A brief slot in an otherwise busy week to visit Ballachurry Reserve on Monday last. As I walked through the gate at 9.15 I could see two blackbirds pillaging the Ivy berries, reminding me what an excellent plant for wildlife Ivy is: nest sites & berries for birds, nectar for insects and caterpillar food plant for Holly Blue butterflies to name just a few of its attributes. But my reverie was interrupted by a sudden car alarm seemingly coming from the middle of the reserve! This happily turned out to be a Song Thrush going through its repertoire of "special effects" as well as more conventional phrases. Here is my report:
Birds:
SC210694 male and female Blackbirds; Wren.
SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Magpie; Song Thrush; Robin
SC209693 ( parallel to road) Robin; Snipe;
SC208694 ( near reed bed) Great Tit; Wood Pigeon
SC209694 ( hide) Chaffinch ;4 x Goldfinch flying over; 3 x Blackbird; Wood pigeon flying over; Grey Heron almost landed in pond ( as last time) but seemed to see me through shutters and flew off. Mallard drake.
SC208694 ( compost/ willows) Great Tit
SC208694 ( boardwalk) 2 x Blue Tit; Chiffchaff heard but not seen
SC208695 ( old beehive loop) female Sparrowhawk put up from among brambles ( evidence of kill elsewhere on Reserve)
SC209695 ( near private entrance ) 7 x Jackdaw flying over
SC209694 ( path junction) pair of Blackbirds; male Reed Bunting; Robin
Other:
SC209694 Pond has two different areas with frogspawn ( please remember it is illegal to remove frogspawn without a licence)
SC209695 8 x Water Cricket
SC208694 Parmelia sulcata lichen continues to spread along bridge handrail
I was disappointed not to see any insects but, despite the sun, it was actually quite a chilly wind at that early hour. Had I been able to stay later perhaps I would have seen more as the day warmed up. I believe butterflies were seen elsewhere on the Island and I certainly found Ladybirds and Shieldbugs in my garden during the afternoon.
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| female or juvenile Blackbird taking the ivy berries |
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| Chaffinch among the Blackthorn blossom near the Hide |
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| the Song Thrush resolutely kept its back turned |
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| one area of Frogspawn |
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| copious amounts the other side |
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| close up of the Frogspawn |
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| Frogs don't seem to mind the alien Pygmy weed |
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| Hawthorn in full leaf |
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| a colourful area of the Reserve |
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| Blackthorn blossom |
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| A Hawthorn tree with catkins? No, just the 2 trees are planted very close together - the second one is Hazel |
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| willow buds |
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| overnight rain showing up the spiderwebs |
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| 2 of 8 Water Crickets |
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| contrasting colours at Ballachurry Reserve |
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| and again |
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| path to the compost area |
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| more Blackthorn blossom |
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| Snowflake near the gate still flowering |
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| 2 seasons together Hawthorn leaves and Hogweed seedhead |
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| a second coat of preservative still needed |
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| Parmelia sulcata lichen |
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| view through the Hide shutters, right hand side |
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| the middle view |
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| left hand view |
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| this looks like a Sparrowhawk kill |
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| Hide taken from the path junction |
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| last year's alder cones and this year's catkins |
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| rather a strange sky over the Hide |
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| hide taken during my once a year trip round the pond recording Frogspawn |
