Ballachurry Reserve, Work Party 17th February 2018

We couldn't have wished for better weather today for our work party. I'm very glad now that the last two dates were cancelled!  Blue skies,  sunshine and it really did feel like spring.

Fourteen volunteers tackled a variety of tasks. The reed bed was tidied up to improve water flow, brambles removed from a few trees bordering paths, tree guards removed where appropriate, wobbly wooden structures firmed up and grass removed from the boardwalk.  With bird nesting season on the horizon we really did need to get on with these jobs to avoid disturbance later.

Sheila Scarffe tempted us with her delicious cakes at half time and it was pleasant chatting in the sunshine while we recovered from earlier exertions. Soon we were back at work though and by one o'clock it really was amazing what we had achieved.

A very big thank you to everyone who came along  today- you really did make a difference. Especial thanks to Sheila & Janet for reviving us with their refreshments.

priority task of the day

getting a better flow of water

uh-oh!  are you stuck?

a very fiddly job

but pleasant enough in the sunshine

time for the tree guards to come off
but sometimes  the brambles had to be cut  back round them first

diagonal struts should make the noticeboard stronger

this handrail needed attention too
(Some work still in progress on the wooden structures)

a welcome rest

heads in the sun, feet in the mud!

what a view!

the healthy option!

but most of us couldn't resist the cakes

glad to see you take health and safety seriously, Ian,
but how will you drink your tea?

the reward !
the birds think we did a great job

Long Tailed Tit

During the morning we saw quite a lot of bird life, they didn't seem too unhappy with our presence.

SC210694  male Blackbird; Robin

SC208694 Robin and Wren came down where we had been working while we were having our break

SC209694 Great Tit . 2 x birds of prey flying over ( unfortunately no one had binoculars, so difficult to identify) 

SC208694 3 x Long Tailed Tit in the willows

SC209694 Water Rail heard near the hide once everyone had gone.

I wasn't making proper notes so the above, done from memory,  is not a full list. 

Sorry I didn't manage to say goodbye and thanks to everyone individually before you left, but your hard work really is appreciated.

Work Party, 17th February, 2018. New priority task.

Hello again everyone,

Saturday

Generally dry with bright or sunny intervals, a mostly moderate west to southwest wind and temperatures reaching about 8°C again.

so looking good so far for the work party, although I've been deceived this way before! 

This is just to let you know that following a visit to the Reserve today by Tricia, the Reserves Officer, the priority task for Saturday has changed. Some of you may be aware that we finally have a new Management Plan for the reserve for the next  3 years or so. One of the jobs needed is some management of the reed bed by the dam. With the nesting season on the horizon, Tricia has suggested that we crack on with this tomorrow. I hasten to add that we shall not be digging out the reeds, a task which might have filled a few hearts with dread! We shall be cutting a few to ground level though and making a channel across the front of the bed to improve water flow. This will take 4 volunteers and grubbing out the vegetation is best done with a sickle. If you have one please bring it along or do consider letting us borrow it. Otherwise shears and loppers might do the job. Safety glasses/ goggles are advisable for this task. We do have a few pairs but if you can bring your own, please do. Wellies best footware for this job. 

The rest of the group will be doing as previously advised, so something for everyone. 

A lot happened at the Reserve this morning, come along and see if you can spot the difference! 

Hope to see you there and many thanks in anticipation.

Next Work Party - Third Time Lucky?

We are trying once more to organise a work  party at the Reserve this coming Saturday, 17th February. Details as in the previous notification, please look back at tasks and required tools. A few extra jobs have been spotted in the meantime, so plenty to do.

Safety glasses could be useful if you have them for working under our thorn trees and a kneeling pad  might come in handy too. We have some of both but  extras would be useful. The Reserves Officer tells me that the best way of weeding a boardwalk is with an old screwdriver, so if you can bring one along you would be helping us out.

The forecast for Saturday is currently very good, so fingers crossed that we can go ahead this time.

Hope to see you there.

Ballachurry Reserve, 8th, 9th and 12th February 2018.

No sunny blue sky today

The weather was back to grey and gloomy for my visit to the Reserve on Thursday afternoon (8th February). Nevertheless, there were a few things of note.

Birds:

SC210694 Dunnock; Robin singing;
SC209693 Blackbird
SC209694 ( from Hide)  2 x Long Tailed Tit; male Chaffinch; Wren; 2 x Magpie flying over; 2 x Wood Pigeon flying over
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Song Thrush; Robin; female Blackbird.
SC209694 ( path junction) Robin; Long Tailed Tit.
SC208694 ( dam) female Sparrowhawk flying over at low level.; male Reed Bunting flew from Alder into  reeds.
SC208694  (Willows) Goldfinch;   2 x Blue Tit; Great Tit;
SC208694 ( boardwalk) Robin; 2 x Long Tailed Tit;  female Blackbird; Great Tit; Wren. Blue Tit
SC209695 ( near private entrance)  Magpie
SC208695 ( old beehive loop)  Wren; 2 x Great Tit; Pheasant heard but not seen; female Blackbird.

The Sparrowhawk was at low level and I had a beautiful view of it.

spot the reed bunting!

I often see Blue Tits in the reeds like this

Great Tit

Long Tailed Tit

Gloomy!

