Ballachurry Reserve: Tuesday, 22nd October 2024.

Autumn scene at Ballachurry Reserve

 Following my earlier arrival last week, it was back to a slothful 9 o'clock visit to the reserve on Tuesday.  It was a chilly start despite the blue skies, but an improving picture made for a very pleasant morning. The downside was some vandalism to the "no Dogs " sign on the gate, a pile of empty cider cans and cardboard packaging left by Ginnie's Bench and some signs of disturbance inside the hide. But a quick tidy up then saw me out with my notebook. Here is what I recorded:

 Birds:

SC209693 Chaffinch heard not seen.

SC209694 Robin x 2; 9 x Long-tailed Tits crossed the path in quick succession;  Jackdaw heard not seen; Blackbird alarm call heard; Wren; Dunnock.

SC209694 ( hide) 5 x Goldfinch landed in Churchyard trees and 15 x Goldfinch flew over later;Water Rail heard not seen; Great Tit; Wren.

SC208694 Magpie; Buzzard chased by corvids; 4 x Goldfinch flying over;   3 x Goldfinch in fir trees; 7 x Woodpigeon flying over; Robin; Chiffchaff; male Blackcap; Wren;  Blackbird; Blue Tit.

 SC209695  Goldfinch taking Cushag/ Ragwort seeds; female Blackbird; female Chaffinch.

SC 210694 Blackbird;  Dunnock.

 Fungi:

SC208695 Coconut Milkcap fungus ( to be confirmed).

                  Brown Birch Bolete ( to be confirmed).

                  Brown Rollrim  ( to be confirmed).

                 other unidentified fungi.

SC208694  unidentified fungi of various species.

SC209693 unidentified fungi along the path.

 Other:

SC209694 Red Admiral near hide; Red Admiral along gorse boundary.

SC208694 Common Darter on boardwalk.

SC209694 Hawker Dragonfly species over main pond.

SC209694 Common Darter near main pond.

SC209694 ( Dragonfly pond)  Diving beetle; 5 x Greater Water Boatmen. Pond snails.

SC209695 Eristalis species Hoverfly

female/ juvenile Blackbird

small flock of Goldfinches in Churchyard trees

Goldfinch taking Cushag seeds

and another in the fir trees

Magpie

Wren

 

usual views of the small Dragonfly pond

the  branch for dragonflies has started to sprout leaves!

a diving beetle

a Greater Water Boatman

Pond Snails

Common Darter on the boardwalk

Common Darter near the main pond

Eristalis species Hoverfly

Tiny spider on  Coconut Milkcap fungus - note "milk" top left

Brown Birch Bolete ( I think!)

they have pores instead of gills

Brown Rollrim ( I think!)

there are several around

 there are fungi in most areas  of the reserve at present - here are a few

another Brown Birch Bolete

Red Campion still in flower

and reliable dandelions still providing nectar

an occasional Hogweed still blooming too

usual view of the boardwalk

and the view from it

the view from the bridge

looking toward the Bowman bench

autumn colours on the birch trees

usual view of the hide

anti-social minority spoil reserve for everyone else

vandalism on the gate

the damp meadow

Ballachurry by moonlight!

a closer look!

view from the hide ramp still in shadow

 a final check on the pond before going home for lunch.

 

 

 

Ballachurry Reserve: Thursday, 17th October, 2024.

mid October, Ballachurry Reserve

 

 Unusually for me, I was at the Reserve by 8.30 on Thursday morning. The first thing that greeted my eye was a large, discarded bunch of dead flowers lying where the wood chip had been earlier this year.  They are now in my compost bin because, as well as looking unsightly, we definitely don't want people dumping their rubbish on the reserve. There is also the risk with cultivated flowers of their seeds germinating on the reserve and introducing unwanted species.  Not a good start but next up was a bright eyed Blackbird taking berries from the  hedge which cheered me up considerably. Here is what I recorded on a bright autumn morning:

Birds:

SC210694 male Blackbird; 3 x Goldfinch flying over; Chiffchaff ( no photo this week )

SC208694 female & male Chaffinch seen separately; Robin; Buzzard heard not seen; Magpie flying over; 3 x Goldfinch flying over; 2 x Woodpigeon flying over.

SC209694 ( hide) female Mallard;  Moorhen; juvenile/ female Blackbird; Robin;  a Rook landed in a churchyard tree and started cawing loudly. It quickly became apparent it was calling for reinforcements as 2 Magpies and several other Rooks all flew in at the same time and together they flushed out a Buzzard from the tree!  Great Tit preening; 2 x Goldfinch.

SC209694 ( elsewhere)  Magpie heard not seen; Robin; 2 x Blackbird.

SC209693 Robin heard not seen; Rook flying over.

Butterflies & Moths:

SC209694  Speckled Wood flew up from path.

SC209693 Speckled Wood.

SC209695 3 x small moths on Cushag/ Ragwort.

Other:

SC209694 Gorse Shieldbug x 2 in nettles.

SC209694 7-spot Ladybird under Raspberry leaf.

SC209694  Snake Millipede under Raspberry leaf.

SC209694 unidentified spider in brambles.

SC209694 (main pond) unidentified Hawker and Common Darter over water.

SC209695 Harvestman in brambles.

SC208695 more large fungi with decurrent gills, as last week. Last week's going over. 

SC209693 Hare's Foot Inkcaps coming through wood chip on path.

SC209694 ( near hide) unidentified fungus.

SC208694 ( under willows) various unidentified fungi.

SC210694 Jelly Ear fungus on Elderberry tree .

Ballachurry Blackbird

male, near the gate

and a female/ juvenile taking blackberries

seen from the hide

female Mallard

Moorhen

tiny moth

hopefully it can be identified

 

Spider in the brambles

Harvestman

also in the Brambles

not in the gorse, but it's a Gorse Shieldbug

7-spot Ladybird

As might be expected in the Autumn fungi are appearing everywhere. Here are a few photos of what I spotted. Unfortunately I can't identify most of them.

 

Coral Spot perhaps?

Hare's Foot Inkcap?

two more nearby

remains of Inkcap along the path

Jelly Ear near the gate on the Elderberry tree

possibly a Roll Rim

or are they Funnels?

another new record for the reserve - White Coral?

When I first began recording at Ballachurry in 2010 it was very rare to see fungi!

 

a tranquil scene

usual view of the dragonfly pond

the bench had many flies keeping warm

As well as these dumped flowers, the shutters had been left open in the hide letting in the weather. There was some litter and, rather mysteriously, a car number plate! Have you lost yours?

heading for the bridge

and then the boardwalk

the usual view from the boardwalk

the reeds have been flattened by the weather

usual view of the hide

usual view from the ramp

bendy path through the reeds

the "mini meadow" after its autumn cut

autumn tints but still leaves on the trees

 A few weeks ago this QR code appeared in the Reserve. Ah ha, I thought, if I scan this I'll get some interesting information about the reserve and its wildlife. But  no. It seems to be  just part of someone else's treasure hunt/ orienteering exercise. Nothing to do with the Manx Wildlife Trust, as far as I can see.

Has the Reserve moved into the digital age? 

 

It's always interesting to see what other people have seen at the Reserve. I wondered if these "white storks" could have been Little Egrets?  I saw one there myself  a few years back.

but no Egrets today and time to go home for lunch.

 

please click on photos to enlarge them