Ballachurry Reserve, 21st June, 2022.

mid summer  - the longest day - at Ballachurry Reserve

  

 A mid-summer visit to the reserve after an early lunch on Tuesday. It wasn't exactly mid summer weather but it was my only opportunity that week to visit Ballachurry.  A bit of a mixed visit - I enjoyed the wildlife but it was disheartening to find people walking their dog there - off the lead and in the height of the ground nesting bird season. There are notices pointing out that it is managed as a nature reserve and that dogs are not permitted, so no excuse. A nice little dog - not his fault!  I remonstrated (politely) and he was picked up and carried away promptly.  There was also the usual large black and white cat on the reserve - nestlings beware! So a bit disheartening, as I said. Here, however, is a list of the fauna legitimately on the Reserve: 

 Birds: 

SC209693 Willow and Sedge Warblers heard but not seen

SC208694 Willow Warbler and Blackcap heard not seen; Sedge Warbler and Reed Warbler heard from Reed Bed;  Dunnock heard not seen.

SC208695 2 x Blue Tit;  Chiffchaff heard not seen.

SC209694 Blackcap heard not seen; female Mallard and 5 ducklings on pond; Moorhen and 2 chicks on pond; 2 x Blue Tit.

 SC210694 Chiffchaff heard not seen. 

Butterflies and Moths:

SC209693  Celypha lacunana moth on Dock leaf ( with thanks to Ian Scott for the ID)

SC209694 Speckled Wood

SC209694 Speckled Wood x 2; Meadow Brown

SC208694 Speckled Wood

Other:

SC209693 2 unidentified Hoverflies 

SC209693  2 x Syrphus species Hoverfly

SC209694 Marmalade Hoverfly; 

SC209694"Footballer" Hoverfly - Helophilus pendulus

SC20969 Scaeva pyrastri  Hoverfly;

SC209694  male Poecilobathrus nobilitatus flies walking on surface tension  of new pond.

 SC208694 Noon Fly and another unidentified fly

SC209693 Orange Tip caterpillar on Garlic Mustard

SC209694 Depressaria daucella  moth caterpillars on Hemlock Water Dropwort

SC209694 Capsid bug - Grypocoris stysi

just a glimpse of the Moorhen through the reeds

Mallard duck keeping her ducklings hidden

just a glimpse of them at first

later she brought them out onto the water

Without the wildfowl there would be no bird photos on the Blog for this visit -all "heard not seen" as hidden in the reeds and the leaf canopy. 

tightly closed wings...

...opened to reveal a Meadow Brown

Speckled Wood enjoying the heat of wood chip

and another keeping warm on the baked pond mud

Celypha lacunana moth

Depressaria daucella  moth larva

they feed and pupate on Hemlock Water Dropwort

still feeding

plenty of caterpillars for the birds

still the only Orange Tip caterpillar I've seen

only a tiny patch of wildflower meadow but it's a start

colourful corner on the gorse boundary

the damp meadow is starting to bloom

peaceful pond

 -"Footballer" hoverfly  ( Helophilus pendulus)

another view

 Syrphus species Hoverfly

Syrphus species Hoverfly

- a Marmalade Hoverfly fly

Marmalade  Hoverfly

Scaeva pyrastri  Hoverfly

another view

my book says they are migratory immigrants

Calliphora species Fly

Calliphora species Fly

 a Noon Fly

male Poecilobothrus nobiltatus flies on new pond

close-up of flies walking on surface tension

Grypocoris stysi - Capsid bug on nettles

A wet day has allowed me to catch up on the Blog posts at last! I'm hoping to make another visit to the reserve later this week.

thanks to Steve Crellin for fly identification

please click on photos to enlarge them

Ballachurry Reserve, 17th June, 2022.

