Ballachurry Reserve, 25th March 2019.

I am old enough to remember the days when yellow fly papers hung down from the ceilings in my grandparents' houses! These sticky rolls attracted lots of flies which got stuck on the tape and when full would be disposed of.  Lots of people used these tapes but we didn't have them at home. Instead my mother dashed round with an aerosol spray, probably full of toxins that were just as harmful to humans.
People now reminisce about having to clean car windscreens of  insects on long journeys and, yes, I remember that too. The point I am making is that flies were a problem back then in the 50s.  We may still get the odd bluebottle indoors in the summer when the windows are open but an old fashioned flypaper would probably last us 12 months now. So when did things change?  And what caused their decline?

More to the point, what has all this got to do with Ballachurry Reserve? Well on Monday I was invited to join the Island's dipterist, Steve Crellin, down at the Reserve. Steve identifies and records the various flies we have here on the Isle of Man. Recording the abundance or otherwise of any insects, flies included, can reveal how healthy our bio-diversity is. Many of these flies are also pollinators and we are all aware how important pollination is to our own well-being. Then there is the food chain - do you remember the old nursery rhyme about the old lady who swallowed a fly? She swallowed a spider to catch the fly, then a bird to catch the spider etc. etc. All sorts of creatures eat flies, not just spiders. Frogs, birds and even some small mammals. And don't forget that before they emerge as an adult fly these creatures are  juicy maggots - just a different meal at another time of year.  I may have to slap on the Jungle Formula when walking round the reserve in summer, but I am always very happy when Ballachurry is a-buzz with insects.

Steve is going to let me have a full list of what he found at the reserve in due course. I'm sure there will be a new record or two among them. He has, of course, kindly been identifying the Ballachurry species for a couple of years now, based on the photographs I post on the Blog but there is no substitute for identification in the field and indeed some species can only be identified by microscopy.

Whilst waiting for the full list here are some photos from a fascinating  afternoon at Ballachurry Reserve.

essential equipment - a sweep net

checking the catch - did it get away?

the fly then has to be sucked into a plastic tube with a pooter
the only way to do this is to get up close and personal!

safely potted, the fly can be examined with a hand lens

this one had lovely iridescent colours

as can be seen in close up

some are easily caught

or can be identified from afar

without needing to catch them
Syrphus species (probably torvus)

Yellow Dung Flies don't look too attractive
when sitting on a cow pat, but this one was doing a good job
probably pollinating the blackthorn

see its hairy legs?
I watched it for some time meticulously running its proboscis
over the petal vacuuming up the fallen pollen

one of Ballachurry's most prolific species of Hoverfly last year
Eristalis pertinax

I rarely stop to look at the scum that accumulates by the bridge
but shall be taking a closer look in future

dozens of these little Chironomidae flies were on the surface
 and we saw a water beetle vanish into it too

Unfortunately the sky clouded over and the sun vanished when we were only about half way round the reserve.  As the temperature dropped the flies vanished too. Steve headed homewards to do his homework but I walked round again to do a general recording session. An extra pair of eyes had been most useful along the gorse boundary and we saw plenty of ladybirds and various shieldbugs  in the gorse. Here is my own list for the afternoon. I shall add Steve's once it is available so check back from time to time.

SC209694 Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly

SC209694 Peacock Butterfly; Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly;

SC 209694  8 x 7-spot Ladybirds

SC209694  10+ Gorse Shieldbugs and 2 x Sloe Shieldbugs ( also known as Hairy Shieldbugs)

SC209694 Robin & Blue Tit

SC209694 ( hide) 3 x Mallard drakes; Wren; Great Tit.

SC209695 3 x 7-spot Ladybirds

SC209695   Blue Tit; Great Tit.

SC208694 Chiffchaff heard but not seen; 2 x Long Tailed Tit; male Chaffinch

SC208694 unidentified water beetle

SC208694  numerous Chironomidae flies on surface scum

SC209693 2 x Blackbirds; Wren
SC208694 Marsh Marigolds now in flower in the damp meadow
SC209695 about 10 Water Crickets.

Water Cricket

7-spot Ladybird

7-spot Ladybird

Marsh Marigolds now flowering

Gorse Shieldbugs

Gorse Shieldbug and 2 x 7-spot Ladybirds

Gorse Shieldbug

Mallard Drakes

Long Tailed Tit

Robin

Sloe Shieldbug

another Sloe Shieldbug

Sloe Shieldbug - closer view

Small Tortoiseshell

My thanks to Steve for a really interesting afternoon.

(please remember that clicking on a photo will enlarge it)

Ballachurry Reserve, 23rd March 2019. Work Party.

I recently had a nightmare about calling a work party to paint the bird hide at Ballachurry Reserve and 40 people turned up!

 So I was taking no chances on Saturday! I explained to our regular volunteers that I was just inviting the 4 people who had worked on the hide and the boardwalk last time to come along once more to finish off these jobs. My husband, Richard, also came with his mower to give the grass its first cut of the season. I had a few jobs lined up for myself including staking some willow saplings transplanted last year but completely flattened by recent gales. So there were just the six of us.

