Ballachurry Reserve, 25th November, 2020.

Sunny winter morning

   Whilst eating my breakfast on Thursday I noticed a lot of bird activity in my own garden and thought perhaps it might be a good day for visiting the Reserve, and so it proved to be. I had a few chores to dispatch first but was down there shortly after 10 and spotted a Rook on the grass by the noticeboard before I was even through the gate. It was a lovely sunny morning with only a light breeze and very much a welcome contrast to the overcast weather we have been having recently. Here is the report:

Birds:

SC210694 Rook

SC209694 Blackbird,Chaffinch; Wren; 2 x Mallard;  Water Rail ( possibly 2 ?) heard not seen

SC209693 Water Rail heard not seen; Robin;

SC209695  2 x Magpie; 2 x Song Thrush; 2 x Blue Tit;  Robin

SC208694 Chough heard not seen; Dunnock; 3 x Lesser Redpoll feeding on Alder cone seeds; Blue Tit; Robin; 2 x unidentified winter thrushes flying over; Goldcrest; Wren.

Ladybirds:

SC209694  7-spot that I have been reporting each week still hibernating in the gorse

SC209695 7-spot on Cushag ( Ragwort)

SC208694 7-spot with Gorse Shieldbug in the gorse

SC208695 7-spot enjoying the winter sun in the brambles

Fungi: 

SC209694 Candlesnuff fungi on log near path junction

SC208694 Unidentified Crust fungus on rotting plank. (I thought at first I had identified this but then discovered it's extremely rare and only found in Scotland, so my identification is extremely unlikely!)

SC208694 Unidentified toadstools under willows

Other:

SC209694 tiny Muscid fly near the Hide in brambles. Other  Caliphora & Muscid flies on the hide itself.

SC209694 Wolf Spider on hide + Money Spider species, possibly Microlinyphia pulsilla

SC209694 3 probable Money Spider species on the Loosestrife seedheads in front of the hide

SC208694 probable Money Spider  species in gorse bush

SC208694 Gorse Shieldbug

SC208694 Hogweed in flower

SC208694 Hemlock Water Dropwort already coming through

SC208695 Hoverfly on Cushag ( Ragwort) 

SC208694 Giant Willow Aphids

Giant Willow Aphids

 Close-up of Giant Willow Aphids

Male Blackbird

Busy Blue Tit

Can you spot the Goldcrest?

 Blurry picture of Redpoll - camera deceived by intermediate branches

 I didn't dare move closer

another record shot of the Lesser Redpoll

Bird hide on a sunny day

 all quiet on the pond....

till out swam the Mallards and the Water Rail was heard

distant shot of hide roof to see how the plants are doing

 flies enjoying the warmth of the tool shed roof (Calliphora & Muscid)

and the walls too

 they kept flying in and out of the hide too which was rather annoying

 this was a tiny fly on a bramble leaf outside the hide ( Muscid sp.)

can you see the tiny white fungi on this log?

 a closer examination shows it is Candlesnuff fungus

hard to photograph because very small

 some sort of Crust fungus

close up showing the pores

 unidentified fungi under the willows

 7-spot Ladybird

this one has been hibernating in the same spot for some weeks now

 7-spot Ladybird with Gorse Shieldbug

There were at least 3 Money Spiders in this Loosestrife seedhead

 this larger Money Spider  was on the hide

 "I'm Walking in the Air...."

another Money Spider species suspended in mid air

 and a Wolf Spider on the hide

 Money Spider species in the gorse

 Dropwort coming through for next year already

 Hogweed still in flower in places

 a view of the hide that can't be seen in summer

Hoverfly on Cushag ( Ragwort)

 puddles at the path junction

 some cloud bubbling up for the afternoon

a sunny spot on the Reserve

 and a few leaves still clinging on despite recent gales

I  enjoyed my relaxing morning walking round the Reserve.

 

(With thanks to Kate Hawkins for Spider identification & Steve Crellin for Fly idenitification)

My next post will be of Saturday's Work Party.

 

Please click on photos to enlarge them