Ballachurry Reserve: Next Work Party, 3rd February 2018.

Our next work party at Ballachurry Reserve will be this coming Saturday, 3rd February between 10 and 1 as usual. Should the weather cause cancellation we'll go for the 10th instead. 

We'll be tying up some loose ends at this Work Party.  We have missed removing a number of tree guards and there are still brambles to be dealt with. We shall also be doing some maintenance on the various wooden structures.  

When removing tree guards at the last work party we discovered it could be a very scratchy job, so please dress accordingly and if you have safety glasses/goggles please bring them along too. The reserve is currently very wet under foot so wellies a good idea.  Loppers, shears etc. useful. Stanley knives came in handy last time too. 

Offers of cake to revive our willing workers at half time always welcome, even if you are unable to join us on site. Please contact Janet on jthompson@manx.net or 428953 if you can help out in this way.

Before leaving home please check your email  ( if on our notification list) or with Janet or the Blog ( www.ballachurryreports.blogspot.com) if in any doubt about whether the work party has been cancelled. 

Many thanks to you all

Ballachurry Reserve - a mossy special!

Good friend of the Reserve, Louise Samson, recently spent some time identifying the mosses that grow there for us. They are mostly on the bridge and wall near the entrance. She kindly sent me this list for our records:

The following common and widespread mosses:

Creeping feather moss Ambylstegium serpen (near the western bench)

Silky wall feather moss Homalothecium sericeum (bridge/wall at entrance)

Revolute beard moss Pesudocrossidium revolutum (bridge/wall at entrance)

Wall screw moss Tortula mulais (bridge/wall at entrance)

Redshank Ceratodon purpureus (bridge/wall at entrance)

Small hairy screw moss Syntrichia laevipila (bridge/wall at entrance)

I do have some photos of mosses, but unfortunately I mostly don't know which is which! But here they are. We tend to walk right past them ( even over them) as we enter the Reserve whereas they really merit closer examination.

some colourful lichen too

Notice the lichen too

I think this is the Creeping feather moss. It is growing
on a piece of carpet round one of the holly saplings.

Many thanks to Louise for adding to our knowledge of Ballachurry's ever expanding wildlife. 

Most of these photos were taken on 18th January. You might  like to look again to the Post for that date which has had a few extra photos added.

Ballachurry Reserve, 26th January 2018.

Yes, that's the sun about to disappear for the rest of the day.

You must all be thoroughly fed up of me moaning about the way the sun always goes in when I arrive at the Reserve! Unfortunately the same thing happened on Friday. After a glorious morning of sunshine and virtually no breeze, I arrived at the Reserve around 1.30 p.m. I just had time to notice that the Wolf Spiders were back enjoying the sunshine for the first time this year, when it clouded over, the temperature plummeted and we were back to the grey skies of January to which we are becoming accustomed. Was I down hearted? Not a jot! I had an excellent afternoon seeing about 20 or so species of bird. In fact I lingered until 4.30 by which time the light was fading and I needed a hot drink to revive me. Here is my list:

Birds:

SC209694  ( path junction) Robin; Goldcrest flying over; Snipe; Song Thrush flying over; Great Tit; Blue Tit; Wren; female Blackbird
SC209694 ( gorse boundary)  pair of Reed Bunting ( 2 sightings of these about 90 minutes apart) 2 x Blue Tit;  Great Tit; 2 x Goldfinch; Robin; Song Thrush ( singing!) Magpie flying over.
SC209694 ( from hide) male Blackbird; 2 x Blue Tit; Wren; male Sparrowhawk sitting in tree @ approximately SC209693 This bird sat in an Alder  between the reserve and the church for a long time, but I could not get the camera to focus because of intervening vegetation. I moved outside the hide to get a better view but only got one more blurry shot before it flew away. 
SC208694 ( willows) male Blackbird; 2 x female Chaffinch; 3 x Goldfinch; Great Tit; 3 x Long Tailed Tit; male Pheasant.
SC208694 ( firs) Wood Pigeon; Grey Heron
SC208694 ( boardwalk area) female & male  Blackbirds; 2 x Great Tit; Wren; Robin; Goldcrest
SC208695 ( beehive loop) Wren; 2 x Great Tit. Pheasant heard but not seen.
SC209695 (near private entrance & mature trees ) Great Tit; 2 x male Chaffinch; male & female Chaffinch together; 2 x Goldfinch; Wren; 2 x Blue Tit. Flock of approx. 10 Redwing flew from firs and landed in the Sycamores. 2 x Blackbird.
SC208694 ( Reed bed) Water Rail heard twice.
SC209694 single Mallard flying over

