 |
| Still frosty at 9.30 a.m. |
Only 4 degrees this morning and my old banger of a car did not want to start! Having coaxed it into action I headed for Ballachurry where it was no surprise to find frost on the grass by the noticeboard. But the sky was blue and the sunshine most welcome after recent gloomy weather. The Reserve was very quiet for the most part except for Great tits which seemed to be everywhere. The highlight today though was a brief view of a Chiffchaff on the compost heap. We have had them over-wintering at the Reserve for the last couple of years now, but this is the first I've seen this winter. No photo unfortunately as it flew up into the firs before I could get my camera focused. But now I know it's there......
Birds:
SC209694 ( near path junction) Robin; 4 x Great tit together in Hawthorn bush;
SC209694 ( near and from hide) Robin; 2 x Blue tit ; 2 x Great tit;
SC208694 ( compost area) Chiffchaff; Long Tailed Tit; 2 x Great tit; 2 x Blue tit; Robin; Dunnock;
SC208694 ( boardwalk area) Robin; Blue tit;
SC208695 ( old beehive loop) male Blackbird; Magpie flying over;
SC209694 ( Gorse boundary) Blue tit; 2 x female Pheasant;
SC209693 ( path parallel to road) Wren heard but not seen; 2 x Jackdaw flying over.
Other:
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) 3 x 7 spot Ladybirds hibernating together in gorse.
SC210694 ( entrance) Stinking Iris shedding seeds & making bright splash.
SC209694 still odd hawthorn berries left here and there.
 |
| The Robin was busy on the compost heap |
 |
| it seemed to be finding plenty to eat and quickly saw off the Dunnock which tried to join the feast |
 |
| Great tit amongst the Alder Catkins |
 |
| Hide due for a coat of new paint this year |
 |
| stream banks to the reed bed greening up now |
 |
| it's the Hemlock Water Dropwort putting out fresh leaves nice reflections on a still day |
 |
| reed seed heads look lovely against the blue sky |
 |
| pond from the hide |
 |
| back lit the reeds look silvery |
 |
| hawthorn berries for the birds now few and far between |
 |
| but some of the Hawthorns are coming into leaf - we have autumn, winter and spring all at the same time! |
 |
| I always check the gorse on sunny days 3 x 7-spot Ladybirds in hibernation |
 |
| Stinking Iris |
 |
| sunny January day |
Click on photos to enlarge, then click again to run through them as slide show.
