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| Seemed like a sunny morning but soon clouded over |
I have just returned from a short break in England where I enjoyed seeing birds that would be rarities here - Jay, Nuthatch, Great White Egret for example. But I wasn't completely out of touch with Ballachurry as I saw a bird report from there detailing a Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, 40 Long Tailed Tit. 20 Blue Tit. 8 Great Tit, 2 Robin, 4 Wren, 10 Goldfinch, and 2 Chaffinch all seen before 9.15 in the morning. Clearly I don't get up nearly early enough! On Monday I made it down there by 9.30 but everywhere seemed visibly quiet although there was a fair bit of birdsong going on - of which more later. Here are my records:
Birds:
SC209694 ( Hide) 2 x Wrens together; Robin; Song Thrush; Blackcap; flock of Goldfinch flying over.
SC209903 2 x Reed Bunting flew up from near path and into the reeds; Robin
SC209694 Song Thrush, Blackbird; Robin
SC208694 Blue Tit; Robin, Blackbird
SC209695 2 x Jackdaw
Butterflies & Moths:
SC210694 3 x Red Admiral on ivy flowers
SC209694 Speckled Wood
SC209695 Speckled Wood
SC209693 Speckled Wood
SC210694 2 x micro moths in nettles
Ladybirds:
SC210694 7-spot Ladybird on nettles
Other:
SC208694 2 x Green Shieldbugs
SC209694 Gorse Shieldbug
SC209694 Unidentified spiders in gorse
SC208695 Unidentified fungi on path
SC208694 Unidentified fungi on compost; Bluing bracket on rotting plank; unidentified fungus on top of post
SC210694 Eristalis species Hoverfly on Dandelion
SC209694 Helophilus species Hoverfly on Cushag ( Ragwort)
SC210694 Oulema melanopa Beetle
SC209694 Noon Fly
SC210694 Ivy Flowers attracting many wasps & flies including Noon Flies
Whilst "across" I downloaded a free birdsong app. to my phone which I was keen to try out at Ballachurry that morning. I pointed my phone towards the various chirps and tweets I could hear and got some quite plausible matches back - Robin, Blue Tit - even "wind" and "engine" but just before leaving it came up with a Tawny Owl ! So my confidence is shaken. But who knows?
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| a smaller than usual 7-spot in the nettles |
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| One of two Wrens seen together from the Hide |
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| underside of spider in gorse |
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| seen right way up |
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| Red Admiral enjoying late nectar on Ivy flowers |
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| One of the "footballer " hoverflies - Helophilus species. |
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| and a Noon Fly |
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| female Eristalis species Hoverfly |
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| Gorse Shieldbug |
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| Green Shieldbug |
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| Unidentified Fungi in the grassy path |
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| Seems to have the remains of a "veil" |
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| I think this is another example of Bluing Bracket |
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| Another kind of fungi growing on the compost heap |
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| and yet something else on a post |
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| Oulema (melanopus?) beetle on nettles |
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| Small Unidentified Moth |
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| I didn't realise there was a second one nearby till I saw the photo |
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| The Hemp Agrimony had now gone to seed |
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| The Reserve looking distinctly autumnal |
Whilst walking round the Reserve Monday morning I gradually became aware of young children's voices. Turning a corner I met up with a dozen little tots from a Douglas Day Care Nursery with their two adult teachers. We had an interesting little chat before they moved off to explore the various delights of Ballachurry. I do hope those little feet managed to avoid the dog mess in the middle of the path - we still have an antisocial person regularly walking their dog in the Reserve in defiance of the notice and what is worse, not clearing up after their pet.
All our volunteers work so hard to keep the reserve as the wonderful place it has become, so it is very disheartening when the actions of a single uncaring person spoil it for everyone else. Not the best of notes to finish this posting on, I'm afraid, but at least I'm not publishing the photo of the "evidence".
Click to enlarge photos
With thanks to Steve Crellin for fly identification
