Ballachurry Reserve, 28th November 2017.

A sunny November day at Ballachurry Reserve

Only 4 days since my last visit,  but with a busy time ahead this looked like my best opportunity to visit the Reserve this week. The weather was certainly a lot better than on Friday but the birding not so good. Nevertheless I did see several species.

Birds:

SC209694 ( from hide)  male Pheasant; 2 x Robin; 4 x Wood Pigeon; 2 x Wren; Blue Tit.
SC209694  ( elsewhere but same grid reference) 2 x Song Thrush; Blackbird; Robin; Goldfinch; Blue Tit; Great Tit; male Chaffinch;
SC209695 male Pheasant; 5 x Long Tailed Tit;
SC209693 Grey Heron flying over
SC208695 ( old beehive loop)  Robin

Other:

SC209695 Gorse Shieldbug
SC209693 here and elsewhere the Hemlock Water Dropwort already has new foliage.
SC210694 Common Earwigs and Woodlice behind the Noticeboard window.

earwig keeping warm behind the noticeboard window

woodlice ( probably recycling the cork for us!)

Gorse Shieldbug enjoying the sunshine

Blue Tit looking for insects

another view of the same bird

Song Thrush

and another - they appeared to be together

Wren

contrasting colours in the reeds

Hemlock Water Dropwort showing new vegetation
and old stems

along the gorse boundary

looking towards the Bowman memorial bench

Ballachurry has received a gift !

see IOM Rocks Facebook page or see newpaper article on
http://www.iomtoday.co.im  ( search for painted rocks)

As a nature reserve perhaps we could have a ladybird or a bee next time?

sun going down and moon rising - time to head for home

Ballachurry Reserve, 24th November 2017

heavy hail shower imminent

My plan on Friday was to call in at the Reserve to do some wildlife recording on my way home from lunch with friends  in Port Erin. I arrived at the gate in my car at around 1.30 and donned  wellies, cagoule and waterproof trousers. Immediately it started to rain! I got back into the car and listened to Classic FM for 5 minutes by which time the shower had blown over. I set off for the Hide but before I got there it had started to hail. I made it just in time as this was a prolonged heavy shower. I amused myself by taking photos of the hailstones and the huge splashes coming up from the pond. No trace of any wildlife, of course. Eventually the sun emerged behind the Church  and peeping though the Hide door I was pleased to see a rainbow.

Shower finally over, I set off round the reserve. It was freezing cold and I told myself one lap would be sufficient then home for hot tea. However, just as I was thinking of leaving the birds began to appear- preening wet feathers and seeking out the odd ray of sunshine. So, with fingers and toes somewhat numb with cold, I stayed on. So glad that I did as the visit eventually proved quite rewarding.

Birds:

SC210694 Hooded Crow; 2 x Jackdaw;
SC209694 ( from Hide) juvenile Moorhen; Water Rail; 2 x Chaffinch; Blue Tit; Song Thrush; juvenile Blackbird; Robin
SC209694  ( direct path to Hide)Wren; Song Thrush; Great Tit; Robin
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) 2 x Wren
SC208694 female Blackbird; 2 x Snipe; 2 x female Pheasant; 2 x Blue Tits in the reedbed hanging on to the reeds; 2 x Chaffinch; Robin; Wren; Blue Tit on the compost; Great Tit; Goldfinch;  Chiffchaff  on the compost.
2 x Wood Pigeon flying over. Several Herring Gulls flying over.

The Water Rail emerged at 2.50, (from exactly the same place as when last seen) on the right hand side of the pond, & made a quick dash across to the low reeds at the back of the pond. A few minutes later it emerged again further along the pond margin, flew across to the iris then walked up the bank and away out of sight.

The Chiffchaff was in the same  area as when I saw it a few weeks ago. Then it was in a tree, this time it was down on the compost heap itself.  I almost got a photo but as I pressed the shutter it moved to where a tree trunk was blocking my view! A Blue Tit was taking exception to its presence here at this time of year and giving it a hard time. In the end the Chiffchaff took the hint and flew away. A few do seem to overwinter with us these days - there was one on the Reserve last year too round about this time.

