Ballachurry Reserve, Rushen, IOM.: July 2022

Sunday 31 July 2022

Ballachurry Reserve, 27th July, 2022.

Knapweed in the meadow

I arrived at Ballachurry Reserve around 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning, feeling pleased with myself that I had got down there so early. Two birding friends were just leaving , one planning to go on to Langness and the other to go home for breakfast, having been there since 7.30 a.m.! Needless to say, having gleaned from them what was about, I failed to see anything as exciting! The early photographer catches the shot! Here is my own humble offering:

Birds:

SC209694 2 x female Mallard asleep on the pond; a warbler was in and out of the reeds at top speed so I didn't manage to identify it; 3 x Goldfinch; male Blackbird; juvenile Blackbird; Swallow flew over and dipped into pond; Wren;

SC208695 male Blackbird

SC208694 Wren on boardwalk

SC210694 6 unidentified geese flew over honking but they were against the sun and I couldn't identify them

SC209693 Wren heard but not seen

Butterflies & Moths:

SC209693 Speckled Wood; Small Tortoiseshell; 2 x Unidentified Whites together

SC208694 2 x Red Admiral on Hemp Agrimony; Speckled Wood; Meadow Brown; Unidentified white flying; Green Veined White

SC208695 Speckled Wood; Unidentified White

SC209695 Meadow Brown; Speckled Wood

SC209694 Speckled Wood x 2; unidentified White flying near hide; Small Tortoiseshell.

SC208695 Udea lutealis moth

Grass moths throughout the reserve

Other:

SC209694 Tiger Crane Fly - Nephrtoma flavipalpis on Willow near path junction

SC210694 Knot Grass Caterpillar on Dock leaf NEW RECORD

SC209694 Marmalade Hoverfly ( I am noticing that these small Hoverflies always land on a leaf in one direction then turn round to face the other)

SC209693 Common Wasp; Ichneumon wasp ( no photo); Froghopper on leaf; Poecilobothrus nobilitatus fly on Willow NEW RECORD for Reserve & only the second IOM record

SC208694 male Common Darter dragonfly seen on bridge handrail and later on the stacked timber by the bridge.

SC210694 Nursery Web but no spider visible

SC209694 Nursery Web but no spider visible

SC210694 2 x 7-spot Ladybird

SC209693 7-spot Ladybird

SC208695 Flesh Fly

2 female Mallards were sleeping among the water lilies

later they were out on the water

Wren on the boardwalk

it was hunting for insects between the boards

Common Blue

Green Veined White

Meadow Brown

and another eleswhere

Hemp Agrimony attracting Red Admirals

a closer view

this one looking a bit ragged

underwing visible

Small White

Speckled Wood

they were on just about every path

usual view from the hide ramp

meadow still looking colourful

Common Darter

I think this was the same insect, though seen an hour later

can you see the moth?

Grass moths are everywhere but hard to spot when not flying

Knot Grass Moth larva

Great Willowherb starting to be evident

usual view of the Hide

Froghoppper

7-spot Ladybird

I hadn't seen any at the Reserve for ages

so delighted to see three

another No Dogs sign near the other entrance

a colourful Tiger Crane Fly - probably Nephrotoma flavipalpis

Flesh fly

quite a striking fly - Poecilobothrus nobilitatus

Nursery Web for Pisaura mirabilis spider

and another elsewhere

No Scrumping allowed! Needed for the birds.

likewise the Rowan berries

recent storms had brought this Oak branch down - I was able to cut it off

a Willow had also split in two

a small amount of rainwater back in the pond

the main pond

looking towards the boardwalk

colourful Loosestrife

Time flies at Ballachurry and I headed home for lunch.

