Easter Saturday Work Party - Reminder

Hi Everyone.

The weather forecast for Easter Saturday is looking good at present so hopefully we'll be able to go ahead with our work party. Please see previous email/ blog post for details. If time permits we may also be spreading some wood chip along the muddier paths, so rakes and shovels could also come in handy. We are bringing our barrows but if yours fits in the car, the more the merrier. 

If the forecast changes significantly please check your email or the Blog before leaving home, otherwise look forward to seeing those of you who can make it at the Reserve.

With thanks,

Sheila.

Ballachurry Reserve, 26th March 2018

Mist finally gone from the hills

 I wavered when the mist came down on Monday lunch time. I'd planned to visit the Reserve but the mist was making it chilly and uninviting.  Eventually I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did because within minutes of my arrival the mist lifted on the hills, the sun came out from behind the clouds and suddenly it was a nice afternoon. Not as warm as the week-end, it's true, but despite a chilly breeze in places the sun was warm on my back and it was a pleasure to be strolling round. Here is what I recorded:

Birds:

SC209693 Great Tit; Robin
SC209694 ( from Hide) Coot; 3 x Mallard drakes; Blue Tit; Wren;
SC209694  ( near Hide) Robin; Wren; Blue Tit; Magpie flying over;
SC208694 ( willows) Great Tit; male Chaffinch; Blackbird; Wren; Robin;
SC208694 (near reed bed) Snipe; Wren;
SC208694 ( board walk) Wren; Robin; male Chaffinch;
SC209694 ( path junction) Robin;  2 x great Tit; female Blackbird.
SC209695 ( near private entrance)  Blackbird
SC208695 ( old beehive loop)  Wood Pigeon flying over

 Outside Reserve:
 SC209692 ( thicket) 2 x Mallard Drake; Moorhen.
 SC 209692 ( Ballakilley seen from churchyard)  2 x Coot; 2 x Greylag Geese; pair Mallard.

Ladybirds:

SC209695 ( near private entrance) 7-spot ladybird - it took me some time to find it, but there it was as expected.

Other:

SC209693  lots of small Wolf spiders in the grass and on the dead stems of Hemlock Water Dropwort; Hazel catkins open; unidentified Bumblebee;
SC209694 ( path junction) Alder has tiny red flowers; unidentified Bumble bee; Eristalis pertinax Hoverfly.
SC208694 ( willows) Honey and Bumble bees visiting the willow flowers
SC210694 ( entrance) one of the hibernating snails still there
Also in flower: Dandelions, Gorse, Speedwell ( probably Common?); Celandines; Lawn Daisies

Bees enjoying the willow flowers

Thanks to Steve Crellin for identifying this as Eristalis Pertinax-
a sort of Hoverfly.

this snail is still hibernating
its neighbour has gone though

resident 7-spot has been there for several visits now

tiny Wolf spiders just look black to the naked eye
but enlarged on screen you can see their markings

Monday's water fowl all in one shot!

Coot about to enjoy a meal of weed

then resting among the rushes

one of the Mallards was determined to power-nap

but then gave in to sleep completely

Robin in the Hawthorn

another Robin singing its heart out

male Chaffinch

Great Tit

Wren from the hide

and another shot of it

the Alder flowers are really small

lawn daisies

celandines

dandelions

Speedwell 

view from the brambles
Snipe like the wet area they cover

still looking wintry but will be greening up soon

N.B. the Chiffchaff and the Butterfly - signs of spring indeed!

Ballachurry Reserve, 23rd March 2018.

first cut of the year

I was back at the Reserve today, not to bird watch but to take a closer look at the bridge and paths ahead of next week's work party. Inevitably though I did see some bird life. I planned to record it, but not necessarily Blog it unless something special came along. Of course, something special did, so here's the report.

Birds:

SC208694 Water Rail. This must have been sitting very close to the boardwalk because as I approached I put it up. It flew the short distance into the adjoining reed bed almost in slow motion, legs trailing.  2 x Long Tailed Tit; 3 x Blue Tit together; Robin; 2 x Great Tit.
SC209694 ( Hide) The Coot was in vegetation between pond and the boundary ditch. It walked past a couple of Mallard drakes sitting on the bank. The Mallards seemed  nervous of it but didn't fly away. Later it walked back past them and again they edged away from it. Eventually it made its way down into the water among the iris where it sat pretty motionless. Grey Heron  flew in but landed somewhere in vegetation behind the pond where it couldn't be seen. Robin; Hooded Crow; female Blackbird; Long Tailed Tit; 
SC209694 ( Path junction)  2 x Long Tailed Tit ; 2 x Great Tit; female Reed Bunting;
SC 208694  (willows/ compost area)  Great Tit; flock of 6 Goldfinch; Robin; 2 x Blue Tit;
SC210694 ( near gate) male Chaffinch; Robin sitting on noticeboard;female Blackbird.

There were a few honey bees about again but generally not much other insect life  ( although I wasn't specifically looking for these on this occasion).  My thanks to Steve Crellin, the Island's dipterist, for spotting and identifying  the photo of the fly posted on March 19th.  He tells me it is a female dung fly, Scathophaga stercoraria.

What was immediately apparent  as I came through the gate was that the grass had been mown. A big thank you to Stan Clucas,  the freeholder of the Reserve, for agreeing to temporarily take on the mowing again until such time as a new volunteer can be found.

welcoming Robin

spot the odd one out?

close up of one of the Goldfinches

two headed Mallard?

Coot -in -Residence

Ballachurry Reserve, Easter Work Party.