Usual Corvids and Herring Gulls flying over

As I arrived at the Reserve a birding friend was just leaving. He told me that he had heard 2 Water Rails during his visit, one from the reed bed and one from the pond area. Hopefully they are different sexes! He too had seen 20+ species, but not entirely the same ones as myself. Just goes to show how many birds use Ballachurry.

Other:

SC209693 still some Scurfy Twiglet fungi along the path parallel to the road
SC209693 2 Wolf Spiders seen sunning themselves on the dead stems of Hemlock Water Dropwort.
SC209694 and SC209695 plenty of Celandines now in flower.
SC208694 probably Coral Spot fungus on boardwalk timbers.
SC208694 Lichen on handrail continues to spread . Previously identified as Parmelia sulcata ( with thanks to Dr. John Wardle)

Celandines popping up everywhere now

close up of one of the Celandines

fungus recycling the boardwalk

it's possibly Coral Spot

Scurfy Twiglet still appearing along the paths

Parmelia sulcata lichen on the hand rail

Wolf spiders are back

Wood Pigeon

a couple of the Redwings taken from afar -
gone of course by the time I walked over there

my friend the Robin

Distant shot of the male Reed Bunting

and another view

far from being distant, the female Reed Bunting landed in a tree
very close to me and preened for some time.
Intervening branches made a photo difficult  though.

Chaffinch

Blue Tit

taken from near the Hide -
 this actually looks brighter than it really was!

Ballachurry Reserve: Mowing volunteer(s) needed

We are all very grateful to Dave Cregeen who, on a voluntary basis, has been regularly mowing the paths and open grassy area near the far bench at Ballachurry . Dave now has other commitments and is unable to continue during 2018. The Southern Group Committee and I'm sure all who visit the Reserve would like to place on record our thanks for the excellent job he's been doing there for us.

We now need to find a volunteer for 2018 to undertake this work from roughly March to October on a fortnightly basis. Dave tells me it used to take him about 40 minutes with his mulching mower but a conventional motor mower would take about an hour.

If you are able to help with this, or know someone who might be interested, please get in touch with  our Secretary, Janet Thompson, on 07624 428953 or email her on jthompson@manx.net

One possibility might be a rota for this work which would, of course, lessen the commitment for each volunteer. Please do get in touch if you think you could help out in this way.

With thanks in anticipation.

Sheila.

Ballachurry Reserve : 17th, 18th and 22nd January, 2018.

   

First Celandine of 2018 at Ballachurry Reserve

Three short visits to the Reserve this time.

17th January

SC209694 ( from Hide) Wren; 2 x Blue T it; 6 x Wood Pigeon flying over.
SC209693 Robin heard but not seen
SC208695 ( Beehive loop) Wren heard but not seen;
SC208694 ( Compost area) 7 x Goldfinch; 2 x Chaffinch; 2 x Great Tit; 2 x Blue Tit; Long Tailed Tit.
SC209695 Blackbird; male Pheasant
SC209694 Celandine in flower

Goldfinch enjoying Alder seed

 Juvenile Chaffinches

Earlier in the day someone else saw rather more than I did

looking back towards the reed bed

18th January

SC208694 ( compost area) 3 Goldfinches; Great Tit; 2 x Blue Tit
SC209694 ( from Hide) Great Tit; Grey Heron.
SC209695 Blue Tit.

view through the willows

a rare sunny view

taken from near the compost heap

Great Tit

Heron?

