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My first April visit to Ballachurry Reserve
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It's over a week since I visited the Reserve so I'm very late posting this account of my visit - blame the good weather!
As I entered the Reserve on Friday ( 9th ) I could see a bright red spot in the nettles ahead of me. Sure enough it was a 7-spot Ladybird. As I took its photo I was listening to a Chiffchaff and other birdsong. An auspicious start to my walk I thought! Then there was a sudden mewing overhead and the birds fell noticeably silent. Sure enough no less than 5 Buzzards were circling above the reserve for a few minutes before moving back from whence they came. The birdsong resumed. My bird book tells me they have a wide range of prey including rodents & carrion but they even eat earthworms and frogs. Although Rabbit is their favourite dish, they will also take young birds. So this begs the question, why do they announce their arrival by calling? As they left I continued my walk and noted the following:
Birds:
SC210694 5 x Buzzards overhead on arival 2 Buzzars overhead as I left later; Chiffchaff heard but not seen.
SC209693 female Chaffinch
SC209694 ( hide ) 2 x Moorhen; Duck and Drake Mallard with 10 ducklings; 2 x Blue Tit
SC209694 3 x Great Tit together;
SC208695 Dunnock; Song Thrush; Wren
SC208694 Chiffchaff heard but not seen; Robin; Great Tit; 2 x Wren; 3 x Woodpigeon;
SC209695 Blue Tit; Robin
Other:
SC210694 7spot Ladybird
SC209694 Gorse Shieldbug
SC208694 7 spot Ladybird
SC208695 male Blowfly ( Callipohora species) on daffs
SC208694 Unidentified Hoverflies on gorse
SC210694 Unidentified spider; Female Syrphus Hoverfly.
SC208694 Possibly Anthomyiidae flies x 10 on Bridge Handrail
SC208695 Unidentified Bumblebee on Flowering Currant bush
SC209693 2 x Platycheirus species flies on Dandelion flower
SC208694 First Hemlock Water Dropwort flower of the year
SC208694 tiny Hoverfly on gorse - female Meliscaeva auricollis NEW RECORD FOR RESERVE
SC208695 Yellow Dung Fly - Scathophaga stercoraria
Although sunny it was very cold on the Reserve and I got caught in a sudden heavy downpour. I was quite surprised that it was rain and not sleet or hail. The sun continued to shine and there was a low rainbow over the hills although I failed to capture it very well with my camera. Fortunately there was no one else on the Reserve at the time so I was able to shelter in the hide for the 5 minutes or so that it lasted.
"Wanton destruction" is a bit of a cliche but it was the phrase that came to mind when I realised that someone had vandalised the daffodils. At first I thought a couple of fighting Pheasants had beheaded them but as I walked on there were armfuls picked from the base and discarded near the private gate, around the bench and strewn along the path. Some were even in the stream. So not just "nicked" to take home to a vase but left to wither on the reserve. Pointless. Some clumps are going over now but these were still at their best. There was also evidence of a "social gathering" in the hide in defiance of current Covid regulations but it may not be the same group as destroyed the daffodils of course. The Police have been informed.
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three of the five Buzzards circling above the Reserve
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this one appears to have a feather missing
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I'm sure I've seen the same one over my house too
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huge, majestic birds
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on a much smaller scale - female Chaffinch
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Father Duck - drake Mallard
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Mother Duck and 10 ducklings
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Great Tit
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| Moorhen |
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it was feeding while its mate collected nesting material nearby
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I watched this Wren for some time
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often singing its heart out
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then pausing to look around
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tiny bird with loud voice
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Blue Tit
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will our bird boxes be taken this year?
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Marsh Marigolds now flowering - I helped plant these so a good feeling
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first Hemlock Water Dropwort flower
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looking towards Reserve boundary
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there were 10 of these small flies on the bridge hand rail ( possibly Anthomyiidae)
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7-spot Ladybird
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unidentified Bumblebee
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male Platycheirus flies on Dandelion
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Dung fly - Scathophaga stercoraria
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male Blowfly - Calliphora species
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Gorse Shieldbug
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possibly a Nursery Web spider
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Meliscaeva auricollis Hoverfly
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another view of the same fly
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female Syrphus species Hoverfly
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Willows now looking green
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the daffs near the gate were not growing
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but picked and discarded
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others had been strewn round on the grass
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several more had just been beheaded
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this area was about to be mown
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a path is cut round the edge but the central area left to grow
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the Buzzards returned just before I left
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raindrops on the pond
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can you see the low rainbow?
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areas of silt in the stream -sometimes these attract Grey Wagtails
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the mud will also help returning House Martins with nest building
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rainstorm finished
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so I resumed my walk
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freshly cut grass
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As I left the Reserve Steve, the Contractor for Rushen Commissioners, arrived with his ride-on mower to give the grass it's second cut of the season. We are very grateful to the Commissioners for continuing this service for a second year. The reserve smelt of new mown grass and there were 2 Buzzards circling above - a good lasting impression to take home with me.
Please click on photos to enlarge them ( with thanks to Steve Crellin for fly identification)
