hadn't been to Ballachurry for recording purposes for a couple of weeks, so I spent an enjoyable afternoon doing two circuits of the Reserve on Thursday. It was very quiet from a birding point of view but there was still plenty of other wildlife to be seen.

Birds:

SC209693 Great Tit heard but not seen.
SC209694 large flock of Goldfinches flew over; Blackbird taking rowan berries; single Goldfinch on thistles.
SC208695 female Blackcap; juvenile Blackbird; Robin; Chiffchaff heard briefly.

Butterflies:

SC209694  ( path junction) Green Veined White;
SC209694 ( from Hide) unidentified Whites; Small Tortoiseshell on water mint far side of the pond
SC208694 2 x Speckled Wood; Unidentified White;
SC208695 Speckled Wood x 3; Holly Blue
SC209695 Wall Brown
SC209694 ( gorse boundary)  2 x Speckled Wood; Wall Brown.
SC209694 ( Ginnie's bench) Speckled Wood

Ladybirds:

SC208694 ( near boardwalk) 7-spot x 2
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) 7-spot with aphids

 Shieldbugs:

SC208695  Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph on Rowan berries
SC209695 Adult Gorse Shieldbug in gorse.

Other:

SC209694  Crane flies, here and throughout reserve.
SC209694 Eristalis horticola Hoverfly
SC210694 Ragwort attracting several species of Hoverfly, here and throughout reserve, including female Eristalis species, feamle Helophilus pendulus, female Syrphus species and female Eristalis tenax.
SC208694 Unidentified spider inside cocoon
SC209694 I moved the carpet strips waiting to be used at the Work Party and discovered a large beetle, a small snail, a White Legged Snake Millepede and several slugs. Several wolf spiders were also on the carpet.
SC209695 Small spider in horizontal web on gorse
SC210694 Tiny capsid beetle on Ragwort
SC208694 Noon Fly
Sc208694 Myathropa florea Hoverfly
SC208694 female Eristalis species Hoverfly on Hemp Agrimony
SC209694  Oak saplings have Artichoke Galls and Oak Apple Galls
SC209694 Lots of Alder cones developing here and throughout the reserve
SC208694 Angelica flowers now fully open and attracting insects
Ripening fruit & berries giving an autumnal feel to the Reserve - food  for the wildlife.

It took me some time to spot the Robin
amongst the Hawthorn  berries.

Green Veined White

Speckled Wood

and another

Wall Brown

Distant view of Small Tortoiseshell - wings back lit by sunshine

7-spot with lunch

7-spot looking for lunch

7-spot  with black thistle aphids

Composite photo of various species of Hoverfly on Ragwort
Clockwise from top left: female Eristalis sp; female Helophilus pendulus;
female Syrphus sp; female Eristalis tenax.

This one had thorax stripes going horizontally
Not sure I've seen one quite like this before
 a female Myathropa florea

Yet another species of Hoverfly
male Eristalis horticola

female Eristalis species of Hoverfly on Hemp Agrimony

Artichoke Galls and Oak Apple Galls side by side

Alder cones 

Unknown beetle

very small snail

unidentified slugs

one of many small Wolf spiders

spot the spider

this one had horizontal web

close up view

Crane fly

Gorse Shieldbug

early instar nymph of Hawthorn Shieldbug ( on Rowan)

Noon Fly

I think this is a tiny capsid bug, but not sure

White Legged Snake Millepede

Prolific Water Mint

A sea of thistledown

View from the hide

Food for wildlife

Pleased to see Common Valerian has spread
 to Wildflower meadow

Report of today's Work Party to follow shortly