 |
| Mid August meadow at the Reserve |
My first visit to the Reserve for 3 weeks. School holidays in Scotland and Ireland always keep us very busy! I was there before 9 on what promised to be a lovely summer's day. The breeze kept the temperature very pleasant despite the forecast for a bit of a scorcher on the "Adjacent Isle"! Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC209693 2 x Goldfinch.
SC209694 ( from Hide) Adult and Juvenile Moorhen; Magpie in Churchyard trees; 5 x Goldfinch flying over and later landing in vegetation at back of pond; unidentified Warbler in reeds (seeking advice from higher authority!)
SC 209694 ( elsewhere) Woodpigeon;
SC208694 Woodpigeon heard not seen; Wren in the willows; another Wren near Boardwalk; 2 x Goldcrest in willows; juvenile Robin in willows; 2 x Blackbirds flew across meadow into trees together; Whitethroat near boardwalk; Blue tit in tree; Sparrowhawk flew across meadow at eye level.
SC208695 ( feeders) 2 x Blue Tit; 3 x Great Tit; Buzzard heard not seen.
SC210694 Woodpigeon flew up from ground.
Butterflies and Moths:
SC209694 Common Blue x 3; Small Copper x 2; Speckled Wood x 4; Large White; Meadow Brown.
SC208694 Small Copper; Green Veined White; Speckled Wood x 5; Red Admiral; Peacock; Painted Lady; Common Blue x 3.
SC209695 Speckled Wood x 2.
SC210694 Small White.
SC208695 Red Admiral.
SC210694 Rush Veneer Moth. ( migrant species)
Other:
SC209694 14-Spot Ladybird.
SC209694 Harvestman. Almost certainly Dicranopalpus ramosus from the way it s legs are held. The alternative Harvestman with this habit has not yet been found on the Island.
SC209694 Green Shieldbug nymph.
SC209695 various Hoverflies on Cats Ear.
SC209694 ( dragonfly pond) 4 x Common Darter - 2 conjoined and ovipositing; 1 female ovipositing alone; single male giving mating pair a hard time.
SC209694 Female Emperor Dragonfly on floating log, possibly ovipositing or or testing log for ovipositing. NEW RECORD
 |
| adult Moorhen |
 |
| juvenile Moorhen |
 |
| Juvenile Robin |
 |
| seeking advice on this one |
 |
| same bird |
 |
| Great Tit, another on the other side |
 |
| Goldfinches |
 |
| Whitethroat |
 |
| Speckled Wood |
 |
| another elsewhere |
 |
| Common Blue |
 |
| Peacock |
 |
| Green Veined White |
 |
| Meadow Brown |
 |
| Green Veined White again |
 |
| Common Blue near Ginnie's Bench |
 |
| the same butterfly |
 |
| Small Copper on Hemp Agrimony |
 |
| Eye contact! Speckled Wood |
 |
| another keeping warm on the woodchip |
 |
| Red Admiral |
 |
| Rush Veneer Moth |
 |
| 14 Spot Ladybird |
 |
| Common Darter |
 |
| another perched on pond vegetation |
 |
| male Common Darter dipping the female for egg laying |
 |
| mating pair of Common Darters |
 |
| this female appeared to be egg laying without being dipped |
 |
| female Emperor Dragonfly |
 |
| Harvestman ( almost certainly Dicranopalpus ramosus) |
 |
| Hoverflies were enjoying what I think is CatsEar |
 |
| nymph of Green Shieldbug I think |
 |
| Rowan Berries are looking ripe |
 |
| they will soon be attracting hungry birds |
 |
| Angelica flowering under the willows |
 |
| Rosehips are still green |
 |
| Hemlock Water Dropwort has now collapsed |
 |
| lots of what might be Cats Ear near the private entrance |
 |
| scourge for gardeners, Bindweed, is really a pretty wild flower |
 |
| the reserve still looks green despite the drought |
 |
| I took my usual route |
 |
| past the now not-so-new glade |
 |
| round the path junction |
 |
| to the bird hide |
 |
| usual views through the shutters |
 |
| usual view from the hide ramp |
 |
| Purple Loosestrife is currently in full bloom in the meadow |
 |
| ripening blackberries for the birds |
 |
| colourful meadow |
 |
| the meadow from the boardwalk |
 |
| rowan berries brightening the shade.... |
 |
| in the ash walk..... |
 |
| where the foliage is dying back now |
 |
| the Gorse boundary still looks lush |
 |
| usual views of the dragonfly pool |
 |
| the water level has dropped considerably |
 |
| over the bridge to the willow copse |
 |
| which now has open glades too |
 |
| the Speckled Woods love its dappled shade |
 |
| back over the bridge to the meadow |
 |
| barely a trickle of water under the bridge today |
To finish here is a short video of the Common Darters ovipositing in the dragonfly pond
With thanks to Pete Hadfield (Dragonfly), Chris Sharpe (Warbler) Kate Hawkins ( Harvestman) and Ian Scott ( Moth) for help with identifications.
please click on photos to enlarge them
And for the year of Manx language, Blein ny Gaelgey 2026 here is what was seen this morning:
Birds Ushagyn
Goldfinch Lossey ny Keylley; Moorhen Kiark Ushtey; Magpie Pieanat;
Woodpigeon Calmane Keylley; Wren Drean; Goldcrest Ushag y Fuygh;
Robin Spittag; Blackbird Lhon Doo; Whitethroat Fynnag ny Keylley;
Blue Tit Drean Gorrym; Great Tit Drean Mooar; Buzzard Shirragh.
Butterflies : Foillycanyn
Common Blue Gorryag Chadjin; Small Copper Cobbyrag Veg; Speckled Wood Breck ny Keylley;
Large White Baneag Vooar; Meadow Brown Donnag yn Aiyr; Peacock Peacag;
Green Veined White Baneag Gheayney; Red Admiral Ard-Marragh Jiarg;
Painted Lady Foillycan y Onnane; Small White Baneag Veg.
