 |
my last June visit of the month - Marsh Woundwort in full flower
|
Another Thursday morning visit to Ballachurry Reserve. A birder who was just leaving had seen a Reed Bunting from the hide but I was not so lucky. The weather was about 19 degrees with sunny intervals, which brought out the butterflies; 6 species no less. I was particularly pleased to see the Comma as historically these have not been so plentiful down here in the South. Here is my full report:
Birds:
SC209694 female & male Blackbirds seen separately; 1 Moorhen Chick ( no adult seen); 3 x Mallard ( female with 2 full grown juveniles); Cock Pheasant; Blackcap heard not seen; Woodpigeon flying over; Willow Warbler heard not seen; Sedge Warbler heard not seen. Chiffchaff heard not seen; Wren.
SC208694 Blackcap & Chiffchaff heard not seen; Sedge Warbler with food in beak; Willow Warbler; Wren; Swallow flying over; a Cock Pheasant came flying over squawking loudly and pretty much crash landed into the Meadowsweet nearby then burrowed its way into the brambles; Woodpigeon heard not seen; Sedge Warbler glimpsed in Hemlock Water Dropwort by reed bed; Dunnock; male Blackbird.
SC208695 alerted by loud squawking, I found a Song Thrush fledgling completely entangled in Cleavers/Sticky Willy/Sweetheart Plant (Galium aparine) which was climbing up a bramble. The poor thing was hanging by one leg upside down and had clearly been struggling for some time. I have never seen anything similar before. I managed to free it without touching the bird and it flew away immediately. I think I glimpsed a bloody scratch under its wing, probably from the bramble thorns. Hopefully it will be none the worse for its experience. I felt quite shaken though!
SC208695 Robin.
SC209695 female Chaffinch chasing flies.
Butterflies & Moths:
SC209693 Bird Cherry Ermine Moth under leaf.
SC209693 Silver Ground Carpet Moth.
SC209693 Meadow Brown.
SC210694 Meadow Brown.
SC210694 Silver Y moth.
SC209694 Meadow Brown x 3 including 2 spiraling together ; Silver Y; Speckled Wood x 2; Red Admiral sighted 3 different locations; Comma; Unidentified White flying
SC209694 2 x Silver Y at the same time in the mini meadow.
SC208694 Meadow Brown x 7 + mating pair; Red Admiral; Speckled Wood; Common Blue; Small Tortoiseshell; Green Veined White; Silver Y moth.
SC208695 Silver Y moth.
SC209695 Speckled Wood; Meadow Brown.
Other:
SC209694 Cinnabar moth caterpillars on Ragwort ( approximately 13) NEW RECORD. SC209694 Common Duckweed ( Lemna minor) NEW RECORD.
SC209693 Very large fly ( but not Tachina grossa).
SC208694 7-spot Ladybird on Meadowsweet leaf and another on Meadowsweet flower elsewhere.
SC210694 7-spot Ladybird on nettles.
SC209694 7-spot Ladybird on nettles.
SC208694 "Footballer" Hoverfly.
SC208694 2 x Nursery Web spider nests, no spider seen.
SC209694 evidence of large spider species in hide.
SC208694 Common Green Caspid bug on Loosestrife.
SC209695 Common Green Caspid bug
SC208694 Foxglove flowers in new part of the Reserve.
SC209694 Bee Mimic Hoverfly near Hide - possibly Meredon equestris?
SC208695 Great Pied Hoverfly.
SC208695 Nursery Web Spider guarding her nest on nettle.
SC208695 2 x Colourful Capsids. - possibly Gypocoris stysi.
SC209695 Depressaria daucella moth caterpillars on Hogweed.
SC209694 Froghopper.
SC209695 2 x Gorse Shieldbug nymphs and 2 x Adults.
SC209694 Several Gorse Shieldbug nymphs, various instars.
SC209694 Small Unidentified Crab Spider.
SC209694 Black and White hoverfly - possibly Scaeva pyrastri?
SC209694 unidentified brown/beige Dragonfly seen from hide.
SC209695 numerous unidentified flies on Hogweed. ( possibly some new records)
SC209695 Chloromyia formosa Soldier Fly
SC209694 Hawthorn Shieldbug nymphs.
SC209695 extremely small green caterpillar hanging by thread.
SC209695 Soldier Beetles.
SC209694 White Tailed Bumble Bee.
SC209694 Common Carder Bee.
SC209694 Yellow Dung Fly.
SC208694 "Footballer" Hoverflies.
SC208695 unidentified flies.
SC209694 small parasitic wasp?
SC209694 tiny snail shell on hide toolshed roof ( possibly empty?)
