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| December at Ballachurry Reserve |
I had no plans to visit Ballachurry on Tuesday but, having heard the 7 a.m. weather forecast, I decided it was now or never. The rest of the week sounded dreadful and so it has proved to be. So 9.30 saw me down at the Reserve, watching a solitary Chough fly over as I walked through the gate. A good omen I thought, as indeed it was. Here is what I saw:
Birds:
SC210694 Chough flying over
SC209694 ( Ginnie's Bench area) Wren; Robin; Blackbird;
SC209694 ( path junction) Song Thrush; Blackbird
SC209693 Blackbird & Robin heard not seen
SC209694 ( Hide) 3 x Mallard flying away; Redpoll x 2; Water Rail feeding; 2 x Great tit; Snipe feeding.
SC208694 ( compost area) Robin; 3 x Blue tit together; 25+ Goldfinch flying over;
SC209695 ( private entrace area) Dunnock; Great tit; 3 x Blue tit together; 2 x Chaffinch;
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) 3 x Blackbird
SC208693 ( on church boundary) 5 Redwings; 10 Goldfinch.
Other:
SC209693Lawn daisies in flower along path + fungus ( Scurfy Twiglet?)
SC208694 Red Campion in flower.
I had made straight for the Hide where my approach ( however stealthy) unfortunately put up the Mallards. Having opened a shutter I was amazed to see a couple of unpeturbed Redpolls directly opposite taking Willow Herb seed, shortly followed by the Water Rail which appeared in just the same area as last Friday. I watched it for some time, hoping it might come out to an area without any intervening vegetation where I might get a better photograph . Then I suddenly noticed a movement in the Brooklime - a small dark head, could there be a second Water Rail? I found it through the binoculars and was delighted to find myself looking at a Snipe. Over the years I have put up quite a few when walking round the Reserve but this is the first time I've had a good view of one down in the pond. I couldn't believe my good luck to be watching a Snipe and a Water Rail at the same time! Time was ticking away, however, and if I wanted to walk round the rest of the Reserve I had to tear myself away. I returned to the hide just before leaving and was surprised to find both birds still there so started clicking away with the camera once more. The Snipe became bolder and started walking around more, crossing the pond to the area of bright green weed opposite ( this is the infamous New Zealand Pygmy Weed!). It was feeding as it went but then suddenly decided to fly off. That was my own cue to leave too. One of my best visits ever to Ballachurry Reserve, I would say ( though unfortunately marred by finding quite a bit of litter round the front of the hide - reported to the Police)
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it seemed slightly odd to see both Lawn Daisies and Fungi
growing together in December |
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a close look at the Fungi which are growing on the
underlying wood chip - Scurfy Twiglet again I think. |
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| Red Campion is also still in bloom here and there |
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A small flock of Redwings landed in the trees on the
Church boundary - very much in silhouette though |
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| Lovely to see Redpolls on the Reserve |
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The cheeky Robin flew down beside me
as soon as I appeared again |
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| it seemed very tame, getting closer and closer to me |
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| someone's garden Robin, I reckon. |
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| I watched the Water Rail for nearly an hour |
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| an unusually still day, I could see its reflection |
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| alternately feeding and hurrying back into the rushes |
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| I just kept taking photo after photo |
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| the view through binoculars was much better |
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| here you can see the position of both birds together |
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| my first view of the Snipe |
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| I think it had been there some time before I noticed it |
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| keeping a wary eye skywards from time to time |
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| it too was feeding |
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| a good view of its cryptic plumage |
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I also took some video footage of the Snipe which I hope to post
on the Blog later |
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| finally it emerged into the open and I saw the entire bird |
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| out on the Pygmy Weed it continued to feed |
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| that long bill must probe down a long way |
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| as you can see in this photo |
I'm now so glad that the appalling weather forecast for the rest of the week
got me out of bed early and down to the Reserve!
P.S. My husband went down to the Reserve late afternoon and the Water Rail was still there.