With thanks to Ian Scott for the Caterpillar ID and Steve Crellin for the flies

Please click on photos to enlarge them

Saturday 23 July 2022

Ballachurry Reserve, 21st July 2022

view from the new boardwalk - Marsh Woundwort in foreground

An afternoon at Ballachurry Reserve on Thursday seemed like the perfect antidote to a morning in town! Although the shopping centre hadn't been exactly crowded, I had Ballachurry completely to myself and the sights, sounds and smells were, of course, quite different! No hurrying pedestrians, deafening pneumatic drills or pungent cooking smells but instead butterflies, occasional birdsong and the scent of Meadowsweet on the air. I'll let you guess which I prefer! Here is what I recorded, although the Reserve seemed quite sleepy in terms of bird life:

Birds:

SC209694 2 x Warblers - Chiffchaffs or Willow Warblers; Swallow flying over; Wren; juvenile Blackbird taking Rowan berries.

SC208694 Woodpigeon flying over; Wren.

SC208695 Woodpigeon flying over.

SC209695 Wren; male Blackbird.

Butterflies and Moths:

SC209693 2 x Meadow Brown

SC209694 Clouded Border moth

SC209694 Meadow Brown

SC208694 Unidentified White flying; Speckled Wood; 6 x Meadow Brown

SC208695 COMMA*; Meadow Brown; unidentified White flying

SC209695 Speckled Wood ; 3 x Meadow Brown; Unidentified White flying.

SC209694 2 Meadow Brown together ( courtship behaviour); Unidentified White flying

SC209695 Pammene aurana moth on Hogweed flowers NEW RECORD. With thanks to Ian Scott for I.D.

SC209693 Unusual moth on hazel; Unidentified White flying

* Although a Comma was photographed on the reserve in 2019 this was the first time I'd seen one here, so I was delighted.

Other:

SC208694 2 x Marmalade flies

SC208695 Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly

SC208695 Harvestsman on nettles

SC208695 Common Wasp on brambles

SC208695 Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph on Rowan berries

SC209695 Eristalis Hoverfly - probably nemorum

SC209695 Honey Bees

SC209694 Rhingia campestris on Marsh Woundwort

SC209693 Lasioglossum species bee on Hazel.

SC208695 Lasioglossum species bee - either albipipes or calceatum - on flower

SC209694 Soldier beetle on Cushag ( Ragwort)

SC209693 Great Pied Hoverfly - Volucella pellucens

SC209695 12 x Water Crickets just visible at stream inlet

SC209694 Sloes starting to ripen

young Blackbird feasting on Rowan berries

seen from bird hide

plenty to choose from

having stocked up, it carried them away

Pammene aurana - a new record for the reserve.

they feed on Hogweed nectar and their caterpillars feed on the seeds

Meadow Browns were everywhere

taking nectar

butterflies love the brambles

Meadow Browns need the long grass for their eggs

Speckled Woods like dappled shade

this one was near the compost heap

you can see why the Comma is so called

vegetation is returning round the boardwalk

view from the private entrance

the pond liner is on order!

main pond also starting to dry out in drought conditions

Loosestrife round the pond

composite image of same Hoverfly fly - probably Riponnensia splendens

Muscid Bluebottle - Eudasyphora cyanicolor

Eristalis Hoverfly, probably nemorum

Marmalade fly

Volucella pellucens - the Great Pied Hoverfly

Volucella pellucens - another view

Harvestman on nettle

seeking identification of Harvestman

Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph among the Rowan berries

A male Lasioglossum species bee - either albipes or calceatum

Soldier beetle on Cushag ( Ragwort)

I am a little concerned about the lack of Cushag on the reserve this year. I have found only 2 small plants flowering so far and others have vanished entirely from their usual spot in the grass near the private entrance. These were where in the past I could almost guarantee a sighting of Small Copper Butterflies and also Common Blues. I described one plant near Ginnie's bench last year as being like a "motorway service station for wildlife", recording many butterflies, ladybirds, moths and other insects using it over several weeks. The law changed a few years ago regarding this plant and it is a lifeline for many insects on the reserve.