Ballachurry Reserve, Rushen, IOM.: Ballachurry Reserve, 28th April 2018.

new green growth among the reeds

Two visits in one afternoon on Saturday with a brief interval in between. I had been away on holiday so was anxious to see how things had moved on in my absence. The vegetation had certainly moved on, that's for sure, with the Hemlock Water Dropwort looking larger and lusher at every turn in the path. Here is the report for early afternoon:

Birds:

SC209693 Dunnock; Great tit; Willow Warbler heard but not seen; Sedge Warbler heard from the reeds; Pheasant heard but not seen.
SC209694 ( path junction) Willow Warbler heard but not seen;
SC209694 ( near Ginnie's bench) Chiffchaff heard but not seen.
SC209694 ( from Hide) Wren; Great Tit; Chiffchaff
SC208694 ( boardwalk area) Long Tailed Tit; Robin; Reed Bunting;
SC209695 ( near private entrance) Goldfinch
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Magpie
SC208695 ( old beehives loop) Blue Tit; Goldfinch; female Blackcap; Robin
SC208694 ( willows/ compost area) Mallard flying over; Swallow flying over; Chiffchaff heard but not seen; Chaffinch heard but not seen;Great tit;

Butterflies:

SC209693 Small Tortoiseshell
SC208694 male Orange Tip ( first I've seen this year)
SC209694 2 x Small Tortoiseshell
SC210694 Small Tortoiseshell

Other:

SC208694 various flies & Hoverflies on Dandelions and Marsh Marigolds: Melanostoma/ Playcheirus; Eristalis pertinax; Helophilus pendulus; Syrphus sp.
SC208695 Bumble Bee probably Bombus pratorum ( Early Bumble Bee)
SC208695 unidentified fly on Ash trunks + Wood Gnat, Sylvicola species.
SC209695 Water Crickets near stream inlet
SC209694 Red Campion in flower
SC208695 Flowering Currants blossoming in old beehive corner, good clumps of lawn daisies along the path.
SC209694 Hoverfly Eristalis pertinax
SC209693 Field Maples in flower here and throughout the reserve
SC208694 Noon Fly ( Mesembrina meridiana) & Wolf Spiders on Boardwalk
SC209694 Ladysmock in bloom here and throughout reserve

Marsh Marigolds by the stream

attracting many flies

here's a close-up of some of them

Hoverfly in the Melanostoma/Platycheirus area

Dandelions also attracting Hoverflies

female Eristalis pertinax on the right
probably female Platycheirus albimanus on the left

these stripey ones are sometimes known as "the footballer"
Helophilus pendulus

male Syrphus species

male Syrphus pecies

Proabably Early Bumble Bee
Bombus pratorum

unidentified fly on Ash trunk
( what wonderful Lichen patterns too)

a different sort of fly close by -later identified by Steve Crellin
as a wood gnat Sylvcola species

Water Crickets near the stream inlet pipe

close-up of Water Cricket but zoom in on the bubble
and you can see my reflection!

Campion now in flower

these flowering current bushes were put in for the bees
when beehives were kept in this area before it was a reserve.

a lovely clump of lawn daisies

Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly again

I think this is a Field Maple - beautiful flowers now

A Great Tit in the willows

First Noon Fly of the season on the boardwalk

close-up of a tiny Wolf Spider

damp meadow area starting to look attractive
with Marsh Marigolds

When the Ladysmock flowers open the OrangeTip butterflies
are not far behind

Told you so!

Probably a Willow Warbler

same bird

And here's the report for 5.15p.m. I walked round for about another hour.

Birds:

SC209693 Blue Tit; 3 x Mallard flying over
SC209694 ( path junction) Blue Tit; female Blackcap; male Blackcap; Reed Bunting; Blackbird;
SC208694 ( willows/ compost area) Chiffchaff;
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Great Tit
SC210694 ( near entrance) Robin

Ladybirds:

SC208694 7-spot Ladybird