The weather was perfect, a lovely sunny day, and I think we all enjoyed being out in the sunshine with worthwhile tasks to get on with. We even saw Reed Buntings flying round the reserve during the morning but the big surprise was a Brown Hare - a new record for the reserve.

a few more rotten planks to be replaced

the finished job

you can see the difference here

a second coat of preservative was clearly needed

easy to forget the bits that were out of sight
 but Peter was on the case!

a much smarter looking bird hide

this side gets all the sun ( when available!) so needed the most work

first cut of the year

just a path round the perimeter of our
potential wild flower meadow

the ground is so soft that the next
gale might blow the stakes over too!

our happy tea break in the sunshine

We also put up the Nesting Birds signs reminding people to keep to the paths for the next few months as many species of birds choose to nest on or near the ground rather than in trees or hedges. We therefore try to keep disturbance on the Reserve to a minimum and your co-operation is much appreciated.

This is also the reason why we shall not be working on the reserve over the spring and summer, apart from some occasional path maintenance perhaps.

However, there are other opportunities for volunteering with Trust should anyone be feeling energetic. The Reserves Officer has over 20 other reserves to keep up to scratch needing "muckers" just like us. There are also jobs in the office from time to time, likewise the shop in Peel. Help may be needed at Scarlett or the Ayres Visitors Centres and on stalls at shows. Volunteers also deliver newsletters to save postage. So why not contact the Trust to see how you might help? You will be made most welcome.

Phone: (01624) 844432

Email: enquiries@manxwt.org.uk

Or call in to the shop and office, during working hours, at:

7-8 Market Place, Peel, Isle of Man IM5 1AB             

I have been hugely grateful to everyone who has helped out at the Reserve over the past 12 months, not just for their hard work but also their moral support at Ballachurry.  I am looking forward to working with friends old and new again quite soon. Meanwhile, please keep checking this Blog to see how the wildlife is getting on this year or better still visit the reserve to see it at first hand.

Ballachurry Reserve, 21st March 2019.

view through the hide shutters

I spent more than 2 hours at the Reserve on Thursday morning - quite a luxury for me! It wasn't yet the bright sunny day that materialised in the afternoon but this didn't seem to be putting off the insects in any way. I was particularly pleased to see the Ladybirds and counted no less than 27 x 7-spots throughout the reserve.  Here  is what I recorded:

Birds:

SC209694  corvid flying over with nest material
SC209693 male Blackbird
SC209693 ( hide) female Blackbird; 2 x drake Mallard
SC208694 Chiffchaff; 2 x Great Tit; Woodpigeon heard but not seen; Pheasant heard but not seen; 2 x Lesser Redpolls in willows;  Goldfinch in firs; female Reed Bunting; female Blackbird; Blue Tit; Chaffinch heard but not seen.
SC208694 male Blackbird
SC209695 3 birds landed together in Sycamore, one of which was male Reed Bunting, did not get chance to identify others.
SC209695  2 x Robin together; Goldfinch
SC209694 2 x Great Tit; female Blackbird; Robin heard not seen;
SC208695 pair of Chaffinch


Ladybirds:
SC210694   6 x 7-spot ladybirds
SC209694 pair of mating  7-spot ladybirds + 2 more nearby
SC208694 5 x 7-spot in gorse;  7-spot on Buttercup foliage;
SC208695  7-spot on Hogweed
SC209695 2 x 7-spot near private entrance +  2 more in gorse near bench + another near stream inlet pipe
SC209694  5 x 7-spot Ladybirds along gorse boundary

 ( Total 27)

Other:

SC209695  dandelions in flower
SC209695 unidentified fungi in grass
SC209695 just 1 Water Cricket seen
SC209694  3 x Gorse Shieldbugs
SC208694 Gorse Shieldbug
SC208694 Honey Bees on gorse
SC210694 Unidentified fungi in grass
SC209693 Unidentified fungi on path

lovely bright Celandines
 but can you spot the Ladybird top right?

here it is, one of many 7-spots on the reserve today

mating 7-spots near Ginnie's bench

You may need to click on the PLAY button twice to view the video of mating Ladybirds or on the full screen icon bottom right.

I actually photographed all 27 ladybirds seen
but here and below are just a representative sample.

male Reed Bunting

taking a look around

Lesser Redpoll

I'm always pleased to see Dandelions in spring as they
are excellent nectar plants - this one is just waiting for the
butterflies to appear.

Blowflies ( Calliphora species) on the dead stems of
Hemlock Water Dropwort
( thanks to Steve Crellin for I.D.)

Honey bee busy in the gorse

Syrphus species Hoverfly on Willow flowers
( thanks to Steve Crellin for I.D.)

pleased to see our little jumping spider back for another year

here it is in close-up

Marsh Marigolds coming into flower now

once it was hard to find moss at Ballachurry but these days
I am noticing more and more - this is under the ash trees

unidentified fungus

a good view of the gills before the grass is mown on Saturday and
they are lost

more fungi on the wood chip path

and something different again near the gate

blackthorn attracting insects

many young nettles already full of holes
something has clearly been eating them

view along the gorse boundary-
home to many Ladybirds and Shieldbugs....

such as these two Gorse Shieldbugs

this one was on the gorse elsewhere

heading for the gate after an interesting morning at the reserve

Don't forget you can click on the photos to enlarge them, then click on them again to move through as a slide show.