Equipped with a sheet with bugs to tick off and with the aid of a magnifying glass, families found everything from worms and woodlice to a frog.
The Bug Hunt, organised by the Manx Wildlife Trust’s Southern Group, took place on Wednesday afternoon last week.
Volunteers were on hand to point out critters they could see as well as to provide more information about the bugs and the reserve itself.
Ballachurry, near Rushen Church, has been transformed from farmland into a compact reserve that encourages wildlife through the ponds that have been created and the planting of many trees.
There’s a mixture of woodland, marshland and ponds that can be explored by the paths, bridges and boardwalk as well as from a bird hide.