Ballachurry Reserve, 14th March 2019.

damp meadow vegetation starting to grow

An enjoyable afternoon visit to Ballachurry on Thursday. Although still very windy near the gate from the tail end of Storm Gareth, other parts of the reserve were sheltered and very pleasant. I could hear a male Pheasant "proclaiming" as I entered the Reserve and it wasn't long before I saw him flying over near Ginnie's bench. Here is my full list:

Birds:

SC 209694 Male Pheasant flying over and heard earlier.
SC210694 Grey Heron flying over; Hooded Crow in neighbouring tree.
SC209694 ( path junction)  male Blackbird; 2 x Great Tit; Long-tailed Tit; Snipe
SC209694 ( hide) Mallard drake; Wren; Moorhen; Blue Tit; 3 x Goldfinch flying over; Wood pigeon flying over.
SC208694  ( willlows) Chiffchaff heard but not seen; male Chaffinch; Blue Tit.
SC208694 ( beyond boardwalk) Great Tit; Dunnock; Chiffchaff heard but not seen.
SC209695 ( near private entrance) female Chaffinch.

Other:

SC209693 Scurfy Twiglet fungus on path
SC209694 Scurfy Twiglet fungus on path
SC210694 7-spot Ladybird
SC209695  2 x 7-spot Ladybird
SC209695 5 x Gorse Shieldbug
SC209695 Primroses in flower
SC209693 Lawn Daisies in flower.
SC208694  Marsh Marigold foliage and Meadowsweet foliage visible
SC209694  White-legged Snake Millipedes; Unidentified Wood Louse; Unidentified Earthworms; either Pill Wood-louse or Pill Millipede; unidentified slugs.
SC209693 unidentified moss with fruiting bodies

Good to see a Moorhen again

The first I've seen at Ballachurry this year, I think.

the Wren is a regular visitor near the pond

New Zealand Pygmy Weed may be an alien species
but the Wren was finding plenty to eat in it.

busy little bird!

 Garden escape Muscari with native Celandine

lovely Primroses

Meadowsweet now showing through

the Marsh Marigolds in our garden are in flower already
but they are only just showing through at Ballachurry

7-spot Ladybird sheltering in the gorse

I might not have spotted this one had I not been
deliberately looking  for Ladybirds

active 7-spot on nettles near the entrance gate

One of 5 Gorse Shieldbugs noticed in the gorse

a quick peek under a carpet square revealed slugs and
White Legged Snake Millipedes.
I'm not sure if the small brown ones are their "babies"?

another collection of invertebrates under the carpet

Earthworm, Wood Louse, Pill Millipede?
and White Legged Snake Millipedes

Probably Scurfy Twiglet again

and again elsewhere along the path

unidentified moss with fruiting bodies

lawn daisies as usual

Sentinel Drake Mallard

close up view

Postscript: at a site meeting the following day a female Reed Bunting was seen, a drake Mallard on the pond + a Ringtail Hen Harrier flying over just outside the reserve.