Ballachurry Reserve, Rushen, IOM.: Ballachurry Reserve, 19th April 2022

a perfect Spring day

I was due to meet Manx Wildlife Trust's Education Officer, Dawn Colley, at 2 p.m. on Tuesday for a refresher course on small mammal traps which were being set on the Reserve ahead of a school visit next week. Although the traps won't be set until the night before the visit, they need to be baited with food each day to familiarise the small mammals with a source of food. I have volunteered to check & bait the traps each day ahead of the school visit and look forward to hearing what, if anything , has changed since this was last done in 2020. Last time we caught Wood Mice which were quickly released once they had been weighed and measured. Dawn is also monitoring the reserve for Hedgehogs at the same time.

The weather was absolutely lovely on Tuesday so I arrived an hour early to do some recording and was met by two species of butterfly immediately through the entrance gate. The first turned out to be a female Orange Tip something that is often difficult to spot as it does not have the distinctive orange markings of its male counterpart. Its caterpillar food plants ( Cuckoo flowers and Garlic Mustard) were not yet visible on the reserve, so this one at least must have left disappointed. The other butterfly was a Peacock Butterfly which seemed quite numerous on the reserve that day.

Here is what I recorded both before and after Dawn's visit:

Birds:

SC210694 Buzzard heard overhead but not seen; Pheasant heard but not seen;

SC209694 2 x Chiffchaff ( courtship behaviour - I saw one feed the other) Chaffinch; male and female Blackcap; Willow Warbler; male Pheasant; Blue Tit; Goldfinch; Robin; Mallard Duck with 5 ducklings which she stoutly defended from attack by Crow.

SC209695 Wren; 2 x Chiffchaff

SC209695 Pheasant heard not seen;

SC209693 Chaffinch; Pheasant heard not seen ; Chiffchaff/ Willow Warbler

SC208694 Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler; male Blackbird; Bird of Prey - possibly sparrowhawk, but I was unable to ID properly. 2 x Woodpigeon; Chaffinch heard not seen

SC208695 Chaffinch heard not seen

Butterflies:

SC210694 female Orange Tip; Peacock;

SC209694 2 x Small Tortoiseshell; Peacock in 2 locations;

SC208694 Peacock; Speckled Wood

Other:

SC209694 13 x Gorse Shieldbug

SC209695 Gorse Shieldbug

SC209694 Nursery Web spider

SC208694 Marsh Marigolds attracting flies, honey and bumble bees.

Blue tit

busy feeding among the pussy willows

I love this photo!

male Chaffinch

this tree appears to be its regular song post

Chiffchaff

the same bird

at first there were just 2 ducklings with no sign of parents

they are very vulnerable when out by themselves

much later there was a mother Mallard

she was keeping a watch on their growing independence

and sent off a Crow that swooped over the pond

I think this one is a Willow Warbler

there was one singing at this location; I hope this is the right photo!

Wren

signs that a thrush is using the mini boardwalk as an anvil?

the Bird Cherries are now in full flower

they smell wonderful too

bee enjoying the Marsh Marigolds

they are attractive to many insects

the stream continues to vanish beneath the Hemlock Water Dropwort

here it is from the opposite end

Mrs Blogger and the butterfly

it was a Peacock enjoying the sunshine

female Orange Tip Butterfly

the underwings are beautifully patterned

another Peacock elsewhere on the reserve

the water continues to evaporate from the new pond

a hint of bud burst on "The Orchard" trees

one of several Gorse Shieldbugs

not mating - yet!

Also on the Reserve today was Ian, the volunteer who is masterminding the new raised boardwalk. He was doing some preparatory work ahead of being assisted later in the week by other volunteers. I had taken some photos before he arrived of the wood work that has been accomplished since my last visit. Then just before I left I was able to take some "action shots" of Ian mixing concrete. It's always pleasant to watch other people working hard!