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| Late afternoon at Ballachurry Reserve |
Today's visit to Ballachurry Reserve wasn't really planned, but when the sun came out and I found myself nearby this afternoon, I decided to go and check on a couple of things ahead of the forthcoming Work Party.
The sunshine didn't last long but I jotted down a few sightings before leaving at about 4 o'clock.
Birds:
SC209694 ( from the hide) Pheasant, male.
SC208694 ( path through the willows) 2 x Blue Tit; 2 x Great Tit; Goldcrest; Chaffinch.
SC208694 ( near the boardwalk) 2 x Robin, heard but only one seen fleetingly in fading light.
SC209694 ( central area) Snipe
Usual Corvids and Herring Gulls flying over.
Other:
SC209694 The Robin box has blown out of the tree. When I picked it up to remove for safe keeping I noticed about 20 + tiny black insects on the back. Notice nail head in photo for scale. I don't yet know what they are but I think they will be a new record for the Reserve.
SC209693 Two pieces of dead wood lying in undergrowth. They may be from the Elderberry near the gate, but I'm not sure how they have got to this spot. Interesting insect bore holes in the wood + some interesting lichen too.
Good to see a nest in the fork of one of the hawthorn saplings, now the vegetation is dying down.
So not a great tally for this visit - things can only get better!
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| Insect bore holes + lichen on small dead branch |
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| Close-up of lichen |
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| One of 20 or more tiny black insects on the Robin box |
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| All the birds in the willows were silhouetted against the light. I've had to lighten this photo to see it at all! Blue Tit. |
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| This Great Tit was easier to see/photograph on the opposite side of the path. |
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| Quite a large nest - a blackbird perhaps? |
