Apologies for this late posting - busy, busy, busy!
 |
| a beautiful day at Ballachurry Reserve |
Did I dream it or did we have a work party only a short while ago to cut back the brambles from the paths? When I visited the Reserve on the afternoon of August 1st I couldn't believe how much they'd grown back in such a short time! Recent heavy rain had also flattened much of the vegetation including Meadowsweet which was lying across the paths in places. Fortunately the wildlife seemed happy enough in the chaos. Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC208694 2 x Goldfinch flying over; Goldcrest near compost heap; Song Thrush; probable Sedge Warbler heard from Reed Bed.
SC209695 Blue Tit in Sycamore
SC209694 Great Tit heard but not seen
SC208695 Great Tit; male Blackbird taking Rowan berries
SC209694 ( from hide) female Blackcap taking rowan berries
SC209694 ( near path junction) single mournful "weep" of Willow Warbler heard, but not seen.
Butterflies & Moths: The IOM and many parts of the UK have seen an immigration of Painted Lady butterflies recently. Gardens are full of them as they regain energy on Buddleia & other nectar rich flowers after their long journeys from Southern Europe and North Africa. So I was anticipating seeing them at Ballachurry on Thursday too. If you missed the documentary about them on BBC TV recently it may still be available on the iPlayer. (The Big Butterfly Adventure) or for a local take on the subject listen to Manx Butterfly Conservation on the Manx Radio website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfUw2o0FpZY&feature=share
SC210694 Unidentified White flying;
SC209693 Silver Y Moth ( another immigrant) Red Admiral
SC209694 ( from Hide) 2 x Painted Lady on Loosestrife near the water; Meadow Brown; unidentified White flying. Small Tortoiseshell flew into hide , then out again.
SC208694 3 x Painted Lady on Hemp Agrimony; unidentified White flying; Speckled Wood near the compost and another among the willows. Speckled Wood near the boardwalk and another unidentified White flying
SC208695 Speckled Wood
SC209695 2 x Speckled Wood; mating Green Veined Whites with Large White fluttering round them;
Large White; Meadow Brown; 3 x Painted Lady; unidentified White flying
SC209694 Red Admiral; numerous grass moths; 3 x Painted Lady on brambles; 2 x Meadow Brown on brambles. Speckled Wood on brambles; Unidentified White flying; Silver Y moth.
SC209694 ( direct path to hide) Small Copper; Unidentified White flying; 2 x Speckled Wood at path junction; Meadow Brown; very small Green Veined White.
Totals: Painted Lady 11; Meadow Brown 5; Speckled Wood 9; Red Admiral 2; Green Veined White 4; Small Tortoiseshell 1; Unidentified Whites 7; Small Copper 1; Silver Y moth 2. = 41
Ladybirds:
Just one 7-spot on thistle SC209694. I decided to report this one in real time using the European Ladybird Smartphone App. for the first time. See european-ladybirds.brc.ac.uk These records also find their way back to the IOM recording scheme too eventually.
It made the job very easy, putting in the grid reference for me and I was able to attach a photo then and there. There's a handy ID guide to help you too. Why not download the app and give it a try next time you see a Ladybird?
Other:
SC209695 about 15 Water Crickets in the stream; three Harvestmen in gorse bush
SC209693 unidentified Solitary Bee; Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly; Eupeodes species Hoverfly corollae?)Honey Bees. Common Green Capsids. Lucilia species fly
SC209693 Shieldbug nymphs on Rowan berries
SC208694 Bee mimic Hoverfly ( Eristalis sp.) near boardwalk
SC208695 Shieldbug nymphs on Rowan berries + 1 x Hawthorn Shieldbug
SC209695 Gorse Shieldbug nymph; Forest Bug on Rowan berries;
SC209694 Eristalis sp.Hoverfly
SC209694 Nursery Web spider "tents"
 |
| Blue Tit on Sycamore keys |
 |
| distant view across pond of Blackcap taking Rowan berries |
 |
| 7-spot Ladybird on thistle |
 |
| my first view of a Painted Lady from the hide |
 |
| beautifully backlit on Loosestrife |
 |
| on Purple Loosestrife by the pond |
 |
| yet another |
 |
| here on bramble flowers |
 |
| they seemed to be everywhere |
 |
| including the Hemp Agrimony |
 |
| Speckled Woods too |
 |
| and Red Admirals |
 |
| not to mention the Meadow Browns |
 |
| mating Green Veined Whites with a Large White fluttering round them |
 |
| mating Green Veined Whites |
 |
| Honey Bee at the back, Eristalis species Hoverfly mimicking a bee at the front |
 |
| Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly |
 |
| Eupeodes species Hoverfly ( possibly corollae) |
 |
| Eristalis species Hoverfly |
 |
| Scaeva pyrasri male Hoverfly |
 |
| Lucilia species fly |
 |
| the gorse is full of Harvestmen |
 |
| quite hard to photograph as they are in the depth of the bush |
 |
| will try to identifiy tham |
 |
| first hint of Autumn colours? |
 |
| Nursery Web spider "tent" for spiderlings |
 |
| Common Green Capsid Bug on thistle |
 |
| and another on a seedpod of Hemlock Water Dropwort |
 |
| tiny Shieldbug nymph among the Hawthorn Berries |
 |
| and another |
 |
| this one is a Gorse Shieldbug nymph |
 |
| as is this one |
 |
| this is an adult Forest Bug |
 |
| a glance back before heading home again |
Remember you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.
