Just putting our volunteers on standby. It seems likely that there will be a work party next Saturday, 7th October from 10 till 1 ( or whatever people can manage).
The Reserves Officer is hoping to mow the two meadow areas during the week (weather permitting), so we shall be raking off the mowings and removing them to the compost heaps.
If the mowing does not take place then we'll be removing tree guards and doing some planting instead - plus the ever popular bramble bash ( yes, I know I sing their praises but we do have to stop them advancing across the paths!)
Will confirm early in the week or set an alternative date.
Saturday, 30 September 2017
Ballachurry Reserve 19th September 2017
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| September view |
Posting of this visit to the Reserve delayed by a short break "across".
Two quick rounds of the reserve on Tuesday 19th September, one in the morning and the other after lunch. Here is the full report:
Birds:
SC209694 Wood Pigeon flying over
SC209694 ( hide) Robin heard not seen
SC208694 ( willows) Robin; Blue Tit; Chaffinch female; Chiffchaff.
SC208694 ( compost area) male and female Chaffinch; Wren; Blackbird heard not seen
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Great Tit; Blackbird.
SC210694 ( near entrance)Robin heard but not seen
SC208695 Robin in Hawthorn amongst berries
Butterflies:
SC210694 Red Admiral; Small Tortoiseshell; Small White.
SC209694 ( near Ginnie's bench) Red Admiral; Speckled Wood
SC209693 ( near the road) Large White; Red Admiral
SC209694 ( from hide) unidentified White flying
SC208694 ( willows) Speckled Wood
SC208694 ( compost area) Speckled Wood
SC208695 ( beehives) Speckled Wood
SC209695 ( near private entrance) Speckled Wood
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Speckled Wood x 2
SC209694 Small Copper on Sneezewort
Shieldbugs:
SC208694 ( near dam ) 2 x Gorse Shieldbugs
SC209695 ( near private entrance) Gorse Shieldbug
Ladybirds:
SC208694 7-spot Ladybird
SC209693 7 spot Ladybird
Other:
SC209695 ( gorse boundary) Hoverflies on dandelions including female Eristalis tenax
SC209695 ( stream inlet) 7 x Water Crickets
SC208695 ( beehives) Noonfly;
SC208695 Hoverfly on Sycamore
SC209693 ( near road) spider with cocoon on Hazel
SC208694 Angelica has now gone to seed
SC209695 Unidentified Bumble bee on Cushag/ Ragwort
SC209695 Unidentified Hoverfly on Cushag/Ragwort
SC209695 2 x tiny Snails on underside of Sycamore leaf
SC209695 unidentified spider on underside of Sycamore leaf
SC209694 female Eristalis pertinax
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| 7-spot Ladybird on Thistle |
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| 7-spot Ladybird on Hazel |
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| Unidentified Bumble Bee on Ragwort |
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| Female Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly on Ragwort |
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| Eristalis sp. Hoverfly on Dandelion |
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| Helophilus sp. Hoverfly |
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| Syrphus sp Hoverfly on Sycamore leaf |
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| Gorse Shieldbug |
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| Gorse Shieldbug |
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| Gorse Shieldbug |
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
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| Red Admiral |
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| Very ragged and faded Small Copper |
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| two tiny snails |
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| unidentified spider |
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| unidentified spider with egg cocoon |
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| Angelica now gone to seed |
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| Autumn view from the Reserve. |
Tuesday, 19 September 2017
Ballachurry Reserve, 15th September 2017.
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| Altogether sunnier than the last photo I took of this view! |
Birds:
SC210694 Dunnock; Hooded Crow; Blackbird
SC209694 ( from hide) 5 Mallard on the pond all afternoon; Robin
SC208695 Goldcrest x 3
SC209695 2 x Robins together; Hooded Crow
SC209693 Kestrel flying over
SC209694 Blackbird
Butterflies:
SC208694 Speckled Wood x 3
SC208695 Speckled Wood x 2
SC209695 Speckled Wood on Cushag /Ragwort
SC209694 Speckled Wood x 3; Small White
Shieldbugs:
SC208694 Gorse Shieldbugs x 5
SC208695 Hawthorn Shieldbugs x 2
SC209695 Gorse Shieldbugs x 2
Other:
SC209695 Several species of fly on Peacock poo (including Calliphora sp. ( Big Bluebottles) & Lucillia sp. ( Greenbottles) When disturbed they fly off and land on the blackberry fruit - think twice about grazing on blackberries as you wander round the reserve!
SC208694 Unidentified Spider
SC209694 Cross Spider.
SC210694 Tephritis flies, one doing some characteristic semaphoring with wings to another ( probably bardanae as right next to Burdock plant)
SC210694 Light Brown Apple Moth (thanks to Ian Scott for ID)
SC209694 Insect trapped inside hide ( possibly a parasitic wasp?) flew out once shutters open.
SC210694 Large numbers of Woodlice and Earwigs inside noticeboard window
SC210694 2 x Garden Snails in crevices in wall
SC208694 Noon flies amongst lichen on bridge handrail
SC209695 Tar spot fungus on sycamore leaves here and elsewhere
SC210694 Stinking Iris seedheads starting to open
SC209694 /5 Some Hogweed has new flowers but most have seedheads
SC209695 sycamore leaves have aphids underneath
SC208695 ash trunks are popular sunbathing spots for flies
SC209694 variety of Bees and Hoverflies, especially on Ragwort :Syritta pipiens; Helophitus sp;female Syrphus sp. Eristalis tenax female.
SC210694 Eristalis tenax hoverfly
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| Dunnock |
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| Dunnock |
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| 5 Mallard |
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| close up of two of them |
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| Woodlice inside the noticeboard window |
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| Earwigs inside the noticeboard window |
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| Small Bumble Bee |
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| another view |
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| Larger Bumble bee |
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| Syritta pipiens |
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| Larger bee again |
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| Bumble bee acting like a Blue tit |
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| Bees everywhere |
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| yet another + Hoverfly top right |
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| Close-up of the Hoverfly |
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| Eristalis tenax Hoverfly |
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| Light Brown Apple Moth. Thanks to Ian Scott, the Island's Moth Recorder, for the ID. He says "They are a very common micro now despite having only arrived here in the last 15yrs or so. They can also be variable in appearance" |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Speckled Wood on Cushag |
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| another view |
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| Propaganda photo again - this time extolling the wildlife value of brambles! |
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| Speckled Wood on blackberry flowers |
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| Small White on brambles |
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| Garden Snail in the wall - note feather |
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| Second Garden snail nearby |
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| aphids on the underside of sycamore leaf |
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| flies warming up on ash trunks |
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| Gorse Shieldbug |
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| Several Gorse Shieldbugs together |
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| Hawthorn Shieldbug |
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| Hawthorn Shieldbug |
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| Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly |
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| Noon flies on the bridge handrail with lichen |
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| there were several |
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| inside the hide - a parasitic wasp perhaps? |
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| not a pretty picture, but look at all the different species various calypterates including Calliphora sp. ( big Bluebottle) and Lucillia sp. ( Greenbottle) |
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| Tephritis fly semaphoring intentions to the one at the bottom |
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| this one remained unimpressed |
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| a good wasp mimic Female Syrphus sp. |
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| unidentified spider |
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| Cross Spider |
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| tar spot fungus on sycamore leaves |
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| Stinking Iris seedheads starting to open |
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| View from the hide ramp |
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| Reed bed in full flower |
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| Some Hogweed still producing new flowers |
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| Most Hogweed now just seedheads |
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| view back to the hide |
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