Rushen Commissioners - a thank you.

The Southern Group MWT Committee would like to put on record its grateful thanks to Rushen Commissioners who have agreed to take on the mowing of paths and the areas in front of the two benches at Ballachurry Reserve.

We have been struggling for some years now to find a permanent solution to the mowing question and as the Reserve has become such a fantastic facility for the Parish we decided to ask the Commissioners if they could help us out. We know that local ratepayers use the reserve for all sorts of reasons, not just nature-watching. I meet people who come to quietly read a book on a sunny bench, enjoy a picnic with their toddlers, enjoy a stroll in the sunshine or simply to unwind and enjoy the birdsong at the end of their working day. It is also used by local school and Brownie groups.

We are proud to add the Commissioners to our list of volunteers who help make the Reserve such a lovely asset to the Parish of Rushen and home to so much wildlife. We look forward to collaborating with their mowing contractor as soon as the grass cutting season gets under way.

Many thanks to all the Commissioners and to their clerk, Phil Gawne, for putting our request forward to them.

Ballachurry Reserve, 23rd February 2020

a bright and very breezy day at Ballachurry Reserve

I had not been to the Reserve for 10 days and it wasn't meant to be on my agenda today either. However, the unexpected sunshine tempted me down there for an hour this afternoon. What the above photo doesn't show is the very windy weather! Most of the wildlife seemed to be hunkered down in the undergrowth and when a bird did venture out from time to time my eyes were often  streaming too much to see and identify it properly! However, within minutes of entering the Reserve I was lucky enough to see the rare-for-the-IOM Red Kite which has been in the area for the last few days . A corvid was giving it a hard time and it didn't stay long. Lovely to see the sunshine on it's back though and a good view of the forked tail. Sorry, no photo, but if you  look on Recent Sightings on the manxbirdlife website ( http://manxbirdlife.im/sightings/ ) you can see some excellent shots of it. It is tagged on both wings and enquiries are ongoing to establish where it has come from .

Here is today's list:

Birds:

SC209694 Red Kite
SC208694 Kestrel ( turned into wind and hovered briefly)
SC208695 Chaffinch x 2
SC208694 Goldfinches heard but not seen
SC209694 unidentified corvids flying
SC209694 ( hide) Great Tit x 2

Other:

SC209695 2 x Honey Bee in gorse.
SC209694 cultivated  daffs blooming
SC209694 Blackthorn in blossom
SC208694 Hawthorn in full leaf
SC208695 Celandines flowering

The water levels in the streams and pond have increased, I'm glad to say, but I couldn't spot any frogspawn as yet ( we have it at home since 14th Feb.)

this is our "damp meadow"!

water levels creeping back up again in the pond

and in the streams

not the most flattering picture of a honey bee perhaps

plenty of Celandines about now

cultivated daffs from before the area was a Reserve

the lovely white blossom of the Blackthorn

Hawthorn in full leaf next to the reed bed

An enjoyable visit to the reserve and a brief opportunity to chat with a handful of other birders there hoping to see our rare visitor. Steve, who is one of our regular volunteers, had a great photo of a Blue Tit which he had spotted investigating one of the nest boxes.  Earlier in the week there were reports from the reserve of Goldfinches with nesting material in their beaks. Spring seems to be sprung already!

Click on photos to enlarge

Butterfly Volunteers needed - Manx Wildlife Trust

Followers of this Blog know that I record butterflies at Ballachurry Reserve on an almost weekly basis throughout the spring and summer. Looking out for these beautiful creatures as I walk round the Reserve is an enjoyable, relaxing pastime but one which, as "citizen science", also provides useful information about our butterflies here on the Isle of Man.

The Manx Wildlife Trust is hoping to recruit more volunteers for butterfly recording on its other Reserves and near visitor centres such as Scarlett. You don't need to be an expert on butterflies to take part as tuition will be given and my personal experience tells me that it doesn't take long to recognise the 19 or so species that we have here on the Island.  Recording could be done on a rota basis so it is not a huge commitment.

If this appeals to you, you can learn more by contacting Dawn on education@manxwt.org.uk or Sarah, the Volunteers Officer on sarah@manxwt.org.uk

Go on! Give it a go! I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Ballachurry Reserve, 13th February 2020.

Late afternoon sun along  the "beehive loop"

Now the weather has momentarily calmed down again I was anxious to visit the Reserve to see if it had suffered any damage in Storm Ciara. I'm glad to say that I could spot none. Even the benches were still on their feet. I was also interested to see what the water levels were like in the pond and streams as a blockage had been both identified and rectified outside the reserve last week. There is an improvement but levels are still not back to what I would consider normal for the time of year. I'll continue to monitor the situation.