 view across the damp meadow to the bird hide

 I'd planned to visit Ballachurry Reserve on Friday morning, 17th June, and was hurrying up so I could make an early (for me) start.  But then the weather deteriorated while I was eating my breakfast and I decided to leave it until the following week.  I went into a different gear and savoured my cup of coffee. Shortly afterwards the sun broke through! Perhaps I'll go after all, I thought. So it was 09.45 before I arrived at the reserve, but it was an interesting morning and I'm so glad I changed my mind. Here is what I recorded:

Birds: 

SC209694 Chiffchaff heard not seen. Sedge Warbler in Hazel; Sedge Warbler heard but not seen from reed bed;Willow Warbler, heard not seen; Swallow flying over; Blue Tit x 2; Chiffchaff  heard not seen; Goldfinch; Great Tit x 2;  Mallard x 2 ( pair)  Moorhen + 2 chicks.

SC208694 Willow Warbler; Woodpigeon;Grasshopper Warbler heard not seen ; Sedge Warbler.

SC210694 Blackbird heard not seen; male House Sparrow;  Goldfinch x 2;

 SC209693 Blue Tit; Sedge Warbler heard not seen; 

Butterflies and Moths:

SC209694 Meadow Brown; Speckled Woods seen on gorse boundary, by new dragonfly pond, near path junction.

SC209693 Speckled Wood x 2; Green Veined White on Garlic Mustard.

SC208694 Clouded Border moth

SC208695 Speckled Wood x 2

SC209695 Speckled Wood

SC209693 larval webs - Ermine moth?

Other:

 SC208694 Wolf spiders, some carrying egg sacks

SC209693  Helophilus pendulus Hoverfly on Hazel

SC208695  Great Pied Hoverfly;

SC209694  Syrphus species Hoverflies x 2

SC208694  Syrphus species Hoverfly; 

SC208694 Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly

SC208694 Noon Flies on timber

SC208695 Gypocoris  Capsid bugs x 2 + 1 nymph

SC209693 Hare's Foot Inkcap fungus 

SC208694 Blue-tailed damsel fly

SC210694 wild roses in bloom

SC209694 still an occasional Blackthorn flower

SC208694 Meadowsweet in bloom

SC208694 Hemp Agrimony in bud

SC209694 ripe Hawthorn berries  already

Blue tit

Great tit

Sedge Warbler

male Mallard

female Mallard

Moorhen and chick

just inside entrance the grass is left long in front of the noticeboard

 the introduced Yellow Rattle should reduce vigour of grasses....

....to benefit flowers - clover and buttercups

ox-eye daisies - there was a Cuckoo flower earlier

Clouded Border moth

Green Veined White

Meadow Brown

Speckled Wood and Green Bottle fly

Speckled Wood nectaring on buttercups

This Speckled Wood was in the dried up new pond

Orange Tip caterpillar

Larval web - probably an Ermine moth

Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly

Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly

 Scaeva pyrastri  Hoverfly

Syrphus species Hoverfly either vitripennis or torvus

Helophilus pendulus Hoverfly

Great Pied Hoverfly

Syrphus species Hoverfly

Syrphus species Hoverfly

Syrphus species Hoverfly

Syrphus species Hoverfly

Syrphus species Hoverfly

Noon Fly

the damp meadow

still a few Blackthorn flowers to be seen

Hemp Agrimony in bud

Meadowsweet starting to flower

usual view of the hide

Blue-tailed Damselfly

wild roses near the gate

Grypocoris stysi Capsid bug.

more of them elsewhere

autumn - in June!

Hazel nuts

Hare's foot Inkcap fungus

the new pond area is becoming overgrown

with just a puddle of water

Wolf spider

and another carrying an egg sack

general view

view from the hide ramp

lush vegetation round the pond

 a final photo before going home for lunch

I am very late posting this account of my visit. In fact, I've been back again since, so my next post will be for 21st June. Another visit pending for week beginning 27th June too! Simply not enough hours in the day lately!

 

With thanks to Steve Crellin for fly identification

please click on photos to enlarge them