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view across the damp meadow to the bird hide
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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
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Blue tit
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Great tit
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Sedge Warbler
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male Mallard
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female Mallard
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Moorhen and chick
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just inside entrance the grass is left long in front of the noticeboard
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the introduced Yellow Rattle should reduce vigour of grasses....
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....to benefit flowers - clover and buttercups
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ox-eye daisies - there was a Cuckoo flower earlier
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Clouded Border moth
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Green Veined White
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Meadow Brown
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Speckled Wood and Green Bottle fly
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Speckled Wood nectaring on buttercups
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This Speckled Wood was in the dried up new pond
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Orange Tip caterpillar
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Larval web - probably an Ermine moth
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| Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly |
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| Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly |
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Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly
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Syrphus species Hoverfly either vitripennis or torvus
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Helophilus pendulus Hoverfly
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Great Pied Hoverfly
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Syrphus species Hoverfly
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| Syrphus species Hoverfly |
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| Syrphus species Hoverfly |
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| Syrphus species Hoverfly |
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| Syrphus species Hoverfly |
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Noon Fly
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the damp meadow
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still a few Blackthorn flowers to be seen
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Hemp Agrimony in bud
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Meadowsweet starting to flower
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usual view of the hide
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Blue-tailed Damselfly
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wild roses near the gate
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Grypocoris stysi Capsid bug.
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more of them elsewhere
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autumn - in June!
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Hazel nuts
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Hare's foot Inkcap fungus
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the new pond area is becoming overgrown
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with just a puddle of water
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Wolf spider
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and another carrying an egg sack
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general view
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view from the hide ramp
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lush vegetation round the pond
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a final photo before going home for lunch
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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
