Ballachurry Reserve, 27th December, 2021.

last visit of 2021

   My last visit of the month and indeed of the year. Christmas having fallen at a week-end, it is Christmas Bank Holiday Monday! The rest of the week is forecast to be wet so I seized the opportunity of a dry, if dull, morning to visit the reserve. Here is what I saw:

Birds:

SC208694  ( near compost heap) male Blackbird; Blue Tit; Robin; Dunnock; male Chaffinch; 7 x Long Tailed Tit; Goldcrest; Great Tit.

SC208694 ( boardwalk area)  male and female Chaffinch; Wren heard but not seen.

SC208695 2 x Magpie;  female Chaffinch; female Blackbird.

SC210694 female Blackbird;Magpie flying over.

SC209693 Great Tit; Heron flying over; male Blackbird; Goldcrest; Blue Tit.

SC209694  male Blackbird ; 3 x Great Tit together; Wren; Blue Tit; Robin;

SC209694 ( from hide)  2 x Great Tit together; Blue Tit; Chaffinch; Wren.

Fungi:

Unidentified Fungi along paths at SC209694 and SC208694.

SC208694  Coral Spot fungus ( ?) on plank of wonky bridge.

Possibly Coral Spot fungus on bridge

some well nibbled fungi on path

unidentified fungi in the woodchip path

pale fungi  again growing in wood chip

this one had a very slimy feel!

yet more along the wood chip path

they were quite numerous

2 Magpies spotted in the distance

a closer look at one of them

view from the hide

across the water from the hide  - Blue Tit

and Great Tit

female Chaffinch

and another elsewhere

male Chaffinch near boardwalk area

Long Tailed Tit

 I was walking through the willows when suddenly 7 Long Tailed Tits landed very close to me and worked their way through the trees back towards the compost heap. I followed along behind them and watched them look for insects on the compost heap itself as well as in the surrounding trees. They were joined by a Goldcrest, Robin, Great Tit and Blue Tit actually on the heap itself.

Wren  in a Hawthorn near the hide. There were 3 Great Tits there at the same time.

incriminating evidence  near the Noticeboard?

the bridge to the willow walk and compost area

water level higher than ever after Christmas weekend rain

the water level is holding up work on the new Boardwalk

usual view of hide on a dull December day

the damp meadow living up to its name

we raked it off just in time!

cloud coming down over the nearby hills

a good flow of water in the stream  after weekend rain

A chilly but enjoyable morning at the Reserve to round off the year. What will 2022 bring? 

Please click on photos to enlarge them

Ballachurry Reserve, 21st December, 2021.

looking back to the hide across the recently raked meadow

  Well, it's no use pretending otherwise : a very cold, dank, dark morning at Ballachurry. A chilly wind in places too making it feel even colder than the 5 C that the thermometer was registering. At first I scarcely saw a bird. Either they were hunkered down in the undergrowth trying to keep warm or perhaps they had sought out local bird feeders to top up their energy levels. Around 11.30 I decided to go home for some hot tea and a warm room, having got decidedly chilly sitting in the bird hide for the last 20 minutes or so. But isn't it always the way? Just as I stood up to close the shutters the birds started to appear! So I sat down again and even did one final circuit of the Reserve before leaving. Here is what I saw: 

Birds:

SC209694 ( from hide) 3 x Long Tailed Tit; 3 x Great Tit; Robin; male  Blackbird; 2 x Blue Tit; Wren; male and female Chaffinch.

SC209694 ( elsewhere ) Wren; Robin.

SC208694 5 x Siskin on Alder cones;  Robin; Blackbird.

SC208695 male and female Chaffinch; Great Tit; Dunnock; 

there were 3 Long Tailed Tits just outside the hide door

I just managed a quick photo before they moved on

a pair of BlueTits were foraging in the reeds

as far as I could tell they had no rings

the Blackbird was scarcely visible foraging in the undergrowth

Dunnock

a Robin near the rickety bridge

Wren just outside the hide shutters

a bird had been on this stone - taking a drink perhaps?

usual view on a dank, dark day

likewise the hide

the Blue Tits were in the reeds on the  left

nothing out on the water

there were a few "garden birds" in the hedge

And finally..............

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Ballachurry Reserve, 18th December, 2021

 After the bird ringing event on Friday I went home to load my car with our barrow and rakes ready for the work party next day. Saturday was rather murky and cold but at least it was dry and we finally managed to rake off the meadow, taking the cut vegetation to the compost heap which now reaches about 4 feet up the nearby tree! We then turned our attention to cutting back the brambles which, if left unchecked, would quickly swamp this meadow. While we did this Richard strimmed the meadow again paying particular attention to a few large tufts which had dodged the Decimator machine first time around. Another quick rake of the meadow afterwards and the job was finished for 2021.

With 9 of us on site there was even  time to take out the brambles round the Hazel bushes on the path which runs parallel to the road. 

Talk during our break was inevitably of Christmas, prompted perhaps by some seasonal refreshments. Angie had even brought us a Christmas present -some posh chocolates which we all enjoyed. Thank you Angie! 

As we collected up our tools to leave, an opportunist Robin moved in to eat the insects disturbed by our raking.(SC208694)  Earlier in the morning the Water Rail was also calling (SC209694)

The air rang with cries of "Merry Christmas"  and "Have a lovely time" as we all went our separate ways at  the end of the morning. No doubt we'll all have a tale to tell when we meet up again in the New Year. 

Many thanks to all the volunteers today.  With just a week to go until Christmas Day I'm sure everyone was very busy at home so I appreciate them sparing  a morning to come and get these slightly over due tasks out of the way.

Here are a few photos of our efforts

we had removed a lot of hay earlier last month

but much still remained

we could have built a haystack!

but instead it was taken to the compost heap

 first attack on the brambles

Richard contemplates where to start

how about here?

meanwhile near the Hazel bushes the sack was almost full

just one year's growth threatening to swamp the trees

but by the end of the morning the tree was visible once more

a well deserved break

but at least our exertions had kept us warm

a reviving hot drink

enjoyed by all

at the end of the morning the meadow looked well strimmed and raked

and the compost heaps were groaning

the birds welcome the fresh compost as it's full of insects

plenty of brambles to rot down too.

I am hoping to fit in one more recording visit before Christmas, weather permitting.

please click on photos to enlarge them