Ballachurry Reserve, 10th March 2020.

My main purpose in visiting the reserve today was to construct a small willow fence at the path junction to guide people towards the middle of the path. At Saturday's work party we discovered how easy it was to step off the edge of the path at this point into deep mud which no amount of wood chip seemed to stabilize. Someone commented it was almost like quicksand! So until we can add some hardcore at this point this seemed like a temporary solution. The willow wands were from our garden, not the reserve, by the way. I also cut back the willow on the bend which was pushing people off the original path, a job I didn't quite finish on Saturday.

But first I decided to walk round the Reserve in the intermittent sunshine to see what was about. Here  is the list:

Birds:

SC209693 male Blackbird; Chaffinch heard but not seen; Blue Tit; Great Tit;  3 x Long Tailed Tit;  Water Rail - my first sighting of the year  and indeed for a very long time. It came out of the bushes near where we store the barrows and crossed the path just ahead of me. Then it noticed me and took flight, legs trailing. It seemed to come down into the undergrowth on the other side of the path.
SC209694 ( hide) Drake Mallard; 3 x Goldfinch.
SC208694 male and female Chaffinch;  2 x Blue Tit;  Long Tailed Tit; Robin; Goldcrest on compost heap; 2 x Great Tit; Song Thrush.
SC209695  Goldfinch; 2 x Chaffinch; Great Tit; male Blackbird.
SC210694 female Blackbird

Other:

SC209695  about a dozen Water Crickets near the water inlet pipe, first time I've seen them this year
SC208694 small orange fungus on planks near compost heap

It was good to see other people walking round the reserve and to chat about what they had seen or were hoping to see.

tiny fungi and a few fallen Alder cones

cultivated daffodils and ivy near the gate

I know I often take this shot but it's one I can't resist

view through the hide shutters

 and finally.....

Ta-dah! my mini wattle fence - hope it does the trick

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