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| a warm autumn day at Ballachurry Reserve |
A very warm, sunny afternoon seemed perfect for recording butterflies at Ballachurry. I arrived there at 1.30 on Wednesday and stayed a couple of hours. The Speckled Woods started near the Notice Board and were very evident throughout the Reserve. I suspect I have under recorded them as I didn't wish to risk recording the same individual more than once. Here are my wildlife records for the afternoon:
Birds:
SC209694 4 Mallard in vegetation by pond; 2 x Swallows dipping into water.
SC208694 Swallow x 5 flying above
SC208694 female Blackcap; male Blackbird.
SC209694 Robin; Great Tit.
SC208695 juvenile Blackbird; Robin heard but not seen.
Butterflies and Moths:
SC210694 Speckled Wood; Unidentified white flying
SC209693 Speckled Wood x 4
SC209694 Speckled Wood x 12; Small White.
SC209694 Small Copper; Common Blue;
SC208694 Red Admiral; Large White; Speckled Wood x 6
SC209695 Speckled Wood x 3
SC208695 Speckled Wood x 4. Small White.
SC209694 Celphya lacunana moth
Other:
SC209694 7spot Ladybird on thistle
SC209694 unidentified dragonfly x 2 over pond
SC210694 unidentified dragonfly flying
SC208694 unidentified dragonfly over meadow and adjoining brambles
SC209694 unidentified dragonfly over brambles
SC209694 Late instar Green Shieldbug nymph ( no photo)
SC208695 Early instar Common Green Shieldbug nymph
SC208695 Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph on Rowan
SC209695 Hairy Shieldbug ( aka Sloe Bug)
SC209695 Common Wasp
SC209695 very small yellow snail on Sycamore leaf
SC209695 "Footballer" Hoverfly - Helophilus pendulus
SC209694 "Footballer" Hoverfly on Cushag ( Ragwort) -Helophilus pendulus
SC209695 Eristalis Hoverfly x 2 on Cushag (Ragwort) - Eristalis tenax
SC208694 Araneus diadematus Garden spider making web in gorse bush
SC208694 Eristalis species hoverflies x 2 on Hemp Agrimony?
SC209694 Oak Apple Gall/ Marble Gall on Oak ( both caused by Gall Wasps)
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| a female Blackcap |
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| another view of her |
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| 4 Mallards keeping cool in the Brooklime |
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| first of many Spckled Wood butterflies |
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| they seemed to be everywhere |
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| keeping warm on the boardwalk when the sun went in |
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| final photo of several taken during the afternoon |
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| Common Blue near the Notice Board |
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| another view of the same Common Blue |
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| "Have you heard the one about the copper and the footballer.....?" ! |
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| "Footballer" Hoverfly - Helophilus pendulus |
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| Small Copper |
This particular Cushag ( Ragwort) plant near the noticeboard is like a Motorway Service Station for insects. I have recorded the following on it this summer: Small Copper; Common Blue; Small White; Small Tortoiseshell; Meadow Brown; Antler Moth; Udea Lutealis moth; Ladybird; various species of Hoverfly and other flies.
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| the Common Blue eventually joined the Small Copper |
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| Common Blue |
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| Small Copper |
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| Celphya lacunana moth |
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| Large White on Loosestrife |
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| Red Admiral |
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| Oak Apple Gall or Marble Gall on Oak |
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| Sneezewort still flowering in the meadow |
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| the meadow no longer looks so colourful |
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| these Hawthorn berries will soon be plundered by the birds |
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| dragonflies are very hard to photograph! |
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| even when they touch down for a second or two |
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| Eristalis pertinax |
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| Eristalis tenax |
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| there were 2 of them on the Cushag |
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| Footballer Hoverfly - Helophilus pendulus |
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| 7-spot Ladybird |
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| late instar of Hawthorn Shieldbug on Rowan |
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| Sloe Shieldbug ( aka Hairy Shieldbug) |
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| unidentified snail - it was very small |
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| Garden Spider constructing its web |
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| not everyone likes spiders but many are beautifully patterned |
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| a Green Shieldbug nymph on the blackberries |
An interesting and enjoyable afternoon .
(With thanks to Ian Scott for moth identification and Steve Crellin for fly identifications)
Please click on photos to enlarge them
