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mid summer - the longest day - at Ballachurry Reserve
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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
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just a glimpse of the Moorhen through the reeds
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Mallard duck keeping her ducklings hidden
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just a glimpse of them at first
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later she brought them out onto the water
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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.
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tightly closed wings...
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...opened to reveal a Meadow Brown
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Speckled Wood enjoying the heat of wood chip
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and another keeping warm on the baked pond mud
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Celypha lacunana moth
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Depressaria daucella moth larva
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they feed and pupate on Hemlock Water Dropwort
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still feeding
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plenty of caterpillars for the birds
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still the only Orange Tip caterpillar I've seen
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only a tiny patch of wildflower meadow but it's a start
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colourful corner on the gorse boundary
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the damp meadow is starting to bloom
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peaceful pond
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-"Footballer" hoverfly ( Helophilus pendulus)
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another view
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Syrphus species Hoverfly
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Syrphus species Hoverfly
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- a Marmalade Hoverfly fly
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Marmalade Hoverfly
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Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly
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another view
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my book says they are migratory immigrants
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Calliphora species Fly
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Calliphora species Fly
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a Noon Fly
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male Poecilobothrus nobiltatus flies on new pond
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close-up of flies walking on surface tension
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Grypocoris stysi - Capsid bug on nettles
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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