Other:

SC209693 unidentified fungus on the path
SC208694 fungus on the compost still very apparent
SC210694 Stinking Iris ready to shed seeds.
Rosehips throughout the reserve providing winter sustenance for the birds.

can you see the hail "Stair rods" ?
(who can remember stair rods?)

the splashes made by the hail were about 2" high

 hailstones

they made the ramp rather slippery

stormy sky

photo doesn't do the rainbow justice

pot of gold at Billakillowey

I was clearly in the wrong place for sunshine

stinking iris berries

a "record shot" of our elusive Water Rail

juvenile, I think

fungus on the path

fungi on the compost

vitamin C  for the birds

a rare ray of sunshine turned the reeds golden

Additional records from previous day when briefly at the Reserve (23rd November)

SC208694 Goldcrest; 2 Grey Heron flying over together.

Ballachurry Reserve, 22nd November 2017

the pond has not been this full for months

Today was pretty wet! ( understatement) Having seen the amount of water rushing downhill past our house this morning I thought it might be prudent to check out the Reserve this afternoon to see if the inlet stream was coping or was blocked, as once before. A quick look at the boundary "dry" ditches and the roar of water under the concrete bridge as I entered the Reserve soon told me that the stream had reverted to it's original route and that the inlet pipe to the reserve must be blocked by vegetation.  I collected a rake from the Hide tool shed, slithered down the bank and prodded  around under the muddy waters trying to locate the pipe. I was about to give up when suddenly there was a roar like thunder from over my shoulder and I turned to see a raging torrent coming through the pipe and a veritable tsunami sweeping down the stream! The water level just outside the reserve dropped about 3 feet but the pipe was still not visible and even an hour later the  boundary ditches were still brimful.

The reserve is possibly the wettest I have ever seen it and certainly living up to its name of Ballachurry Wetlands. The boundary stream that runs just behind the back of the pond  and out under the road was overflowing and most of the reserve's paths were under water. Trees near the road and throughout the reserve were standing in pools and next door the thicket area between the reserve and the Church is flooded right up to the churchyard wall.

So here are a few photos to show you what I mean. Some a bit blurry because of the very low light levels.

the dry ditch!

this is the path!

a raging torrent once unblocked

stream brimful once unblocked

bridge over troubled waters

the direct path to the Hide
seen from the path junction

trees near the road paddling

stream going to the reed bed once unblocked

thicket next door to reserve

thicket as seen from the Churchyard, looking towards the  road.

some scary reflections!

horse drinking area across the road

water heading off down to the sea

If you are planning a visit to Ballachurry in the near future make sure you wear your wellies!

Ballachurry Reserve - Work Party 18th November, 2017.

Today's reasonable radio weather forecast actually turned into a beautiful morning at Ballachurry  - perfect conditions for our work party. We had 13 Volunteers on site to tackle removing  tree guards from any trees more than about 4 feet high. This work was actually long overdue and it was very satisfying to give them their freedom at last. The Reserve certainly looks better for it.

The other task was to put up bird nesting boxes made by children from the Buchan School and kindly donated to the Manx Wildlife Trust. Volunteer, Peter, did a splendid job with these. Six have found homes in a variety of trees and we have a couple more still waiting to go up when time permits. We shall be monitoring the boxes next spring and hope they find some tenants.

Everyone worked really hard and thoroughly deserved the wonderful flapjacks sent along to sustain us by Rachel Hartnoll. Thank you, Rachel!  Our tea-break is always a very sociable time - good to catch up with everyone's news.

   

getting down to work

tree guard about to come off

and a few more - their work now done

taking a well-deserved break

tea and a chat

tea break

some of the nesting boxes donated by the Buchan School
waiting to be put up.

Here?

or here?

This box replaces a well used  predecessor
lost during the roof renovations.

a variety of designs

and sizes

hopefully the boxes will find tenants next spring

a box for the ash tree

nearly finished

last one of the day

by box #6 Peter doesn't even need to
look at what he is doing!

And what of the wildlife seen today?

SC209693 We spotted some new fungi along the path today. There was a time when fungi were rare at Ballachurry but the species are increasing now year on year . An excellent sign. One of our volunteers is a member of the IOM Fungus Group and hopes to identify them for us.

 SC209694 2 x Robins together;  2 x Blackbirds together; Wren; Song Thrush.
 SC208694 Goldcrest;  2 x Snipe; Goldfinch.
 SC209694 ( pond) juvenile Moorhen, Grey Heron standing in water earlier in the day when I dropped off a barrow.
SC210694 Dunnock; Great Tit.

So, another very successful Work Party. Many thanks to everybody for all your hard work. You really made a difference. Sorry that I didn't manage to get everyone's photo this time. Thanks to the Kellys for hot tea and coffee and Rachel for the flapjacks. And to everyone who helped dispose of rubbish on their way home, loaned tools and equipment, and gave their time to help make Ballachurry the lovely, interesting place it is.