Goldfinches were still near the compost heap

Heron flying towards the firs, seen from the Hide

22nd January

SC209694 ( path junction) female Blackbird; Snipe.
SC209694 ( from Hide) Wren; Kestrel; 2 x Great Tit;
S209694 Wren on bridge; 5 x Goldfinch flying over
SC208694 (willows/ compost area) Great Tit; 3 x Long Tailed Tit; female Blackbird; pair of Chaffinch; 2 x Siskin;  2 x Goldfinch;  Blue Tit; Robin; 3 x Wood Pigeon;  Goldcrests heard but not seen.
SC209695 Hooded Crow Hybrid with Carrion Crow..
SC208694 ( board walk) Great Tit

Reed bed in winter

view from the bridge

Siskin taking Alder seed

Wren seen from the hide

Carrion Crow & Hoodie Hybrid

Please remember to click on photos to enlarge them. Low light levels were making photography difficult - I'm looking forward to spring!

Ballachury Reserve, 10th January, 2018.

a cloudless sky at Ballachurry Reserve

The sun did indeed break through as predicted on Wednesday and after a hasty, early lunch I arrived at the reserve at 1 p.m. As I got out of the car I could see a Robin perched on top of the noticeboard. That would have made a lovely photo but, of course, by the time I'd reached for my camera it had flown away.  Nevertheless, a good omen I thought and I set off round the path that runs parallel to the road. I enjoyed a full hour of sunshine and, with no wind, the sun felt warm on my back, almost like spring. Later it clouded over, the temperature dropped and I found my thoughts straying to a cup of hot tea. But then the sun emerged again so I did a quick second circuit enjoying the low light picking out the tops of the trees, Here is my report:

Birds:

SC210694 Robin
SC209693 Robin ( possibly the same one)
SC209694 ( near path junction)  2 x Reed Bunting ( male and female together)
SC209694 ( Gorse Boundary) Robin; 2 x Blue Tit together; 4 x Blackbird together taking ivy berries; Song Thrush; Wren
SC209694 ( from Hide) Wren; Male Blackbird; Juvenile Blackbird;  9 x Goldfinch; Robin; Wood Pigeon;Great Tit; Kestrel; Grey Heron; male and female Pheasant together. Corvids flying over.
SC208694 ( willows and compost areas) female  Blackbird; 2 x Great Tit; male Chaffinch; Great Tit went into new nest box ( children who made the boxes will be pleased)  Wren; 2 x Robin ( aggressive behaviour)
SC208695 ( beehive loop)  Blackbird; Wood Pigeon; Robin; 2 x Wren together; Dunnock; Chaffinch ( ringed but illegible from photo) ; 2 x Magpie together;
SC209695 ( grassy area close to Private entrance)  Great Tit; 2 x Long Tailed Tit;
SC208694 flying over, 3 x Herring Gull

That's 18 species ( if you count the unidentified corvids as just one) A lovely afternoon's bird watching!

Other:

SC210694 thick covering of moss under holly sapling turned out to be on carpet square.
SC210694 peeped beneath another carpet square  & noted 1 x  Common Flat-Backed Millipede (Polydesmus angustus)

Polydesmus angustus - a common flat backed millipede

a fleeting and distant view of a pair of Reed Buntings
seen shortly after my arrival at the Reserve

a closer look at the male which decided
to fly away just as I pressed the shutter

this Blackbird flew in from the garden next door,
it may be a Cotoneaster berry in its beak

one of 4 Blackbirds foraging in the reserve together

female or probably a juvenile?

rather against the light, but the top bird is a Long Tailed Tit
and the one below a Great Tit

one of two Long Tailed Tits which flew in together

tail is pretty much the same length as its body

you have heard of a "mossy carpet" - well this one really is
just that!

A rather handsome Song Thrush

I spy with my little eye....
was I watching the Wren from the Hide
or was the Wren watching me? 

at first the hills were bathed in sunshine

an hour later the hill fog came down

a young blackbird seen from the Hide

thanks to Neil Morris of Manx Birdlife for
explaining that the visible moult contrast on this bird's plumage
suggests it is a quite a young juvenile

Neil suspects that this is a first winter male.

low sun lighting up the trees on the Reserve boundary

it was a delightful visit to the Reserve today