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| Blackthorn in flower |
I couldn't resist a very brief visit to the Reserve on Thursday morning when it was so sunny. I returned later in the afternoon when I had more time but by then it had clouded over. Nevertheless, there was plenty to record.
3rd March.
Birds:
SC209694 Wren in
willows at the path junction
SC208694 2 x Great
Tits in willows
SC209695 Chaffinch
and Great Tit near orchard entrance
SC210694 2 x Blue Tits
near entrance; Robin.
SC209694 Seen from
the Hide:
3 x Mallard (
originally just a pair, then another drake flew down and chased the female. The
original drake remained on the water quacking forlornly. The other two made
several passes overhead. Original drake eventually joined by slightly smaller,
darker drake and the two then swam round amicably together. No sign of the
female returning.
Great Tit
Pheasant
Hooded Crow
Blackbird - nearly trod
on this! It flew up from near the ramp as I entered the hide.
SC209694 seen from
bridge near Hide: 3 x Goldfinch; Magpie flying; Blue Tit; 2 x Great Tit; 2 x
Wood Pigeon.
Carpet Life:
SC209694
On 26th February I had called in the Reserve, not to record but to do a few odd jobs which needed
doing before the birds start nesting. Pulling back the grass from round some saplings, I noticed several small snails on top of
the carpet squares we put down last year. To the naked eye they looked a little
fuzzy and when the photo was enlarged on screen they turned out to be hairy snails. Apparently
records for these snails are few and far between on the Island so one of our local experts recommended having them professionally identified. So on Thursday I managed to find just one specimen for her. Hopefully we'll know soon what species it is.
Also under the carpet: 3
x another species of very small snail with a blue body. Hopefully these too can be identified. Whatever they are they are a new
record for the Reserve.
6 x White Legged Snake
Millepedes
4 x unidentified slugs +
4 x different unidentified slugs + 1 other unidentified slug ( 3 species
in all?)
Pill Millepede
2 x unidentified
millepedes (or they may possibly be some kind of larvae)
Brandling worms?
Other earthworms.
Unidentified beetle
Plants in flower:
SC210694 Dandelion
SC210694 & elsewhere
Lawn Daisy
SC208694 & elsewhere
Gorse
SC209694 Marsh Marigold
( good to see this coming back in the area that was cut in the autumn)
SC209694 Lesser
Celandine
SC210694 Snowdrops (
pleased to see that these have finally appeared through the undergrowth)
SC210694 Muscari (
Grape Hyacinth) near entrance wall ( Relic of the days before this was a Reserve)
SC209694 Alder
Catkins
SC209694 Hazel
Catkins
Other:
SC208694 Honey Bees in
gorse
SC208694 4 x Gorse
Shieldbugs
SC209694 4 Gorse
Shieldbugs
SC209694 Snail
eggs under carpet
 |
| Pair of Mallards |
 |
| Original Drake joined by smaller, darker male. |
 |
| Blue Tit |
 |
| Robin |
 |
| 3 Hairy Snails |
 |
| Close-up of Hairy Snail |
 |
| Non-Hairy Snail for comparison |
 |
| Snail with a blue body |
 |
| Ballachurry Bio-diversity |
 |
| Very small snail and a White Legged Snake Millepede |
 |
| Unidentified slug |
 |
| Another unidentified slug |
 |
| One of many earthworms under the carpet square |
 |
| Snail eggs, again under the carpet square |
 |
| Lovely blue sky in the morning - alder catkins |
 |
| Lesser Celandines |
 |
| Lawn Daisy |
 |
| Dandelion |
 |
| Hazel Catkins |
 |
| Marsh Marigolds |
 |
| Muscari |
 |
| Snowdrops |
 |
| Honey bee in gorse |
 |
| The inevitable Gorse Shield Bugs |
 |
| No blue sky in the afternoon. |
4th March 2016
I spent the
afternoon at Ballachurry , again doing jobs that we cannot do after this
week-end. I did not have binoculars or camera with me but noted the following:
SC208695 Snipe;
Male Blackbird.
SC209694 Song
Thrush; Male Blackbird;