Outside the Reserve at SC209693  there were still 2 x Greylag Geese at Ballakilley. But no Hen Harrier today.

Next day (Friday, 9th February)  I called in the Reserve briefly to do a job ahead of  Saturday's Work Party ( later cancelled). The weather was much brighter but everywhere eerily quiet. I noticed one Blackthorn had open flowers at SC209694. No birds about though. I walked along the road to the alder thicket and spotted 3 ducks - 2 Mallard and 1 rather beautiful hybrid SC209692.

nice to see the sun again

the hybrid duck was larger than the male Mallard

57 varieties, I think

Monday morning ( 12th February) found me back at the Reserve for a site visit with others. All sorts of birds seemed to be flitting about but there was no time to stop and photograph them. I made a mental note of what was seen where and then before leaving did just one circuit with the binoculars and camera to make a more detailed  record. Here's the list:

Birds:

SC208694 Robin; female Blackbird;  Long Tailed Tit ;Chaffinch; Wren; Snipe;

SC209695 Wren; Blue Tit; Great Tit;  The Wren was briefly on top of the nest box and the other two were close by.

SC209693 2 x Reed Bunting ( 1m 1f) ; Wren

SC209694 Great Tit

Other:

SC209695  first Gorse Shield Bug of the year.

Gorse Shieldbug enjoying the sunshine

I disturbed the pair of Reed Buntings which flew up together
from a tree by the path. The female landed close by
 but  I lost sight of the male.

female Reed Bunting

a closer view

view across the brambles to the potential wild flower meadow

We are now hoping to hold the postponed work party this coming Saturday, 17th February, so fingers crossed for some dry weather!

Just click the photos to enlarge.

Ballachurry Reserve, 2nd February 2018.

February day at Ballachurry Reserve

This is the second of my "sunny day" reports.

Birds:

SC209693 ( path parallel to road)  3 x Wood Pigeon on ground
SC209694 ( cental area)   3 x Reed Bunting  together ( 2 x male, 1 x female)
SC209694 ( path junction)  2 x Great Tit together;  2 x Wren together; Song Thrush; Robin; Blackbird
SC209694 ( from Hide) Chaffinch; 3 x Blue Tits together;3 x Wood Pigeon; Wren;
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) 2 x Wood Pigeon; 2 x Robin together; Great Tit;  female Blackbird;Wren heard but not seen.
SC209694 ( near Hide) Blackbird and Robin together; 20 Starlings flying over
SC208694 ( Willows) 2 x Blackbird; 40+ Goldfinch flying over;  2 x Long Tailed Tit; 2 x Chaffinch; Blue Tit; 2 x Magpies flying over. Great Tit; Wren.
SC208694 ( compost area) 3 x Goldfinch; Song Thrush
SC208694 ( reed bed/ boardwalk area) Water Rail heard but not seen; Great Tit; 2 x Wren together; 2 x Blue Tit
SC208695 ( old beehive loop) Blue Tit; 2 x Great Tit; female Chaffinch; Robin; Sparrowhawk flying over
SC209695 ( near private entrance) Blue Tit; Great Tit; Robin

Other:

Many signs of Spring on the reserve, including
 SC209694  open catkins.
 SC208694 Hawthorn in leaf
 SC209694 Celandines
 SC208695 Dandelion
 SC208694 Blackthorn in flower bud
SC209694  Cultivated daffs in bud

SC209693 insect holes in old HemlockWater Dropwort  stems
SC209694  Oak Gall Wasp "Oak Apples" with exit holes

this is the first time I have seen 3 Reed Buntings together
on the Reserve

female Reed Bunting

Blackbird & Robin looking for invertebrates in the damp ground

the same Blackbird ( female or juvenile)

listening intently

the same Blackbird

and again

Blue Sky, Blue Tit.

singing Wren

path through the willows

the reed bed

buds on the Blackthorn

Hazel catkins

Celandine

Dandelion - a wonderful early nectar plant
for the first bees and butterflies -
 please leave them in your garden if you possibly can,
at least until there are other species in flower for them.

Cultivated daffodils from years ago

leaves on the Hawthorn already

an inviting bench near the colourful gorse

winter quarters for insects?
or did invertebrates emerge from these holes last summer?

"Oak Apples" made by Oak Gall Wasps last year

close up showing the hole where the wasp emerged

a few clouds but largely sunny

view of the pond from the bridge

time to wipe the January sightings from the board
and start afresh for February

a dramatic sky as the light was fading

time to head home

SC209693  Outside the Reserve, across the road at Ballakilley I spotted some hybrid Mallard Ducks, a couple of Greylag Geese and as I was watching them in came a Ringtail Hen Harrier. Quite a finish to my afternoon.

The bright red stems are, I think, Cornus Alba Sibirica , Red Stemmed Dogwoods. The fact that this Ballakilley land ( in private ownership) and the Alder Thicket between the Church and the Reserve ( also in private ownership) are in close proximity to the Reserve creates a welcome "wildlife corridor" in the area.

With little sunshine forecast for the rest of the week I had to make do with gloomy conditions again for my next visit on 8th February, the report for which follows shortly.

Photos enlarge if clicked.