Ballachurry Reserve, 23rd April 2019.

attractive willows in flower

It wasn't meant to be a recording visit on Tuesday, but just a pleasant stroll round the Reserve with my husband on the way to the Civic Amenity Site! We'd heard that a Sedge Warbler was back and sure enough we heard it although we didn't manage to spot it on this occasion. But of course my "citizen science gene" swung into operation and I had to note down the following:

Birds:

SC209694 Long Tailed Tit; Mallard flying over;
SC208694 male Blackbird
SC209694 ( hide) Wood Pigeon
SC208694 Willow Warbler; Great Tit seemingly enlarging hole on nest box; 2 x Goldfinches
SC208695 Wren; Long Tailed Tit; Chiffchaff;
SC209695  Sedge Warbler; Long Tailed Tit; Blue Tit; 2 x Goldfinch.
SC210694 Swallow

Ladybirds:

SC 210694 14 x 7-spots between gate and Noticeboard.
SC210694  11-spot Ladybird ( no rings round spots) .

Butterflies:

SC209693 2 x male Orange Tip
SC209694  ( near hide) male Orange Tip
SC208694 male Orange Tip ( 3 sightings in this area) ; Speckled Wood
SC208695 male Orange Tip
SC209695 2 x  male Orange Tips seen together
SC209694  ( gorse boundary) Small Tortoiseshell;male Orange Tip;  Speckled Wood; unidentified White flying
SC210694 2 x Small Tortoiseshell; Red Admiral; male Orange Tip.

Other:

SC209695  c.40 Water Crickets in stream.

3 x 7-spot in a row

4 x 7-spot in a row

a nearby 7-spot  shows up the difference in size

a rather fuzzy photo of an 11-spot
( with thanks to Prof. Helen Roy, UK Ladybird Survey)

Small Tortoiseshell

Red Admiral

Speckled Wood

Possibly my most interesting visit to the tip ever!