Ballachurry Reserve, 22nd November 2018.

A sunny but cold November day

I left home in a hurry on Thursday morning lamenting the fact that I could only spend an hour at the reserve. In my haste I forgot my woolly hat and my warm over trousers. Despite the sunshine there was a very cold wind and after an hour I was more than happy to return indoors to a hot cup of tea! Here is what I saw:

Birds:

SC210694 Song Thrush; Blackbird; Dunnock.
SC209694 3 x Great Tit flying across; 2 x Blackbird; Wren;
SC209693 Robin heard not seen; male Pheasant;
SC209694 ( from hide) 2 x Teal; 2 x Blackbird taking Rosehips;
SC208694 Wren; Robin; Magpie flying over; 50 + Wood Pigeon flying over;
SC209695 Snipe

Other:

SC208694 7-spot Ladybird hibernating in gorse.
SC208694  New fungi have appeared near the compost heap -  identified as Lepista  saeva by IOM Fungus Group ( Common name: Field Blewit or Blue-leg)
The previously reported orange fungi growing in a ring round  a compost heap have been identified as Tawny Funnel Fungus ( Lepista flaccida)

Thanks to Karen, Mick and Louise for their assistance with these.

one of the Reserve's Wrens

1) select your Rosehip and fly in

2) break it off the branch

3) swallow it down whole

4) fly out again

they were burning off gorse on Bradda that day and seeing this
hibernating 7-spot made me feel rather sorry for all the spiders
and insects over-wintering up there. But farmers have to do their
 work I suppose. 

a smartly turned out Song Thrush

a new record, I think
Identified by IOM Fungus Group as Lepista saeva
(Field Blewit / Blue-leg)

The biro gives some idea of size
Lepista saeva

These have been identified as the Tawny Funnel Fungus
(Lepista flaccida)

the gate is finally finished, I think - very smart!

sunny but very cold

and a backward glance as I head for that hot tea!