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| Lovely to see Ballachurry in the sunshine |
Well, I think someone at the Met. Office has started reading the Blog and taken on board my moans about the skies clouding over as soon as I arrive! I have now had two sunny visits in a row to the reserve, the first on Monday 29th January and again the following Friday. Here is the first of those reports:
Birds
SC209694 ( path junction) 2 x Great Tit together
SC209694 ( from Hide) 3 x Great Tit together; Blue Tit; 2 x Wood Pigeons flying over; male Blackbird; Wren heard but not seen.
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) male Blackbird
SC209695 ( near stream) Wren
SC208694 ( willows) Blue Tit; 2 x Great Tit; 7 x Long Tailed Tit;
SC209693 male Blackbird
SC208694 (near reed bed) Water Rail heard; 2 x Goldfinch; Chaffinch; Great Tit; Wren.
Other
SC208694 Angelica seed heads looking good in oblique sunshine
SC209695 Peeling birch bark also looking attractive
Although difficult to photograph because they never stay still, the Long Tailed Tits were a delight to behold. I was the one to stand still and suddenly they were all around me, some only an arm's length away, remarkably confiding. A lovely experience.
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| Long Tailed Tit enjoying the sunshine just like me |
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| golden reeds in the background |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| the bird flew away as I pressed the shutter but I love the colour combinations here |
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| searching for insects |
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| resolutely turning its back, but just look at that magnificent tail |
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| a chance to study the plumage, back view |
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| this Angelica plant has been attractive through all the seasons |
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| Hawthorn in full leaf in January |
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| Blue Tit seen from the Hide |
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| A composite picture of the same Great Tit seen from the hide |
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| the sun shining through the peeling bark turned this Birch to gold |
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| a closer view |
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| view from the hide |
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| for once the sun kept on shining |
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| Water Rail territory |
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| moon rising as the sun starts setting |
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| couldn't resist taking a closer look - amazing moon |
My apologies for late posting of this visit - simply not enough hours in the day lately!
Second sunny visit report to follow.