I visited the Reserve about 2.30 and stayed 90 minutes enjoying  some occasional bright sunshine. A highlight today was putting up a Brown Hare on the gorse boundary which zigzagged off into the adjoining field and then into the garden of Old School House next door. Here is what else I saw:

Birds:

SC209694 ( hide) Song Thrush; 2 x Great Tit; 2 x Wood Pigeon;

SC209694  ( elsewhere) male Chaffinch; Robin; Song Thrush; 2 x Great Tit; Long Tailed Tit; Wren; male Blackbird.

SC208694  single Goldcrest picking over the compost heap; male Chaffinch; Robin; male Blackbird

SC208695 2 x Great Tit; 2 x Female Chaffinch and 1 male; Blue Tit; Goldfinch; Dunnock; Robin; female Blackbird;

SC209695 2 x Blue Tit; 2 x female Chaffinch and 1 male;  Goldfinch;

Other:

SC209694 Brown Hare

SC208695  very gingery Longtail going for  a stroll

SC209694 Celandines

looking towards the Bowman bench

record shot of Blue Tit

another of Chaffinches

and a Goldfinch

a very confiding Goldcrest

more Celandines each visit

late sun on Oak and Birch

this is why we need the woodchip ( see below)

reflections in the above puddle

water level higher than my last visit

looking back a long the stream to the pond

more open water now, but still no wild fowl

late sunshine along the old beehive loop

and through the ash trees

nice to see some blue sky reflected in the water

taken from the doorway of the hide

A pleasant afternoon despite the hide smelling of tobacco + litter & puerile additions to whiteboard notices (Police have been informed of recent problems). 

We are hoping to improve the condition of the muddy paths by spreading wood chip along them, kindly donated by Chris Preston of Roots to Shoots, but are expecting to have to postpone our forthcoming work party because of the next storm - Storm Dennis. If so, our next work party is likely to be 29th February. 

Ballachurry Reserve, 5th February 2020.

a panorama photo through the shutters

Wednesday was forecast to be still and sunny so I was determined to visit the reserve on what might be the best day of the week.  It wasn't wall to wall sunshine but it was certainly a lovely morning  and the sun was warm on my back and the birds were singing. It really did feel like spring - and I saw a honey bee! Here is the full list:

Birds:

SC209694 Magpie; Song Thrush; female Blackbird; 2 x Great Tit.
SC209693 2 x Wood Pigeon; 2 x Chaffinch
SC209694 ( hide) 5 x Goldfinch; Great Tit; Wood Pigeon; male Chaffinch
SC208694 Song Thrush; Robin; Dunnock; 2 x Goldcrest; 2 x Long Tailed Tit; Blue Tit;  3 x Chaffinch ( 1m, 2 f)
SC208695  pair of Chaffinch; Robin
SC209695 Song Thrush ( broke off song to take ivy berries); 2 x Goldfinches;

Other:

SC209695 Honey bee in gorse
SC209694 Blackthorn blossom open
SC210694 still lots of ivy berries
SC209694 near hide still Hawthorn berries
SC208694 Alder cones and catkins side by side
SC208695 Oak saplings still have last year's leaves. Ash saplings in bud still looking wintry.
SC209694 galls on Apple tree ( artichoke?)
SC208694 Hawthorn in full leaf; Red Campion in full flower; Celandines in flower.

Take a look at the next few photos - we seem to have all four season together at the moment

bare, wintry trees ( Ash)

and Sycamores

autumn leaves ( Oak)

and berries (Hawthorn)

spring flowers ( Blackthorn) 

Celandines

and fresh spring leaves ( Hawthorn) 

summer flowers  ( Red Campion)

We have enjoyed a very mild winter and nature seems a little confused!

 this looks rather like an Artichole Gall but
those tend to be on Oak Trees - this is Apple.

Ivy provides berries for birds right through the winter

I saw just  one Honey Bee in the gorse

one of my regular photos of the reserve - good for
comparisons year on year

I love the colour contrast between the reeds and the gorse

very little water going down the stream into the read bed

or coming into the reserve from the boundary-
high and dry on the left hand side

Close -up of the Parmelia sulcata lichen on the bridge handrail

Marsh Marigolds coming through in the damp meadow

one of the Hazels that volunteers "liberated"
from Brambles last autumn

Hazel catkins in full flower

Celandines

the area near the compost heap is sheltered and the
Hawthorns are in full leaf already

last year's Alder cones alongside this year's catkins

another regular photo for comparison year on year

cultivated daffs from before  Ballacurry was a Reserve

Old stalks for Hemlock Water Dropwort
and this year's fresh new leaves.

Pussy Willow buds developing

a mossy carpet - literally! We put carpet squares round the saplings
some years ago to keep the vegetation down
  while they became established

the Song Thrush flew in and sat right above me singing its heart out

view from outside the hide

Spider webs on the wall

and on the hide
(Amaurobius species perhaps?)

and finally, a hint about our next work party!

A lovely morning well spent at the Reserve.

Click on photos to enlarge them