Sunday 27 February 2022

Ballachurry Reserve, incidental February wildlife reports.

Araneus diadematus - Cross Spider

February 22nd, 2022 SC210694 2 x juvenile Garden/ Cross Spiders found sheltering behind notice on post.

Thanks to Kate Hawkins for confirming the ID.

February 26th, 2022. SC209694 Grey Heron flew up from pond. Magpie flying over. Water Rail heard not seen.

Please click on photos to enlarge them

Ballachurry Reserve, 26th February 2022. Work Party.

For our February Work Party it was a case of "third time lucky" as we had had to cancel on both the 5th and 19th because of bad weather & other issues. Saturday wasn't a sunny day by any means but at least it was dry and reasonably mild, despite the blustery wind, so finally 12 volunteers were able to tackle a variety of tasks which were long overdue.

First up was to mulch round our 5 new Oak saplings with newspaper and wood chip. The volunteers had been hoarding newspaper for some weeks now in anticipation of this task and were able to put the requisite 3 layers round each tree to help suppress the grass while each sapling becomes established. A 10cm ( that's about 4" to my generation!) mulch of wood chip went on top to weigh down the paper, retain moisture and eventually condition the soil round the tree as it breaks down. This job took virtually no time at all and we quickly moved on to disposing of the rest of the large pile of chip kindly donated by the Roots to Shoots company. This wood chip is a godsend each winter as it helps soak up the mud along the paths. They were becoming quite slippery in places and the barrow loads of chip have now greatly improved the current ground conditions. A welcome spin-off from putting down wood chip each year has been the increase in bio diversity it has brought with it. There are several species of fungi which grow on wood chip and the reserve has gone from having hardly any species anywhere on the reserve, to now having quite a variety appearing year on year.

Because we had to cancel the work parties the chip had started to decompose in its pile and was positively steaming in the middle!

Not everyone was working on the wood chip however. Some volunteers were dealing with recent storm damage, while another cut back brambles from around the Hazel bushes; another was laying the willow hedge beside the hide and yet another removing several protective tully tubes from around trees which had been overlooked on a previous occasion. As one task finished another began. Some assisted Ian to move paving slabs from the entrance to the boardwalk area and others were pollarding willows to stop them becoming too leggy. Spiky Blackthorn also received a trim alongside some of the paths.

Everyone was working very hard and was glad to stop for drinks and cake just after 11. Many thanks to Sheila S. and Margaret for tempting us with these. Ian had kindly loaned us his bins as usual and these were invaluable for carrying the chip to where it was required. Originally they had been intended to transport bramble roots to the tip but a sterling effort by one volunteer quickly showed that the roots were pretty much impossible to dig out near the new pond and that we must find other means of keeping them in check.

barrow and bin at the ready, waiting for wood chip

digging out the wood chip

slabs waiting to be moved as well as the wood chip

heading for the muddy section of the path

heading back for a refill, mulched Oak in the foreground

a Charlie Chaplin walk quickly spreads the chip!

Margaret trims, Peter rakes.

dealing with storm damaged Blackthorn

eventually it was sawn off at ground level

the wattle fence is slowly deteriorating

but the willow hedge will eventually take its place.

a reviving cuppa and delicious cake

appreciated by all

good to rest

and catch up with news

then back to work - slabs this time

pollarding the leggy willows

should make them thicken up, and prunings left at the base

the willow hedge should sprout again in a week or so

chip along the paths soaks up the mud

and looks very smart

one of the freshly mulched trees

and another

If you have spotted these water butts at the reserve recently, we are saving some of the recent rainwater to go back in the pond once the liner is in place.

a couple of temporary water butts by the new pond

rainwater from the pond being kept for when the liner is in place.

Finally we reached the end of the tasks and drifted home for lunch one by one; tired, but feeling better for the fresh air and exercise and very satisfied with what had been achieved at the Reserve during the morning. A big thank you to all concerned.

please click on photos to enlarge them

Monday 21 February 2022

Ballachurry Reserve, 21st February, 2022 - Incidental Report.

calm after the storms

It was with some trepidation that I visited the Reserve this afternoon . We have experienced 3 Amber Alert named storms in the space of just 5 days - Dudley, Eunice and Franklin. Would Ballachurry have suffered any damage? I am pleased to say that there was very little evidence of wind damage at all - Ginnie's bench had blown over, and a Blackthorn bush will need some attention at the next work party but other than that everything seemed fine. What was clear however, was that we had also had some heavy rain ( + melting snow after a short blizzard on Saturday) Both streams were flowing well and there were large puddles under the willows and where the new boardwalk is under construction. The new dragonfly pond wasn't quite full but is well on the way.

The bad weather obviously hadn't deterred the youngsters who use the hide as a meeting place - some obscene graffiti suggests quite a young age group, I think. Most people lose the need to leave "rude" words & pictures in public places as they mature. Two shutters had been left swinging in the wind and the hide again smelt of pot, so the youngsters who were caught & warned recently have either not heeded Police advice or there is another group also meeting there. The Police will be updated about this most recent anti-social behaviour.

On a more cheerful note, here is a list of the few birds that were about this afternoon:

Birds:

SC209693 female Blackbird

SC208694 Robin; Wren on Compost Heap; Goldcrest on compost heap; female Blackbird; Redwing; Blue Tit.

SC208695 2 x Chaffinch ( pair) female Blackbird;

SC209695 2 x Blue Tit; Great Tit; male Chaffinch; female Blackbird; Redwing.

Other:

SC208694 and SC209693 usual fungi on path

SC209694 Lesser celandines in flower. Cultivated daffodils in bud.

SC210694 Snowdrops in flower

amazing how something as tiny as a Goldcrest can weather the storms

two views of the new pond

not quite full

flooding under the Willows

stream brimful

no chance of further work while flooded

blown over in the gales

more fungi appearing along the paths

they like the underlying wood chip

Cultivated daffodils in bud

wild Celandines behind them

looking across the meadow to the hide

and across meadow to the bridge

the usual view of the hide, today with blue sky background

and looking across the meadow to the hills

a full stream under the willows

a reminder that our work party was cancelled at the week-end

Last Saturday's work party was cancelled because of a poor weather forecast. In fact the rain had already arrived by breakfast time and turned to snow by 10 o'clock when the work parties normally start. We'll try again next week-end.

Please click on photos to enlarge them

Incidental Report 22nd February 2022

SC210694 2 x Chaffinch ( pair;) 2 x Blackbird (pair)

SC209694 pair of Mallard feeding on pond; 2 x Great Tit

SC208695 Song Thrush; Goldfinch.

SC208694 female Blackbird

Tuesday 15 February 2022

Ballachurry Reserve, 15th February, 2022.

a hint of sunshine today at Ballachurry Reserve

Given all the dire weather warnings for the rest of the week, I thought I had better make the most of today's occasional sunshine to visit Ballachurry. It was already quite breezy but not unpleasantly so and I enjoyed my couple of circuits of the reserve. Here is what I recorded:

Birds:

SC210694 Male & female Blackbirds taking ivy berries together.; Goldfinch x 2.

SC209694 Male Blackbird; Magpie; Goldfinch; female & male Chaffinch; pair of Mallard flying over; 2 x Great Tit together; Robin; Wren; Blue Tit;

SC208693 Magpie flying over

SC208694 2 x Wren together picking over compost heap; 2 x Goldcrest together picking over compost heap at the same time as Wrens; female Chaffinch; Great Tit; Goldfinch;

SC208695 Long Tailed Tit; 2 x female Chaffinch; Great Tit; Blue Tit.

SC209695 Blue Tit;

Other: