Ballachurry Reserve, 22nd December 2018.

A dull December day - one of my regular "fixed point" photos
enabling comparisons to be made in future years.

No opportunity the week before Christmas to do a proper recording visit to the Reserve but I called in briefly  late afternoon on Saturday to return the SD Card to the trail camera only to find the batteries needed replacing! I took the opportunity to walk round the Reserve once in the fading light and noted the following:

SC210694  Scurfy Twiglet fungus near the entrance gate on the remains of wood chip ( new location)
SC210694 a small amount of Jelly Ear fungus on the dead elderberry
SC210694 Stinking Iris berries  very prominent.
SC208694  2 x Great Tit; male and female Chaffinch; Goldfinch; Blue Tit; Robin.
SC208694  a bunch of oak apples on the boardwalk - caused by gall wasp- washed down the stream.

I stayed 10 minutes in the hide but saw nothing.

The most exciting part of this visit came as I drove round  grass triangle by the Church before parking near the reserve. Here, barely a foot off the ground, heading for my car came a male Sparrowhawk! We avoided each other somehow and it continued its flight round the corner towards the cemetery!  A close encounter! Wonderful! SC209692

Scurfy Twiglet fungi ( I think!) growing where the
 pile of woodchip was near the gate.

Jelly Ear fungus

a bunch of oak apples (caused by a gall wasp)  washed down
the stream during a recent storm and deposited on the boardwalk

Light fading and the teapot beckons