Our next Work Party is scheduled for Easter Saturday, 31st March in order to complete some necessary tasks  before the nesting birds season. Unfortunately it has not been possible for various reasons to hold this work party earlier in the month. Timing will be 10 till 1 as usual (or whatever you can manage in between) Refreshments provided.

 The priority task is to demolish the wooden bridge near the bird hide. Do I hear a few cries of dismay?  Let me quickly explain that this is to reduce access and disturbance to a very sensitive area round the pond. Water fowl could well be using this area for breeding. Not only this, as we all know, if there is a bridge we immediately want to stand on it. (I was doing it myself, only a few days ago!) This one overlooks the pool which again causes disturbance so it's better to remove the temptation. The smaller bridge will remain.  This task will need some muscle and we are obtaining some crowbars to do the job.

There will be other less strenuous tasks for those not involved in bridge removal. I have discovered a whole lot more tree guards which need to come out as a matter of urgency, A couple of trees still need staking ( yes, I know I said that the last twice!)  If ground conditions are suitable we might try to get down those last few plastic grids to repair the paths near the junction. Boardwalk maintenance etc. etc. If a delivery of wood chip is made earlier in the week then we may have time to start barrowing it  for path restoration. So something for everyone I think.

We realise that Easter is not ideal for some people but if you are able to come along that would be great. If you have both muscles and a crowbar you will be made especially welcome! Other useful tools might be pliers/wire cutters ( to get the mesh off the bridge), something suitable for removing the screws on the bridge,old screwdrivers to get the grass off the boardwalk,  Barrows and rakes for the wood chip, Stanley knives or whatever you found useful last time for removing tree guards. Working gloves and suitable foot ware, of course. 

An eye will be kept on the weather forecast and a cancellation notice sent out to those on the email list if necessary, ( to have your address added to this list please email me at ballachurryreports@gmail.com The emails go out as bcc so your address remains private) Otherwise,  check the Blog before leaving home if you are uncertain.

Have a Happy Easter whatever you are doing next week-end.

Finally an apology for the variety of background colours in this post - cut and paste jobs create problems!

Ballachurry Reserve, 20th March 2018.

I was back at the Reserve this afternoon with a couple of other members of the Southern Group Committee for a site visit. A real pleasure given the wonderful sunshine today. At first I thought  yesterday's Coot had gone but I spotted it later directly opposite the Hide.There was also a Sparrowhawk high above the reserve with a gull keeping it company most of the time. So here is a brief impromptu list from today:

SC209694  ( from Hide) Coot; 3 x Blue Tit together
SC208694 Wren; Blue Tit; Robin; Great Tit
SC209695 male Chaffinch; Robin;  7-spot Ladybird.

same 7-spot as yesterday, I think

Coot right opposite the hide shutters

composite photo - a bit fuzzy but you can just
make out the markings to identify it as a female sparrowhawk

Ballachurry Reserve, 19th March 2018

reed heads and Blackthorn
 giving a "snowy " look to the Reserve

A beautiful sunny day today, especially if sheltered from the cold wind. I arrived at the Reserve around 2.30 and left just before 5. Today's highlight without a doubt was spotting a Coot in the reeds from the Hide. This is a new record for the Reserve ( at least as far as my personal records are concerned). You may remember that a couple of  posts ago I reported seeing 2 Coots across the road at Ballakilley and lamenting that we never saw them at Ballachurry. My first thought was that this must be one of that pair, but a quick visit up the churchyard steps from whence there is a reasonable view across the road ( apologies, Mal & Sharon if you are reading this!) showed that that pair were still at home, so "ours" is a third. Here's my list for today:

Birds:

SC209694  pair of Blackbirds
SC209694 ( from Hide) Coot; Wren down in the pond weed again; Mallard drake; Blue Tit
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) 40+ Goldfinch flying over reserve came down on boundary; Blue Tit; female Chaffinch; Great Tit.
SC209693 Pheasant heard but not seen
SC208695 (old beehive loop) Great Tit; 2 x Blue Tit
SC209695 ( near private entrance) Robin
SC209694 ( Ginnie's Bench) Blackbird
SC208694 ( Willows/ compost area) Kestrel flying through.

[SC209692 Ballakilley 2 x Greylag Geese; 2 x Coot.]

My husband was also at the reserve earlier in the day to unblock the inlet pipe and reported the following: SC209693 Snipe; SC209694 2 male Mallard.

Some interesting sightings listed on the whiteboard in the hide. I have seen Buzzards up the nearby Sloc area so are they extending their range? Ballachurry bunnies better watch out this Easter!

always good to see what I have been missing!

Ladybirds:

SC209695 7-spot Ladybird. Having found a ladybird at this location last week, I thought there would be a good chance of finding it again. It took me some time to spot it ( no pun intended!)  but sure enough there it was amongst the gorse flowers.

Other:

SC208694  & SC209695 Honey bees
SC209695 Unidentified fly.

It's good to see a few insects out and about again!

7-spot Ladybird

one of just 2 Honey Bees seen

Female Dung Fly - Scathophaga stercoraria
( thanks to Steve Crellin for identification)

close up of that Blackthorn taken against the sun

Blue Tit

through the shutter

my first view of the Coot

for a long time it stayed in the reeds
but eventually ventured out

I was so pleased to get a picture
I just kept on clicking!

it was finding lots to eat

I watched it for a long time

a chance to study its markings closely

I hadn't realised they had red eyes

not everything that is black and white is a Coot!

a few of the usual views round the reserve
 to finish the afternoon

an almost cloudless sky

taken from the road