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late August sunshine at the Reserve
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A gloomy morning with the threat of showers didn't sound like the ideal prospect for this week's visit to Ballachurry Reserve. However, sunshine was forecast for the afternoon so I had an early lunch and set off about 1.15. It was indeed sunny for most of the afternoon although the cool northwesterly breeze kept the temperature down a little. Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC208694 Chaffinch heard not seen; Hooded Crow flying over; Robin; Blackbird; 2 x Goldfinch; Long Tailed Tit.
SC209695 Ring Tail Hen Harrier flying over.
SC208695 Blackbird; Dunnock; female Chaffinch.
SC209694 Buzzard seen over adjacent field; Buzzard overhead about an hour later; Robin; Wren; 3 x Jackdaw flying over; female/juvenile Blackbird; large flock of about 50 Herring Gulls flying over.
Butterflies, Moths & Caterpillars:
SC209693 Speckled Wood x 3; 2 x Holly Blue together flying above head height towards Hide; unidentified White flying.
SC209694 3 x Speckled Wood near path junction, one possibly egg laying; 2 more near the hide; Another along gorse boundary path; 2 by the new pond; Green Veined White; Holly Blue.
SC208694 Speckled Wood x 2.
SC208695 Speckled Wood.
SC209695 Udea lutealis Moth on Cushag ( Ragwort).
SC209695 Speckled Wood; Red Admiral.
SC210694 Unidentified caterpillar on Burdock leaf.
SC210694 Small White.
Other:
SC209694 Common Darter Dragonfly by new pond; Pond skaters; Pond snail; Diving beetles.
SC209694 Green Bottle Fly on Blackberry.
SC209694 "Footballer " Hoverflies on Blackberry and Cushag.
SC208694 Various Hoverflies on Loosetrife and Sneezewort.
SC208694 Common Wasp here and throughout reserve.
SC208695 Craneflies here and throughout reserve.
SC209695 various Hoverflies on Cushag ( Ragwort).
SC209694 unidentified Hoverfly + Rhingia Hoverfly.
SC209694 Green Shieldbug Nymphs, various instars.
SC210694 Green Shieldbug nymph.
SC208695 Green Shieldbug nymph on oak leaf.
SC209695 Green Shieldbug on Rowan.
SC 209694 Sexton Beetle rescued from water butt. Recovered & went its way.
SC209694 7-spot Ladybird on Blackberry.
Sc209694 7-spot Ladybird on thistle.
SC210694 7-spot Ladybird on thistle.
SC209694 Nursery Web Spiders.
SC208694 2 x Noon Flies.
SC209694 various unidentified flies on Bowman Bench.
SC209694 Bright orange Hoverfly on bramble.
SC209694 Sycamore seeds ripening.
SC210694 Brittle Cinder fungus (?) darkening on wood chip pile.
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Green Veined White
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Small White
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Speckled Woods everywhere as usual
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this one was enjoying the fruit
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they particularly like dappled shade
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Udea lutealis moth ( I think!)
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unidentified caterpillar on Burdock
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Red Admiral on the Cushag ( Ragwort)
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The Cushag was feeding many Hoverflies and flies
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here is a selection of them
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An Eristalis species Hoverfly
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A "Foorballer" Hoverfly
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another Hoverfly on Loosestrife in the meadow
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and another on Sneezewort
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yet another on bracken
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this was a bright orange one, seen a few weeks ago for the first time
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it was enjoying bramble nectar
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this one may be a new record
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I don't recognise it among "the regulars"
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composite photo of various flies on the bench
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this green bottle was feasting on fruit too
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A noon fly
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and another on the Boardwalk - I haven't seen many this year
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a Rhingia species I think
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there are now Craneflies throughout the reserve
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birds seem to find them tasty!
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Green Shieldbug
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and a Green Shieldbug nymph
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there were lots of them around in the vegetation
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this was on an oak leaf
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2 different instars together in the nettles
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this poor beetle had fallen into the water butt
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I rescued it. It's a Burying Beetle ( aka Sexton beetle)
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7-spot Ladybird in the brambles
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another on a thistle
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this one was near the entrance
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Nursery Web Spider and perhaps an immature?
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I am so pleased the Grasshoppers are back
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the pattern behind the head suggests it may be a Common Green Grasshopper
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not quite so many this week
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a resting bumblebee
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the pond is more shady in the afternoons
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the usual view of it
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Common Darter on the post near the pond
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diving beetles were very active
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there were the usual pond skaters too
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the fungus near the gate had turned darker - Brittle Cinder perhaps?
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ripening Sycamore seeds
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And the usual views to finish....
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from the Boardwalk
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the meadow
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from the hide ramp
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the hide, now with Hawthorn berries in the foreground
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A singular lack of bird photos this time as those I did see were either flitting about or keeping deep in the vegetation where they were difficult to photograph. Even my reliable Mallard was absent from the pond this week. By way of a contrast, I believe they had a very successful bird ringing session at the reserve last week-end, mostly caught while the rest of us were still abed! I hope to share their list with you eventually.
My final visit of the month - I look forward to September next week.
please click on photos to enlarge them
