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| mellow yellow meadow! |
An impromptu visit to the Reserve on Tuesday. After a wet start the morning suddenly improved and I decided to "seize the day" and visit Ballachurry. This meant I did not start until 10 o'clock and there did not seem to be as many birds about as usual. No Sedge Warblers to be seen or heard, for example, no Robins, no Great Tits and no Reed Warblers. The morning definitely belonged to the insects though and just about every Hogweed flower was covered in Hoverflies. Here is my report:Birds:
SC209694 Blackcap heard not seen; Wren heard not seen; Pheasant heard not seen; 5 x Goldfinch flying over, and perched from time to time; female Blackbird flying over.
SC209695 Blackcap heard not seen; Chaffinch heard not seen.
SC208695 Chiffchaff heard not seen.
SC208694 3 x juvenile Goldfinch preening in tree; 5 x Goldfinch taking sorrel seeds in meadow; Blue Tit; Woodpigeon flying over; House Martin flying over ; Willow Warbler heard not seen; Blackcap heard not seen; male Chaffinch in willow.
Butterflies and Moths :
SC209694 Meadow Brown; unidentified Moth; Unidentified White flying.
SC209695 2 x Meadow Brown; unidentified White flying.
SC208694 Meadow Brown x 2 ; unidentified White flying; Small Tortoiseshell on Boardwalk; 3 x Speckled Wood.
SC210694 unidentified White flying.
SC209693 Red Admiral.
SC209694 Red Admiral.
Other:
SC208695 unidentified fungi bordering the path.
SC209694 large unidentified toadstool at path junction.
SC210694 3 x adult 7-spot + 1 larva.
SC209694 13 x 7-spot Ladybird.
SC208694 Chrysomelid beetle.
SC208694 2 x male Blue-tailed Damselflies + 1 female.
SC209694 Tortoise Beetle larva.
SC209694 12 x Greater Water Boatmen.
SC210694 Field Grasshopper x 3
SC210694 Green Shieldbug Nymph
SC209695 another nest box has a wasp nest inside
SC209694, SC209695 and throughout Reserve - abundant Hoverflies including one very small one which may be new record.
SC209694 possible Dung Fly on Bog Bean in pond
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| juvenile Goldfinches |
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| adult Goldfinch |
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| male Chaffinch |
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| Small Tortoisehell Butterfly on Boardwalk |
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| It was there again later but with wings closed |
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| Speckled Wood |
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| Meadow Brown |
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| Small unidentified moth |
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| this one had died, caught in a spider web in the hide |
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| 7-spot Ladybird larva |
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| 7-spot Ladybird near the gate |
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| 7-spot Ladybird, also near the gate |
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| 7-spot Ladybird near Ginnie's Bench |
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| it seems to be a good year for 7-spot Ladybirds |
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| Nymph of Green Shieldbug |
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| Larva of Thistle Tortoise Beetle ( covered in frass) |
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| Chrysomelid Beetle |
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| Greater Water Boatman |
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| Blue-tailed Damselfly |
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| female Blue-tailed Damselfly |
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| high rise Hoverfly |
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| just about every Hogweed flower had Hoverflies |
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| but they were in the bracken too |
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| medium sized......... |
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| and much smaller |
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| another in the bracken |
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| and a "footballer" on Hogweed |
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| another nearby |
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| Hogweed nectar must be delicious! |
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| I can't identify most of them..... |
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| but this is a Marmalade Hoverfly |
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| as is this one |
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| and this one too |
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| this is the smallest one I have ever seen - only a few mm. long |
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| this fly was on the Bog Bean in the dragonfly pond |
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| possibly a dung fly |
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| but I'm not sure |
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| wasps have taken over yet a third bird box - nest visible inside |
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| wasp visible too |
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| Field Grasshopper by the gate |
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| Close-up of the Grasshopper |
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| fungi along the Ash Walk |
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| lots of them |
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| Hazel Nuts starting to form |
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| foamy, cream, Meadowsweet |
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| a new location for Woody Nightshade |
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| Vetch near the boardwalk |
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| usual "reedy bend" photo |
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| hide just visible |
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| usual view from hide ramp |
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| through the hide shutters |
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| looking over the brambles to the meadow |
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| some lovely flower combinations |
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| Purple Loosestrife |
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| looking back across the meadow from the boardwalk |
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| usual view from near the bridge |
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| view from the boardwalk |
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| the reed bed |
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| under the willows |
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| part of the old Beehive Loop |
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| the usual two views of the Dragonfly Pond |
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| Looking along the Gorse Boundary |
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| and a slightly different view |
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| everything in full growth |
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| the new glade |
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| I'm always interested to see what other people have seen on the Reserve! | |
I enjoyed my visit to the Reserve, especially when the sun came out, but was disappointed not to have seen an Eagle or T. Rex!
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| my final view of the meadow before leaving |
This was my final visit of the month but I am looking forward to seeing what July brings.
please click on photos to enlarge them
