Ballachurry Reserve: Wednesday morning, 23rd July, 2025.

a colourful corner of the reserve - Marsh Woundwort and Rowan berries

  On Wednesday I reached the reserve at the slightly earlier time of 8.45. It was overcast but with the promise of bright intervals later. I headed straight for the hide, pausing only to note the vocal Wren near the entrance gate. Would the Reed Warblers still be here, I wondered?  No, they were not. But there were Sedge Warblers in the reeds. I also had excellent views of them near the boardwalk. Here is my report:

Birds:

SC210694 Wren; male & female Blackbirds.

SC209694 ( hide) 2 x Sedge Warbler; 2 x Goldfinch; juvenile Blackbird; 2 x Woodpigeon heard not seen. 

SC209694 ( elsewhere) Chaffinch; Robin; 2 x Woodpigeon; Wren; 4 x Chaffinch together in memorial cherry tree; House Sparrow heard not seen; male & female Blackbird; unidentified Warbler; Great Tit;  Sparrowhawk overhead.

SC209693 Chiffchaff x 2.

 SC208694 Woodpigeon; juvenile Robin; 2 x Swallow flying over; 2 x Goldfinch; 2 x Sedge Warbler ( juveniles?); 2 x juvenile Blue Tit; 2 x Swift circling above.

SC208695 female Chaffinch; juvenile Wren; juvenile Robin; 2 x juvenile Blue Tit.

SC209695 4 x Swallow flying over. 

Butterflies:

SC209694 Small White; 3 x Green Veined White; 5 x Speckled Wood; 3 x Meadow Brown;  female Wall Brown.

SC210694 Large White x 2.

SC208695 Large White x 2; Speckled Wood x 4; Red Admiral.

SC208694  Green Veined White x 2; male Wall Brown.

SC209693 Speckled Wood x 3. 

Other: 

SC210694 7-spot Ladybird on Spear Thistle.

SC209693 Parasitic wasp on Meadowsweet.

SC209693 Green Lacewing.( Chrysoperla carnea group)

 SC209694 2 x Blue-tailed Damselflies ( males).

SC209694 4 x Backswimmers.

SC209694 "Batman" Hoverfly, Myathropa florea.  

SC209694 12 x Inkcaps near hide.

male Blackbird

juvenile Blackbird seen from hide

Blackbird sunbathing near Ginnie's Bench

juvenile Blue Tit

Sparrowhawk

female or juvenile Chaffinch in Ginnie's memorial  tree

two more in the memorial tree

Goldfinch

juvenile Wren

juvenile Robin now with some red feathers

 

Woodpigeon

Sedge Warbler in the reeds near the hide

Sedge Warbler near the boardwalk

2 settled in the Blackthorn about 4 feet away from me

possibly juveniles, given how confiding they were

Wall Brown

one of many Speckled Woods

this one was resting on Ginnie's Bench

and this one in bracken along the gorse boundary

Red Admiral

Meadow Brown

there were plenty of Green Veined Whites about

here on Purple Loosestrife outside the hide

in the Meadow

a parasitic wasp on Meadowsweet

Green Lacewing

This Bumble Bee was determined to be photographed! It landed on my mobile phone when it was inside my open bag. It clung on  while I removed the phone from the bag and took this photo. I had great trouble persuading it to fly away!

Blue-tailed Damselfly

The Batman Fly - Myathropa florea, a female.

7-spot Ladybird

Inkcaps outside the hide

Acorns beginning to form

Green Hazelnuts

Blackthorn sloes

Rowan tree will soon be robbed of its berries by blackbirds, no doubt

Sneezewort has seeded near the hide

the usual reedy bend photo

and the usual shot of the hide ( yes, it's there somewhere!)

view from the ramp about 9a.m.

and again about 11a.m as the sun broke through

view through the shutters

the damp meadow

a lovely mixture of Sneezewort and Loosestrife in the meadow

looking back towards the hide

another view of the meadow - the orange plants are dock seedheads

usual view of the boardwalk

and the view from it

the dragonfly pond

view from the bench

I waited sometime for a Damselfly to appear

Meadowsweet near the path junction

the Ash Walk

view from the Bowman Bench

flowers near Ginnie's Bench

view from Ginnie's bench

Ginnie's Bench

another view of the hide

the new glade

approaching the noticeboard area

the reeds near the bridge

under the willows

I always check the noticeboard before leaving - this sounds good! 

 

With thanks to Steve Crellin for identifying the Batman Fly.

please click on photos to enlarge them