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| February day at Ballachurry Reserve |
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
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| this is the first time I have seen 3 Reed Buntings together on the Reserve |
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| female Reed Bunting |
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| Blackbird & Robin looking for invertebrates in the damp ground |
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| the same Blackbird ( female or juvenile) |
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| listening intently |
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| the same Blackbird |
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| and again |
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| Blue Sky, Blue Tit. |
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| singing Wren |
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| path through the willows |
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| the reed bed |
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| buds on the Blackthorn |
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| Hazel catkins |
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| Celandine |
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| 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. |
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| Cultivated daffodils from years ago |
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| leaves on the Hawthorn already |
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| an inviting bench near the colourful gorse |
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| winter quarters for insects? or did invertebrates emerge from these holes last summer? |
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| "Oak Apples" made by Oak Gall Wasps last year |
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| close up showing the hole where the wasp emerged |
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| a few clouds but largely sunny |
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| view of the pond from the bridge |
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| time to wipe the January sightings from the board and start afresh for February |
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| a dramatic sky as the light was fading |
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| time to head home |
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.
