Ballachurry Reserve, incidental report.

just a faint rainbow over the local hills

  I checked round the Reserve this morning following our battering by Storm Bella at the week-end.  I'm glad to say there was no obvious damage. However, I did spot that one of our wheelbarrows was missing. Fortunately, I found it neatly parked outside the bird hide. Unfortunately though, someone has seen fit to remove the No Smoking notice from inside the hide. It reminded me rather of how toddlers sometimes cover their eyes thinking no one can then see them - removal of the notice does not mean that smoking is somehow permitted! Fortunately we have an unlimited supply of these notices, so it can be replaced indefinitely.  Although I arrived in sunshine a few drops of rain alerted me to an imminent change in the weather and the appearance of a rainbow over the Bradda hills had me turning round and retracing my steps to the hide. I was just in time as there was quite a sharp shower. The reserve seemed quite quiet but I noted the following birds as I walked round:

Birds: 

SC209693   Robin; Wren; male and female Blackbirds

SC209694 2 x Blackbird; Wren ( from Hide & also near Ginny's bench)  Blue Tit.

SC208694 Blue Tit; Great Tit; Wren; Robin; Chaffinch; female Blackbird.

SC209695 Blackbird; Goldcrest; 2 x Blue Tit;  Great Tit; 

SC208695 Blue Tit 

Relieved to see our barrow  outside the hide

I set off round the reserve through the damp meadow

I spotted the rainbow as the drops began to fall

I reached the hide in the nick of time

after the shower everything was dripping with raindrops

skies remained gloomy....

....and wildlife scarce

a distant view of a Wren near Ginny's bench

and a Robin fluffed up against the cold near the compost heap

I'm not sure whether I'll be back before the end of the month but a little sunshine might just tempt me to pay another visit!

Please click on photos to enlarge them

Ballachurry Reserve, 22nd December, 2020.

looking towards the landowners' private entrance to the Reserve

My last visit to the Reserve, no doubt, before Christmas! A cold but sunny day.

 Something on the grass caught my eye as I approached the Noticeboard - a pair of black, Jeff Banks underpants! I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions. I thought the owner was unlikely to return to retrieve them so they are now in my dustbin. Fortunately the rest of my visit was rather less surprising. Here is the report: 

Birds:

SC208694 Robin; female Blackbird; Sparrowhawk flying through; 

SC208695 2 x Magpies flying over; 

SC209695 2 x Blue Tit; Great Tit; male Chaffinch.

SC209694 ( gorse boundary) Blue Tit; Wren; male Blackbird

SC209694 ( path junction) Robin; male Chaffinch; male Blackbird; Wren; Great Tit.

SC209694 ( from hide) Song Thrush; Dunnock; Wren; Goldfinch on Willowherb + 11 flying over; Blue Tit;Great Tit; Robin.

SC210694 4 x Jackdaw in garden tree  next door.

Other:

SC208695 unidentified fungi

SC209695 Honey Bee visiting gorse flowers

First stop  the Bird Hide - nothing on the water

A Robin soon appeared

and stayed awhile

a Wren was there at the same time

this Robin was picking over the compost heap

Blue Tit near the private entrance

Great Tit looking for insects

merited a closer look

success, I think

The same bird had spent some time preening in the tree

the ash walk - sadly some have die-back

there were fungi nearby

beautiful white gills - rather nibbled

I saw just one honey bee out foraging for nectar

this gorse flower looked promising

it visited many flowers in turn

low sun making all colours bright and beautiful

the stream was full after heavy rain the day before

a perfect winter's day

Coral spot ( I think) on rotting planks by compost heap

some form of Crust fungus nearby

I tried to get this Crust fungus ID'd without success

yet another fungus - they are nature's great recyclers

reflections on the water -still no water fowl to be seen

sun picking out lichen on bridge handrail

debris on bridge suggests stream had been overflowing

rushes growing well on decidedly wet meadow

plane reminds me of the outside world - easy to forget at Ballachurry

Oak tree keeping leaves well

but sky clouding over

Rushen underpants ( not Russian underpants with Novichok!)

 

This is not the image I wish to leave you with however! 

So here are a few general views of the reserve and a beautiful Hogweed Seedhead sihouetted against the sky

usual view of the hide

looking back along gorse boundary

Hogweed seedhead

Wishing you all, wherever you are in the world,  as lovely a Christmas as is possible this very strange year.

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Happy Christmas from Ballachurry Blog!

 

please click on photo to enlarge it

 

With apologies to those of you who have received this photo multiple times!

Ballachurry Reserve, 17th December 2020.

The view from the bridge - finches enjoy those tall Willowherb seeds

 

  The Met.Office forecast a dry morning  for Thursday so I headed down to the Reserve to make the most of the intermittent sunshine and spent a couple of hours there. Nothing very exciting about compared to my last few visits when I saw the Snipe and the Egret, but a pleasant way to spend a morning nevertheless. Here is the report:

Birds:

SC210694 Song Thrush heard but not seen; Kestrel flying over;  Dunnock.

SC209694 ( hide)  Blackbird alarm call heard near hide ( thank you Blackbird, now I won't see thing!) Blue Tit; Chaffinch; Robin; Great Tit; Wren heard but not seen.

SC208694 Jackdaw;  2 x Goldfinch; Goldcrest; female Chaffinch; 2 x Woodpigeon flying over; Blackbird alarm call again; Robin heard but not seen; Wren. 

SC208695 2 x Blue Tit; Great Tit; Kestrel flying over again.

SC209694 Magpie; Robin;

Other:

SC209694 Lawn Daisies in flower

SC208694 Red Campion still in flower

SC210694 Stinking Iris berries very apparent

SC208694  Lichen starting to grow on willows and trunks becoming mossy 

No invertebrates seen other that gnats over the water

you need wellies here now - mud and puddles abound

usual view of the hide with new clover roof

noticed near the hide - can you guess who lives here?

distant view of Goldfinches among the Alder cones

Red Campion flowering bravely on

Lawn daisy too

Last year's HemlockWater Dropwort stems among fresh new leaves

Robin

tiny Lichen starting to grow on willows

it used to be hard to find moss at Ballachurry

pond against the sun

reflections

two birds flew out the reeds but they were too quick for ID

I was trying to photograph a Blue Tit!

walking round for the second time

the Holly..........

..............and the ivy ( I like to be topical!)

Stinking Iris berries

and a final view before heading for home

Please click on photos to enlarge them  - sorry there's not much fauna this week!