BallachurryReserve, 20th July 2021

July flowers, Ballachurry Reserve.

  

Tuesday morning saw me slapping on my Factor 50 and grabbing my sunhat before heading down to the Reserve. In fact there was a cool breeze and conditions at Ballachurry were very pleasant. Only once was I bothered by a determined fly when I paused to take a photo of a caterpillar, so the insect repellent stayed in my pocket. Very quiet once more from a birding point of view but the butterflies were loving the sunshine. Here is what I recorded:

Birds: 

SC209694 Hybrid Mallard + duckling; Moorhen juvenile. Sedge Warbler  flew low over the pond and flew into the reeds with something in its beak; Goldfinch

SC208694 Wren heard but not seen

SC208695 female Blackbird; Song Thrush.

SC209693 Juvenile Wren

SC210694 2 x juvenile Sparrows

Butterflies, Caterpillars:

SC208695 Depressaria daucella caterpillar in Hogweed

SC208694 Small White; Meadow Brown; Speckled Wood; unidentified White flying

SC208695  Small White x 3; Meadow Brown x 3;Green Veined White

SC209694 Meadow Brown x 2; Unidentified Whites flying; Common Blue; mating pair of Green Veined Whites; Small Tortoiseshell.

SC209693 Meadow Brown; Unidentified White flying; 

 Ladybirds:  

SC209695 2 x 7-spot ladybirds on Hogweed

Other:

SC209694 ;  3 x Marmalade Hoverflies ( Episyrphus balteatus)

SC208694    Helophilus pendulus Hoverfly;

SC209693 Noon Fly

SC210694  Marmalade Fly  ( Episyrphus balteatus) on Cushag ( Ragwort)

SC209695 Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly; 

SC209695 Syrphus species Hoverfly

 SC209693 Syritta pipiens Hoverfly

SC209695 Soldier Beetles on Hogweed

SC208694 Common Valerian in full flower; Sneezewort coming into bloom.

this young Sparrow has spotted an ivy berry

the stalk comes away with the berry

leaving the Sparrow with a problem!

Mother Mallard Hybrid take a nap while her adolescent duckling continues to feed

and go off exploring independently

young Moorhen also now fends for itself

the weed has turned red - do hope it's not alien Azolla

Goldfinch

juvenile Song Thrush

Small Tortoiseshell

Green Veined White

another Green Veined White

A rather tattered Meadow Brown - has been in the brambles!

this is two Green Veined Whites mating

Meadow Brown near Small White

Meadow Browns are very common at present

Small White on Marsh Woundwort

Small White on Brambles

Small White on Meadowsweet

and another on Purple Loosetrife

7-spot Ladybird on Hogweed

another on the same plant

view from the meadow of mist coming in through Fleshwick gap

 mist was coming and going all morning

a fine stand of Marsh Woundwort

it seems to be doing particularly well this year

Marmalade Hoverfly  (Episyrphus balteatus) on Cushag (Ragwort)

a "footballer" Hoverfly -  Helophilus pendulus

another  Syrphus species Hoverfly

 Marmalade fly ( Episyrphus balteatus)

it's hard to get a photo of them hovering  -05

this Marmalade fly liked the Meadowsweet

Noon Fly

 Syritta pipiens Hoverfly

a distinctive Black & White Hoverfly - Scaeva pyrastri (SC209695)

it finally landed on the flower ( NB.SC209695)

Soldier Beetles on the Hogweed

Willowherb starting to flower among the Hogweed and Woundwort

the heather is blooming up on the hills

Common Valerian

Sneezewort starting to show

the meadow really does look attractive at present

Altogether a very pleasant morning's walk.

Incidental report 19th July: 

SC208694 Common Blue butterfly. Unidentified Whites flying

SC208695 juvenile Wren

 

With thanks to Garry Curtis for confirming a couple of butterfly IDs and Steve Crellin for the fly identifications.

Please click on photos to enlarge them

Ballachurry Reserve, 16th July, 2021

High summer at Ballachurry Reserve - Meadowsweet and Woundwort

  This week's visit to the Reserve on Friday afternoon took place on the hottest day of the year so far! It was 24 degrees by all accounts. (Saturday has probably been even hotter)  In places there was a cooling breeze but in sheltered spots it did indeed feel like high summer! I arrived at 1.20 and stayed a couple of hours. Here is what I recorded:

Birds:

SC209694 ( Hide) Hybrid Duck and duckling  ( now nearly adult size); juvenile Moorhen.

SC209694 ( elsewhere) Wren;  female Blackbird;

SC208694 female Blackbird;  Sedge Warbler;

SC208695 juvenile Blue Tit 

Butterflies:

SC210694 Red Admiral

SC209693 3 x Meadow Brown

SC209694  unidentified Whites flying; 2 x Small White;  Meadow Brown x 3; Small Tortoiseshell.

SC208694 unidentified Whites flying; Meadow Brown x 3; 2 x Common Blue males together; Small Copper

SC208695 unidentified White flying; Speckled Wood; Large White

SC209695 Meadow Brown; unidentified White flying

Other:

SC209694 unidentified brown Weevil 

SC209694  Melanoleuca species or possibly Cortinarius Fungus NEW RECORD ( only 1 so could not pick for detailed study/ ID)

SC208695 Marmalade Fly 

Sc208695 Soldier Beetles 

SC208694 Gorse Shieldbug

mother duck

seems to be a hybrid between Mallard and farmyard variety

her duckling is growing up fast now

Moorhen chick - no sign of parents or siblings

Sedge Warbler in the reed bed

Wren

Common Blue

a Large White I think - can just make out black going round corners

One of many Meadow Browns

another Meadow Brown nectaring on brambles

Red Admiral

Small Copper

despite being small, it saw off any larger butterflies that approached

brambles providing welcome nectar

same Small Copper on greater Birdsfoot Trefoil

Speckled Wood enjoying the dappled shade

Small Tortoiseshell, also enjoying bramble nectar

Meadowsweet surely at its best now

spot the hide!

by zooming in I can see that the roof has revived slightly

a large area of the meadow has Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil

there is also Meadowsweet and Purple Loosetrife

I'm sometimes asked if these are orchids but their pungent smell proclaims them to be Woundwort

Unidentified brown Weevil in the thistles

difficult to photograph

more Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil

Soldier Beetles in the Hogweed

Rowan berries ripening already

a shady corner of the path - spot the fungus

 Possibly a Melanoleuca or Cortinarius Fungus

certainly a new record for the reserve

Hemp Agrimony coming into flower

A Marmalade Fly.

There were lots of flies on the reserve but I failed to photograph them as they were mostly buzzing round my face! It was quiet from a birding point of view - most were keeping cool  in the undergrowth I think. However it was definitely butterfly weather  - eight species altogether. No sign of any Ladybirds or their larvae  on this occasion.

With thanks to Karen and Mick Rodger for help with fungus ID.

please click on photos to enlarge them