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