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| my first August visit to the Bird Hide at Ballachurry Reserve. |
Another Wednesday morning visit to Ballachurry Reserve. With cloudy skies and a cool breeze, everywhere seemed a little autumnal. Bracken changing colour to yellow, berries on the trees, ripening blackberries and two species of fungi along the paths. I had to remind myself that it was only early August. Later the sun came through intermittently and put a different complexion on things. Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC210694 Wood Pigeon flying over;
SC209694 Male and female/juvenile Blackbirds together in Rowan tree; male Blackbird elsewhere; Great Tit; Juvenile Greenfinch Juvenile Chaffinch; 2 x female Mallard; Great Tit; male Pheasant; Woodpigeon flying over. unidentified juveniles x 2
SC208694 6 x Goldfinch flying over; Sedge Warbler; 2 x Wren; Juvenile Siskin; Blue Tit; 2 x Swallow flying over; 4 x Swift flying over; 2 x Chaffinch
SC208695 Blackbird heard not seen; Woodpigeon heard not seen; 2 x Juvenile Dunnock
Butterflies:
SC209693 Speckled Wood; Meadow Brown
SC209694 Common Blue; Speckled Wood
SC208694 Speckled Wood; Small Tortoiseshell; 2 x Red Admiral; Unidentified White flying
SC209695 Speckled Wood
Other:
SC209693 Soldier Beetle
SC208694 Tachina grossa fly
SC208694 Unidentified Bumble Bee species
SC208695 Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph on Rowan berries
SC209694 Marsh Cudweed growing in excavated part of new dragonfly pond
SC209694 2 x Leiobunum rotundum Harvestmen
SC209694 Hare's foot inkcaps along the paths
SC209694 Unidentified fungi with decurrent gills
SC208694 Soldier Beetle
SC209695 Great Pied Hoverfly
SC209695 possible femaleAnthomyiid flies
Sc209695 Syrphus species Hoverfly
SC209695 female Empis livida fly
SC209695 female Epistrophe grossulariae Hoverfly
SC209695 female Platycheirus species Hoverfly
SC209695 Froghopper
SC209695 Leiobunum rotundum Harvestman
SC208695 2 x Syrphus species Hoverflies
SC208695 Muscid fly ( possibly Morellia species) and possible Lucillis species fly
SC209694 Rhingia sp. Hoverfly.
SC208694 Female Sarcophaga Flesh Fly
SC209694 Male Sarcophaga Flesh Fly
SC209693 Eristalis nemorum Hoverfly with another hovering above it.
SC209693 Common Wasp
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| the Rowan tree near the pond is attracting lots of birds |
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| female or juvenile Blackbird |
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| juvenile Goldfinch |
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| juvenile Greenfinch |
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| same bird back view |
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| Great Tit |
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| another view of the same bird |
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| juvenile Wren |
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| Wren |
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| Sedge Warbler |
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| saying "tut tut" intermittently |
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| 2 female Mallards |
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| juvenile Greenfinch |
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| juvenile Chaffinch |
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| one of two juvenile Dunnocks |
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| second Juvenile Dunnock |
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| Juvenile Siskin |
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| boardwalk with Loosestrife alongside |
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| recent rain has put a little water in the new pond |
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| usual view from the hide ramp |
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| 3 butterflies on the Hemp Agrimony at the same time |
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| Red Admiral |
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| Small Tortoiseshell |
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| here with wings closed |
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| another Red Admiral |
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| Common Blue |
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| just a glimpse of the underwing |
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| Speckled Wood in the grass |
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| on a leaf |
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| and on a thistle |
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| new fungus along the path |
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| cap starts circular then develops a more frilly outline |
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| gills are very decurrent -ie. they run down the stem |
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| Tar Spot fungus on sycamore leaves |
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| Hare's Foot Inkcaps |
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| female Eristalis nemorum Hoverfly feeding on Cushag ( Ragwort) |
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| the male was hovering above her in characteristic behaviour |
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| occasionally he would drop down to touch her very briefly |
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| Syrphus species Hoverfly |
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| A Marmalade Hoverfly |
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| Possibly female anthomyliid flies |
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| Syrphus species Hoverfly |
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| Syrphus species Hoverfly |
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| Empis livida, probably female |
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| Great Pied Hoverfly |
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| female Epistrophe grossulariae Hoverfly |
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| Platycheirus species Hoverfly |
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| a different view of the same Hoverfly |
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| Tachina grossa on left, BumbleBee on right |
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| Tachina grossa -a parasitic fly |
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| another view of this huge fly |
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| Female Sarcophaga Flesh Fly |
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| Male Sarcophaga Flesh Fly |
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| Muscid fly on left ( Possibly Morellia species) and probably Lucillia species on right |
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| Sargus species, Soldier Fly |
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| a male Leiobunum rotundum Harvestman |
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| a female Leiobunum rotundum Harvestman |
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| a male Harvestman - Leiobunum rotundum |
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| another male Harvestman - Leiobunum rotundum |
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| Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph among Rowan berries |
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| another willow split by gales |
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| rushes flattened by recent strong winds |
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| blackberries starting to ripen |
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| Bracken turning autumn colours |
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| not all the Rowan berries are yet ripe |
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| Acorns starting to develop |
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| Marsh Cudweed |
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| Froghopper - probably Philaenus spumarius |
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| Soldier Beetle |
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| Wolf spider carrying egg sack |
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| Purple Loosestrife and white Sneezewort still looking good together |
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| time to close shutters and go home - a girl has to eat! |
With thanks to Neil Morris of Manx Birdlife for identifying the juvenile birds and Steve Crellin for help with Fly Ids
please click on photos to enlarge them
