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.