12 DECEMBER 2015

6th December 2015.

Today I went down to Ballachurry Reserve just to check on the delivery of wood chippings from my father's felled trees. (Many thanks to Chris Preston for delivering these) I walked round very quickly and saw the following birds:

SC209695  Robin

SC208694 Female pheasant

SC208695 Male Blackbird

SC209694 Wren

7 Wood pigeons flying over.

Sorry, no photos this time.

13th December 2015  WORKING PARTY

Here are today's working party photos. I've had to crop them quite a bit to remove raindrops on the lens! 

Thanks to everyone for turning out in less than perfect conditions - didn't we do well?

Thanks especially to Margaret for baking the mince pies and  the thermos of mulled wine - just what we needed in that cold wind. 

As Duncan Bridges, Director of the Wildlife Trust, is leaving the Island in January to take up a new  position in the UK, the Southern Group Committee presented him with a small gift of Ordnance Survey Maps. We shall all miss Duncan's hands-on approach to the tasks at Ballachurry.

Have a lovely Christmas everybody and thank you for all your hard work during 2015.

27th December 2015

 I have only been to Ballachurry 3 times during December, once for the working party when I did no recording, another time to briefly check on the delivery of the wood chippings the day my father's trees were felled and today, which was the first proper recording visit of the month. Blame the weather and Christmas preparations!

Birds:

SC208695 Male Chaffinch in solitary sycamore on boundary near the beehive loop.

SC209693 Male Blackbird

SC209693 Magpie

SC209694 Robin
SC208694 2 Wood pigeons in firs.
Flying over: 5 Wood pigeons, Kestrel, Magpie.

Fungi:

SC209695 A few small, almost black toadstools in long grass - colour may be due to age & rain.

SC210694 Jelly Ear fungus on dead wood of tramman near gate

Various:
SC210694 Medium sized Long-tail jumped over the water in the ditch close to the concrete bridge.
SC208694 Solitary honey bee on gorse flowers near reed bed.
SC209693 Earthworm

SC208694 Some of the puddles in the  recently mown "glade" have been colonised by some kind of weed/ algae and have tiny  white creatures swimming in them!

SC210694 Stinking iris seeds making bright splash.

Still rosehips  on some plants.

Ivy  and water forget-me-not still flowering.

Lots of alder catkins on trees

Notes:

A new load of wood chip has been delivered.

The hide door will not close.

The area is very wet but the drainage system seemed to be working well. The pipe was bringing all the water through, leaving the ditch on the boundary empty ( though muddy). Water was pouring over the dam and was about 3" below the new bridge.

The  wood chip path seemed to be doing a good job. It was high and dry and I stepped off each end into a water-logged area. It would be worth extending this system, I think. The path junction is very wet. There is standing water on the seasonal path just over the  hide bridge. I lifted a couple of carpet pieces and saw that the trees are standing in water.

Wishing you all very Happy New Year on Friday and all good things for 2016.