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Final September visit to Ballachurry Reserve
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08.50 on Thursday morning saw me at Ballachurry Reserve, notebook in hand and slung about with camera, and binoculars! I didn't take my normal route round the reserve but headed straight for the new dragonfly pond as I knew volunteers had been working on it the day before. I was keen to see their progress. How wonderful to see the liner in place at long last and even the water, baled out last Saturday, was back in place with a few diving beetles visible too. Here is what else I saw during the morning:Birds:
SC208694 Wren; Robin; Magpie heard not seen; small brown bird eating apple in tree but too far away for ID; Chiffchaff heard but not seen;
SC208695 Blackbird x 2; brief sighting of unidentified warbler; Wren heard not seen; Blue Tit; Dunnock; Song Thrush.
SC209694 Blackbird; Robin;
SC209695 Magpie heard not seen; Woodpigeon flying over;
Butterflies:
SC209694 Red Admiral; Small White; Small Copper; Speckled Wood
SC208695 Speckled Wood.
SC209695 Speckled Wood; Small White.
SC208694 Speckled Wood.
SC210694 Red Admiral x 4 on Ivy flowers.
Dragonflies:
SC209694 4 x Migrant Hawker over pond; Migrant Hawker near Ginnie's Bench; 2 x Common Darter over pond;
SC209695 Common Darter.
Ladybirds:
SC210694 - 2 x 7-spot ( one on nettle and another on thistle)
SC209695 7-spot on Hogweed seed head
Other:
SC209693 Hare'sFoot inkcaps along path
SC209693 4 species of unidentified fungi along path
SC209694 Readlead Roundhead fungi ( Stropharia aurantiaca)
SC209695 Cortinarius brunneus var. glandicolor
SC208694 Clustered Toughshank fungi (Gymnopus confluens) under willows.
SC208694 2 x unidentified Leaf/ Froghopper on bramble leaf
SC209694 Diving beetle in new pond
SC209694 Crane Fly
SC209694 Marmalade Hoverfly
SC209695 Eristalis species Hoverfly on Hogweed flower
SC209695 Eristalis species Hoverfly on leaf
SC209695 Hoverfly on Hogweed flower
SC209694 Various hoverflies on Cushag ( Ragwort) 2 large and 3 small
SC209694 2 x Hoverflies on Dandelion
SC208694 Noon Fly in gorse
SC209694 Common Wasp
SC209693 Hazel nut shells on path - evidence of mice
SC208694 Green Alder cones developing
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first stop - to see progress on new pond
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underlay and butyl liner in place
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Dunnock - the only bird photo I managed to take!
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The butterflies were less shy - Speckled Wood high up in oak tree
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Speckled Wood
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Red Admiral
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another near the gate
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there were 4 feasting on the ivy flowers
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a lovely view of the underwing patterns
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Small Copper on Cushag ( Ragwort)
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It was still there 40 minutes later
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Small White enjoying the sunshine
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Another Small White trying to share a dandelion
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the Hoverflies kept trying to send it off!
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quite a tussle
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The Small White moved to the adjacent Cushag ( Ragwort)
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and the Hoverflies had it to themselves
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possibly Syrphus species? 01
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Eristalis species Hoverfly ? - 02
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another Hoverfly - 03
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the Hogweed was popular with several Hoverflies - 04
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Marmalade Hoverfly
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Another Eristalis speceis I think - 04
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and another Syrphus perhaps? 05
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this hoverfly was resting in the gorse - 06
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they were everywhere - 07
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- 08
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Noon Fly in gorse
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can you spot the Common Darter resting ?
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Commonn Darter on Toolshed roof
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tiny bug in the Cushag ( Ragwort)
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usual view from the boardwalk - note the blue sky
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the ash walk
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alder cones forming
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distant view of hide - a definite autumnal look now
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| Cranefly |
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the Inkcaps are still going strong
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Hare's Foot Inkcap
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fungi starting to reappear after the grass was cut last week
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Redlead Roundhead
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composite photo - Cortinarius brunneus var. glandicolor
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a different sort again
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and some tiny ones nearby
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Clustered Toughshanks
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I spotted these just as I was leaving
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the hide with its smart new memorial plaque
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anyone who knew Anne can't fail to be moved by this
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Common Wasp
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7-spot Ladybird in the nettles
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this one was in a thistle
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and this one among the Hogweed seeds
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a couple of Froghoppers enjoying the sunshine (or Leafhoppers?)
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the sunshine was picking out the spider web - no sign of the spider
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the Meadow still has the odd bloom
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a wider view of the meadow
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clouds building up though
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expertly shelled Hazelnuts
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Stinking Iris Seedheads swelling
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no birds bathing today - too much flow now
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final view of the pond before I closed down the shutters
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| and a brief view of what others have seen recently |
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An enjoyable morning at the Reserve, as always.
With thanks to Karen Rodger of IOM Fungus Group for IDs
please click on photos to enlarge them
