My first April visit to the Reserve did not turn out as expected. In fact, I recorded so little that my original intention was not to Blog it at all. However, I thought the photos of progress on the boardwalk project should perhaps be recorded for posterity, so here are a few of the photos taken that afternoon. One reason I recorded so little was the distraction of teenagers arriving on the reserve at lunchtime. Manx Wildlife Trust welcomes all age groups to the the Reserve if they behave sensibly on site but this group were behaving suspiciously ( or just being silly?). They chose to leave by crossing a ditch, pushing through vegetation, climbing over barbed wire and scaling the stock proof fence in the adjacent field rather than walk past me to reach the gate. They may not be the group that has periodically caused damage on the Reserve but they risk being blamed for it by drawing attention to themselves in this way.
Birds:
SC210694 Blackbird heard from ivy but not seen
SC209694 Wren; Chiffchaff; Pheasant heard but not seen; 2 x Chaffinch; Goldfinch; Blue Tit;
SC209693 female Chaffinch; male Blackbird; female Blackbird flying through.
SC208694 Chiffchaff heard but not seen; 2 x Woodpigeon flying over.
Other:
SC209694 6 x Gorse Shieldbug; unidentified spider; Sepsis species fly
SC209694 2 x Small Tortoiseshell butterflies
SC208694 Peacock butterfly
SC210694 Syrphus species Hoverfly
SC208694 Common Wasp
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| fine, dry weather had allowed some progress |
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| many thanks to Ian for his perseverance with this project |
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| Blackthorn blossom going over now |
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| but Marsh Marigolds in all their glory |
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| daisies and grass growing back through the chippings😀 |
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| dandelions near the gate - a good nectar source |
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| nearby Muscari are garden escapes |
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| Stitchwort spotted through binoculars! |
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| Gorse Shieldbug. I didn't notice the spider when I took the photo! |
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| Gorse Shieldbug with Sepsis species fly |
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| Gorse Shieldbug |
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| Hoverflies back on the Reserve once more - Syrphus species |
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| stream looking pretty with the Marsh Marigolds |
With thanks to Steve Crellin for help with fly IDs
I'm pleased to say that my next two visits were much more interesting - watch this space!
please click on photos to enlarge them
