Ballachurry Reserve, Rushen, IOM.: Ballachurry Reserve, 16th August 2018.

Loosestrife in the early evening sunshine

This was to be a recording visit starting early after lunch, but just as I was about to set out the heavens opened! Was this forecast? I don't think so. So I had to delay my start by half an hour. Once at the reserve there were things to do - work party equipment to be returned to the tool shed and some overhanging willow clipped back in advance of a forthcoming workshop at the reserve. So my visit proper didn't start until nearly 3.30 p.m.

It seemed very quiet at the Reserve this afternoon, very few birds about and not "all a-buzz"as you might have expected on an August afternoon. Perhaps it was the strong breeze keeping the wildlife hidden away but I recorded over 100 butterflies during Monday's brisk north westerly when I walked my butterfly transect near the Sloc. Thursday was much calmer and in theory there should have been more about. Here's what I saw:

Birds:

SC209694 small flock of Goldfinches flew up from thistles along the gorse boundary; male Blackbird;
SC209694 ( hide) 2 juvenile Goldfinch in tree across the water; three more came down to drink from the pond; juvenile Moorhen;Blue tit
SC209694 ( path junction) Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler - couldn't get a good sight of it and photo rather distant.
SC210694 Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler in the ivy near the gate

Butterflies:

SC208694 Speckled Wood x 2; unidentified White
SC209694 ( near hide) male Common Blue
SC2085694 ( damp meadow) Small Copper; Common Blue
SC209695 very dark female Common Blue; Speckled Wood; Green Veined White

Ladybirds:

SC210694 ( near entrance) 7-spot
SC208694 ( damp meadow) 7-spot
SC209695 ( near private entrance) 7-spot
SC209694 ( gorse boundary ) 7-spot

Other:

SC208694 ( near reed bed) 2 x tiny spiders in gorse; Gorse Shieldbug nymph
SC209695 ( near private entrance) Several Adult Gorse Shieldbugs + nymphs ( various instars)
SC208695 ( old beehive loop) undersides of oak leaves had tiny flies; very small fly on underside of sycamore leaf; Noon fly on underside of willow leaf;
SC209694 Solitary fungus has appeared near hide
SC208695 very small bug on Blackberry

young Goldfinches

this one stayed a long time

but eventually flew away

juvenile Moorhen

acrobatic Willchaff

I think this was the same bird

Goldfinch

one of 4 7-spot Ladybirds seen that afternoon

this one was well hidden in the gorse

Small Coppers certainly love the Sneezewort

hard to believe that this is a Common Blue - seemed to be
a particularly dark form even for a female

even the underside looked dark until I captured a back-lit shot

Speckled Wood enjoying the sunshine

a very Manx grouping of Gorse Shieldbugs!

four different life stages together here

once I had got my eye in I noticed them everywhere

I didn't manage to spot any eggs this year but they
were clearly there somewhere

if Shieldbugs fascinate you, as they do me, take a look at
www.britishbugs.org.uk
there are downloadable identification sheets with all the instars

5th instar, I think - almost an adult

the finished article

Brambles are attacked every year by this fungus
but it doesn't seem to curb their vigour

spot the bug?

female Eristalis species

Noon Fly doing acrobatics

nearly every oak leaf had one of these small flies
sheltering underneath

a composite photo of an even smaller fly

Sneezewort also attracting very small flies - a male Syritta pipiens

and larger ones - a male Eristalis species

quite a large patch of Sneezewort which likes damp conditions

Ballachurry colours near the bridge

I tried to see how our poor turf roof was faring after
the drought -it does seem to be greening up but there are some
docks up there too by the look of it