SC209694 Hawthorn berries and Blackthorn Sloes starting to ripen.
 |
| Chaffinch |
 |
| Mallard |
 |
Moorhen chick
|
 |
Sedge Warbler
|
 |
moulting adult Willow Warbler
|
 |
| Wren |
 |
Common Blue
|
 |
it was on Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil in the meadow
|
 |
Comma on Bramble flowers
|
 |
the white comma which gives it its name visible on underwing
|
 |
mating Meadow Browns
|
 |
another showing the eyespot
|
 |
and with wings open
|
 |
Small Tortoiseshell
|
 |
Speckled Wood
|
 |
this one was a bit ragged
|
 |
male Green Veined White
|
 |
Bird Cherry Ermine Moth
|
 |
Silver Y moth on Marsh Woundwort
|
 |
they beat their wings incredibly fast - see video below
|
 |
Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars
|
 |
Depressaria daucella moth caterpillar
|
 |
now the Dropwort is almost over they can be found on Hogweed instead
|
 |
an extremely small green caterpillar
|
 |
it was hanging on a thread when I first saw it
|
 |
7-spot Ladybird on Ladysmock
|
 |
and another on nettles
|
 |
a little more water in the pond after the rain
|
 |
Duckweed has found its way in, probably on the feet of wildfowl
|
 |
the Diving Beetles are still about
|
 |
several Pond Skaters together - an amorous encounter or fighting over prey?
|
 |
very small Crab Spider in the gorse
|
 |
and evidence of something much larger in the hide!
|
 |
spider eggs are everywhere
|
 |
Nursery Web Spider nests are now common on the reserve
|
 |
this one was guarded by the Spider
|
 |
Soldier Beetle
|
 |
Grypocoris stysi perhaps?
|
 |
It's a colourful Capsid bug
|
 |
a much enlarged photo of a Froghopper
|
 |
Another Capsid Bug - Common Green?
|
 |
bugs are everywhere at this time of year - on flowers
|
 |
and on leaves - stop and stare and you're sure to spot something!
|
 |
these are the nymphs of the Hawthorn Shieldbug
|
 |
this is a Gorse Shieldbug
|
 |
this is a late instar of a Gorse Shieldbug nymph
|
 |
and this is an earlier stage
|
 |
as is this one
|
 |
this looks like a bee at first sight
|
 |
but in fact it's a mimic -possiby Meredon equestris?
|
 |
this is a real Bumble! White tailed I think.
|
 |
this little fellow is a Carder bee
|
 |
a very large fly in the brambles
|
 |
a different view of it
|
 |
a Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly, I think
|
 |
Yellow Dung Fly
|
 |
Flesh Fly?
|
 |
Green Bottle Fly species?
|
 |
a "footballer" Hoverfly
|
 |
another species of Hoverfly
|
 |
and another "Footballer"
|
 |
there were Hoverflies everywhere
|
 |
on brambles
|
 |
but mostly on Hogweed
|
 |
this one plant was attracting many species of fly
|
 |
all the following photos are the same Hogweed plant
|
 |
| 01 |
 |
02 and 03
|
 |
04, 05 and 06
|
 |
Soldier beetle with fly 07 and an even smaller fly
|
 |
fly 08
|
 |
| 11 |
 |
| 12 |
 |
| 13 |
 |
| 14 |
 |
| 15 |
 |
| 16 |
 |
| Chloromyia formosa Soldier Fly |
 |
| Chloromyia formosa Soldier Fly |
 |
Chloromyia formosa Soldier Fly
|
 |
I'm not sure if this is a moth or a fly - very small indeed
|
 |
another unknown fly
|
 |
a parasitic wasp?
|
 |
it's some years since I last saw a Common Hairy Snail at Ballachurry
|
 |
they are very small
|
 |
I was lucky to spot it
|
 |
another small but different snail on the hide
|
 |
early signs of autumn with ripening berries!
|
 |
and sloes!
|
 |
our graceful new boardwalk bridge
|
 |
wheelchair and buggy friendly hopefully
|
 |
usual view from the boardwalk
|
 |
heading off towards the old beehive loop and the Bowman bench
|
 |
Loosestrife in the meadow
|
 |
and the foamy flowers of Meadowsweet
|
 |
usual view of the meadow from near the hide
|
 |
Loosestrife, Meadowsweet and Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil
|
 |
usual view from the ramp
|
 |
Yellow Rattle going to seed
|
 |
fixed point photo of the hide
|
 |
| sometimes mistaken for orchids, these are Marsh Woundwort flowers |
|
Just to show you how the fixed point photos can come in useful, here are a couple of views through the shutters. Firstly, 2023 which has a sea of Hemlock Water Dropwort and then 2018 when instead you could look out on Purple Loosetrife
 |
| 2023 |
 |
July 2018, same view
|
 |
the pond had a brown dragonfly over it
|
 |
heading for home
|
With thanks to Neil Morris for help with Bird IDs ,Garry Curtis for identifiying the Green Veined White butterfly and Steve Crellin for the Soldier Fly.
My first visit of July will be for a celebration!
please click on photos to enlarge them
