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a woodland path at Ballachurry Reserve
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Summer seemed to have finally arrived in the Isle of Man last Thursday! I celebrated by going to Ballachurry Reserve, arriving at 9 on the dot. It was very warm where sheltered but still quite chilly in the wind. Here is my report:
Birds:
SC209693 Chaffinch heard not seen; Robin heard not seen; Blackbird.
SC209694 ( hide) Wren; female Mallard; Goldfinch.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) 4 x blackbirds on Rowan berries; female Chaffinch on Rowan berries; male Blackcap taking blackberries; Wren; female Blackcap.
SC208694 Robin; Chiffchaff x 2; male Blackbird; 2 x Goldfinch; Dunnock.
SC208695 Goldfinch; Robin; 2 x Great Tit; Blackbird; Swallow flying over; juvenile Buzzard seen + adult heard.
SC210694 Great Tit.
Butterflies and Moths:
SC209693 Speckled Wood x 2.
SC209694 Speckled Wood x 3; Red Admiral.
SC208694 Speckled Wood x 3; Common Blue; unidentified White flying; Peacock on boardwalk.
SC208695 Speckled Wood x 2; Red Admiral.
SC209695 3 x Speckled Wood spiraling together.
SC210694 Peacock; unidentified White flying.
SC209694 Silver Y moth; Micromoth on Woundwort.
Other:
SC209694 mating Common Darters over pond; Common Darter on brambles.
SC208694 Common Darter on boardwalk.
SC208694 Rabbit.
SC209694 Eristalis & Helophilus hoverflies on Cushag/ Ragwort ( mini meadow)
SC208694 Eristalis hoverfly on Cushag/Ragwort overhanging boardwalk.
SC209694 Common Wasp.
SC209694 unidentified spider.
SC209694 (dragonfly pond) Water Beetles x 3; Pond Skater x 4; Greater Water Boatmen x 6
SC209695 (on Cushag/Ragwort) 4 x Eristalis Hoverflies; 1 x Helophilus ( footballer) Hoverfly ; 1 x unidentified Hoverfly; Common Carder bee.
SC209694 Green Shieldbug nymphs x 2 on blackberry and other vegetation .
SC208695 Hawthorn Shieldbug nymphs x 3 on Rowan berries.
SC210694 Sphaeroderma testaceum beetles mating ( ID to be confirmed)
SC210694 Grassshopper
SC210694 7-spot ladybird
SC209694 7-spot ladybird x 2
SC209694 Heterotoma planicornis Bug on bramble leaf ( Common Flathorn Plant Bug)
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Blackbirds feasting on berries
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they all seemed to be juveniles
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probably passing through on migration
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a nearby Blackcap preferred the blackberries
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| Magpie |
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female Mallard among the waterlilies
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as soon as I opened the shutters a Wren appeared
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which gave me a lovely close view
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Common Blue butterfly
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Peacock butterfly sunning itself on the boardwalk
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composite photo - Peacocks look almost black with closed wings
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Red Admiral
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Speckled Wood taking bramble nectar
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whereas this one preferred the fruit
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there were several Speckled Woods
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by far the most numerous butterfly on the reserve
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Speckled Wood on bracken
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Common Darter on the boardwalk
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like the butterflies, they enjoy basking somewhere warm
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I thought I might sit on the bench to watch the wildlife
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but found it already occupied!
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later there was a mating pair of Common Darters
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the male dips the female into the water to lay her eggs
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the process takes some time
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eventually they separated and the female landed on the back of the bench
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and the male on the bench seat
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other pond life included Great Water Boatmen
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Pond Snails on the stones
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and Pond Skaters
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Sphaeroderma testaceum beetles mating
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Hawthorn Shieldbug nymph
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despite the name, here on Rowan berries
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7-spot Ladybird
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Green Shieldbug nymph
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and another nearby
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Common Flathorn Plant Bug
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unidentified spider
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Numerous insects depend on Cushag ( Ragwort) for nectar
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such as this Eristalis species Hoverfly
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A Helophilus " Footballer" Hoverfly
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and a Marmalade Hoverfly
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the only Grasshopper I've seen at the reserve this year
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late Hogweed flowers also attracting insects
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"Fruit and Nut" !
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apples grown especially for the birds
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Angelica in flower
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fungi starting to appear in the wood
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and on the paths
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a spore print from this one
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may help identify what these are
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last week's Spiny Puffball is well nibbled by something this week
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usual view of the hide
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view from the ramp
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view through the shutters
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the reed bed through the shutters
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Water Forget-me-nots
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a less colourful meadow but flowers are there if you search
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looking back across the meadow to bird hide
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usual view of the boardwalk
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and usual view from it
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stream becoming more visible as vegetation dies back
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a shady walk through the ashes
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the mini meadow
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open area near the Bowman memorial bench
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And finally, a short video of the Common Darters egg laying
A very pleasant morning at the reserve. "Summer" lasted a few more days but my next visit will be somewhat more autumnal, I suspect.
please click on photos to enlarge them
