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the boardwalk invites you to cross and explore further
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Although Wednesday dawned bright and sunny, the forecast was for skies to cloud over and rain arrive in the afternoon. The rest of the week did not look too good either so I quickly packed my rucksack and headed to the Reserve, hoping to catch the butterflies while the sun was still shining. The forecast was pretty accurate and the Reserve seemed very quiet in respect of birds and birdsong but I still had an enjoyable morning. Here is my report:
Birds:
SC209693 Goldfinch heard not seen; 2 x Great Tit.
SC209694 Goldfinch, 3 Mallards including hybrid; Pheasant heard not seen; male Blackbird; Song Thrush heard not seen; 2 x Great Tit together.
SC208694 brief glimpse of Reed Warbler; Wood pigeon heard not seen; Chaffinch heard not seen; Chiffchaff heard not seen; Whitethroat; 2 x Willow Warbler together; Magpie heard not seen; Robin.
SC209695 Buzzard flying over low, calling.
SC208695 Chiffchaff heard not seen; Magpie heard not seen.
Butterflies & Moths:
SC208694 Speckled Wood; Meadow Brown; Peacock on boardwalk; unidentified White.
SC209695 Speckled Wood.
SC209694 Speckled Wood x 3; Meadow Brown; Green Veined White x 2; Common Blue.
SC209693 Speckled Wood; unidentified White .
SC209694 Grass moths.
SC210694 unidentified moth flew out of roadside ivy into gutter by my car.
Other:
SC209693Aceria nalepai gall mite galls on Alder NEW RECORD
SC208694 7-spot Ladybird on boardwalk.
SC208694 Blue Tailed Damselfly on boardwalk.
SC208694 several Wolf Spiders on boardwalk.
SC208694 Bumble bee species on boardwalk
SC209694 Common Darter over new Dragonfly pond.
SC208694 Honey bees in Purple Loosestrife.
SC209694 Carder bees in Marsh Woundwort.
SC209695 Mining bee species?
SC208694 "Footballer " Hoverfly.
SC209695 Marmalade Hoverfly + unidentified flat bodied Hoverfly.
SC208694 several gorse Shieldbug nymphs, various instars.
SC209694 Gorse Shieldbug nymph.
SC209693 Green or Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph.
SC209694 Spittal Bugs.
SC209694 Green Capsid bug.
SC208694 3 x Green Capsid bugs on rushes.
SC208694 Marmalade Hoverfly.
SC209694 Crane Fly - Nephrotoma flavipalpis?
SC208695 Common Wasp.
SC209695 Flat bodied Hoverfly.
SC209694 POND LIFE: common frog swimming in new pond; Diving beetles x 2; numerous pond skaters.
SC209694 Inkcap fungi along several paths.
SC209694 unidentified brown fungi along path.
SC208694 Fairy ring fungus still visible.
SC208695 Reddish brown fungi along path.
SC209694 Nursery Web Spider nest
SC209694 Wolf Spider carrying egg case
SC209694 Unidentified snail
SC210694 and throughout reserve, Common Froghoppers - Philaenus spumarius
SC209694 Soldier Beetle
SC209694 Wild Carrot NEW RECORD
SC209695 Eriothrix rufomaculata fly on Cushag ( Ragwort)
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Goldfinch
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Mallards on main pond
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later they were enjoying a mid morning snooze
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| Whitethroat |
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it was near the boardwalk
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This was the first Whitethroat I'd seen at Ballachurry this summer. I wondered if it was just passing through on the Autumn migration which is underway already. Two days earlier the Calf Bird Observatory reported ringing 18 Sedge Warblers and the one I have been photographing at Ballachurry recently was conspicuous by its absence on this occasion. It's always sad to see our Warblers leave on their perilous journey but hopefully they will be back next year.
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only stalks left! I photographed a Blackbird eating the berries here last week
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Common Blue
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Green Veined White
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this one has a portion of its wing missing
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Meadow Brown, very camouflaged when the eyespot isn't showing
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Peacock warming up on the Boardwalk
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this may be the same one photographed nearby later
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Speckled Wood
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unidentified moth flew into gutter from ivy on roadside
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these little white grass moths are everywhere
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7-spot Ladybird
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resting Bumble Bee
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Wolf Spider on Boardwalk
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there were 5 at this end of the boardwalk
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also a Wolf Spider carrying her egg case
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unidentified Snail
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Blue Tailed Damselfly on the boardwalk
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It's always a good idea to approach the boardwalk and bridges quietly as there are often invertebrates to be seen taking advantage of the wood's extra warmth.
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delighted to see a Common Darter at the new Dragonfly pond
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the new pond is fulfilling its purpose
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by attracting Dragonflies and other aquatic life
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moss growing between the stones of the pond
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Pond Skater & Diving Beetle
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Common Froghopper -Philaenus spumarius
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two more
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Soldier Beetle
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this may be a Mining Bee
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and this one is a Carder, I think
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Common Green Capsid bug
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Nursery Web Spider's nest
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Gorse Shieldbug nymph
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two other younger ones nearby
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Possibly a Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph?
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Common Wasp
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Marmalade Fly
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unidentified Hoverfly 01
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unidentified Hoverfly 02
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unidentified Hoverfly 03
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this species of fly loves the Cushag ( Ragwort)
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they were there last week too
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Crane Fly -Nephrotoma flavipalpis
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wings have pastel colours
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an inauspicious looking new record - Aceria nalepai gall mite galls
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fungi starting to appear along the paths
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a different sort again
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more Inkcaps appearing weekly
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the rims eventually roll upwards
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pleased to see Wild Carrot in the mini meadow
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and Sneezewort has seeded into a new location too
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Woody Nightshade in flower
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usual view of the hide
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looking back towards the hide from the boardwalk
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the meadow late July
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across the boardwalk one last time before heading home
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usual view from the boardwalk
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This was my last visit of the month. I look forward to seeing the Reserve in August.
With thanks to Steve Crellin for fly identification.
please click on photos to enlarge them
