Ballachurry Reserve, 14th February 2019.

A shabby looking hide - soon to be given
 a fresh coat of preservative

Quite a difference in the reserve this week. Spring was in the air ( and not just because it was St.Valentine's Day!)  The Blackthorn blossom had opened in my absence and there were a good few splashes of gold from the Celandines.  Garden escapes - Snowflake and Daffodils - were also in bloom. Down in the stream I saw my first two Water Crickets of the season too. So things are definitely looking up. Here is the complete list:

Birds:

SC209694  ( near the path junction) female Reed Bunting; Great Tit.
SC209694 ( from Hide)  2 x Great Tit;  2 x Blue Tit; Wren; 4 x Goldfinch; Grey Heron which nearly landed in the water but aborted landing - think it spotted me through the shutter of the hide; Jackdaws flying over.
SC208694 ( compost area / willows) 2 x Robin together; female Chaffinch;
SC208695 ( old beehive loop) Magpie; Blue Tit;  2 x Great Tit; male Blackbird; Wren.
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Snipe.

Other:
SC209695  2 x Water Cricket
SC209695  unidentified Liverworts on stream bank NEW RECORD
SC209694  Scurfy Twiglet fungi reappearing after short absence
SC208695 Lawn daisies
SC210694  Snowflake in bloom ( garden escape)
SC209694 Cultivated daffodils in bloom ( pre-date reserve status)
SC209694 and throughout reserve Blackthorn in bloom

Blackthorn near the hide

opening blackthorn buds

fully open in many places

female Reed Bunting

just record shots

rather distant and not quite in focus

likewise a distant Goldfinch taken from the hide

Magpie in a Sycamore

The Wren has a favourite perch

one of two Robins together near the compost heap

the boardwalk, also down for repair at the next work party

lawn daisies seem to flower all year round these days

daffs fighting through the brambles and bracken

Snowflake near the gate

Alder catkins are lengthening

must go back and take a better photo for ID-
haven't noticed these liverworts before - new record.

fungi are back

some of the Alders are getting really tall now,
catkins in silhouette.

My next post, when time permits, will be of  last Saturday's Work Party.

(Remember to click the photos to enlarge them, then click them again to move through as a slide show)