Ballachurry Reserve : Work Party, 25th September 2021.

 It's only a couple of weeks since our last work party at Ballachurry and we don't often hold them twice in a month. However,  we needed to finish off digging out the streams before the DEFA deadline of 30th September so Saturday morning saw a dozen volunteers hard at work on the reserve. In fact the stream work was soon completed,and thereafter we were employed on annual reed bed maintenance, routine boardwalk weeding, and generally cutting back of vegetation and brambles.  Our two carpenters also installed a short section of new boardwalk over the stream inlet. Water has been by-passing the large water pipe for some years now and the path was sinking as a result. This was a "stitch in time" job to ensure safe passage along the path should the ground eventually cave in next to the pipe. We were able to use leftover materials from the  earlier bridge work to build this boardwalk and very smart it looks too! 

Rather worryingly, a single Croc shoe was found in the mud when clearing pond vegetation! No body was attached to it however, so presumably whoever had fancied a paddle returned to shore safely but minus their footwear!  There is New Zealand Pygmy Weed in parts of the pond - an alien species which spreads prolifically and is virtually indestructible - so we had to take bio security precautions when clearing a way through for the stream to enter the pond. Tools and wellies had to be washed down before moving to other areas of the site. In fact, no Pygmy Weed was seen in this particular area but better safe than sorry!

Here are a few photos from the morning

nearly there!

washing the wellies

your turn !

 

job done

 

While we were having our refreshments I noticed a Mallard happily swimming up and down the new channel.

 Croc retrieved from the mud

 

Carrie cracking on with the Forth Bridge Job

The Purple Team busy at work

reed bed maintenance

 Ian and Peter preparing the new board walk section

first lot of supporting blocks in

 did you just say it was time for the tea break?

a job well done

the tea break is always welcome

not just a time to rest

but also a time to socialise

and fortify ourselves with cake!

Mr. & Mrs. Blogger ( at Carrie's insistence!)

Twelve people spread round the reserve getting on with various jobs inevitably causes some disturbance to the wildlife, so it was lovely to see a report on Social Media that afternoon that a Water Rail had been seen from the Hide. The birder concerned later got in touch to tell me he had actually seen 21 different species of bird at Ballachurry that afternoon, including 3 Teal, 3 Mallard and an immature Moorhen on the pond as well as the Water Rail.  It's always reassuring to receive a report like that straight after a work party and his comment "Your ditching work looks great and will undoubtedly attract snipe too. Well Done" was wonderful encouragement to pass on to the volunteers. It made the aching muscles and muddy clothes worthwhile! I certainly echo the sentiment - well done everyone! Your hard work was much appreciated. Thanks, as usual , to the baking ladies for  giving us the energy to get the jobs finished by providing delicious home made cakes in the tea break. And thanks to Ian yet again for use of his trailer and bins and for taking brambles to the tip on his way home. 

With the stream job out of the way we can concentrate in earnest on brambles and blackthorn next month. We also have the old bridge and boardwalk to demolish and replace. Something for everyone, I think! 

Please click on the photos to enlarge them 

Incidental records: SC209694 2 x Mallard; Speckled Wood; Small Copper.

Ballachurry Reserve, 21st September, 2021.

a tranquil scene at Ballachurry Reserve

  Hoping for a repeat of Monday's sunny weather, I was down at Ballachurry Reserve soon after 9 a.m.  on Tuesday. Unfortunately the sky remained obstinately overcast and with a chilly breeze I was glad of my jacket. After a couple of hours I decided to head for home, somewhat disappointed, as such conditions are not good for observing invertebrates which tend to like the sunshine. But suddenly I  noticed I had a faint shadow on the grass and sure enough the sky was clearing - I did another circuit! The sunshine soon had the Speckled Woods flying and I spotted a couple of Ladybirds and  two species of Shieldbug. After 45 minutes I again decided it was time to go home but what was that call coming from the pond area? I retraced my steps and entered the hide. The Water Rail was calling loudly and kept it up for some time. I hoped it would put in an appearance but time was ticking by and I'd promised to be home around midday so left without spotting it. Good to know it's there though. Here is what I recorded during the morning:

Birds: 

SC209693 Woodpigeon x 2 flying over

SC209694 Robin; Great Tit; female Mallard; Water Rail heard not seen. Chaffinch

SC209695 Blue Tit

SC210694 Blackbird heard but not seen; Great Tit flying over

SC208694 Chiffchaff; Robin; Blackbird; Great Tit x 3 together; Goldcrest

SC208695 Blackbird heard not seen

The behaviour of the Chiffchaff was interesting.   It was  fluttering its wings repeatedly and changing its position regularly. The tree foliage was very wet from the night before and I can only guess that it was taking a shower rather than a bath in the pond!

Butterflies:

SC208694  Speckled Wood x 2

SC209695  Speckled Wood x 3

SC208695 Speckled Wood x 2; Green Veined White. Unidentified White

SC210694 Small White on dandelion

SC209694 Speckled Wood

Ladybirds:

SC209695 7-spot Ladybird

SC210694 7-spot Ladybird

Other:

SC209695 unidentified snail on bracken

SC209693 Inkcap fungi along path ( Hare's foot?)

SC208694 Inkcap fungi along path ( Hare's foot?)

SC209694  Inkcap fungi along path ( Hare's foot?)

SC208694 Unidentified fungi on path

SC208694 large fungus on path  (possibly Melanoleuca)

SC208695 Footballer Hoverfly on bracken Helophilus species

SC208694 Green Shieldbug on Meadowsweet

SC209695 Gorse Shieldbug on gorse

SC209695 flies on Hogweed,  - including Helophilus pendulus and Blowfly species

SC 209694 Noon fly on Cushag ( ragwort) 

SC209694 Green Bottle fly on blackberry  ( Lucillia species)

 Chiffchaff

Mallard

Speckled Woods were everywhere

 a pale one

 and this one seemed much darker

Small White

same butterfly, different angle

Green Veined White

"Footballer" hoverfly - Helophilus species, probably pendulus

Noon Fly

Green Bottle fly ( I 'll spare you the picture of what it was sitting on previously!)

Late Hogweed flowers feeding the insects - Helophilus pendulus and Blowflies

7-spot Ladybird on nettles

7-spot Ladybird on gorse

moth pupae on rush flowers

Nettle-tap moth ( I think) on Cushag ( Ragwort)

Inkcaps coming through ( remind me of Soldiers' Busbies!)

Inkcaps are appearing wherever we have spread wood chip on the paths

they soon turn over and disintegrate

a different species of fungus on the wood chip

these are under the willows - more Deceivers?

unidentified fungi near the hide

Possibly a Melanoleuca Toadstool

it has a large central Umbel

Gorse Shieldbug

Common Green Shieldbug

Meadow losing its flowery look

pool seen from the stream

rosehips to feed the birds

Marsh Woundwort now seeding

sadly,we are losing the Ash walk to die-back disease

 we can now see along the stream again

Autumn colours on the birches

approach to the hide has an autumnal look

seeding Shepherd's Purse on the hide roof

 pond viewed from inside the hide

 

regular view taken from the ramp to the hide

looking back into the meadow from across the bridge

Meadowsweet in autumn

interesting colour combinations

a tiny, golden snail, perfectly camouflaged on the bracken

 

 

                                     The pace of life at Ballachurry Reserve can be very relaxed!

With thanks to Steve Crellin for Fly identifications

Please click on photos to enlarge them