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| first defrost the windscreen! |
Before setting off for the Reserve this morning I first had to scrape ice from the windscreen - Jack Frost had been up to his beautiful, artistic tricks in the night. The temperature was just 3 degrees and the grass was white over near the noticeboard when I arrived. I was anxious to see if the Reserve had sustained any damage at the week-end during Storm Darragh. A willow on the left hand side caught my eye and sure enough it had split and lost a branch. It was the same story throughout the reserve with the willows - many had lost branches and one by the stream had been half uprooted and keeled over. A tree surrounded by a compost heap had suffered a similar fate but compared to a site only about half a mile away as the crow flies, the Reserve had got away lightly. The wind seems to have funneled through the Fleshwick Gap causing havoc in Ballafesson, next stop Ballachurry and on to Moorhouse Farm just a few fields away. But how had the birds fared? Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC210694 Kestrel flying over; 3 Jackdaws on roof of Old School House.
SC209693 female Pheasant flew up; 2 x Blackbird on path; Great Tit; Robin in lower branches of trees.
SC209694 Chough flying over calling; Blackbird scavaging on ground; Robin x 2; female and male Chaffinch seen separately; Woodpigeon flying over; 2 x Great Tit; Dunnock.
SC209694 ( from hide) female Chaffinch; Blue Tit; Blackbird flew across path as I approached.
SC208694 Robin x 2; Water Rail heard; Magpie.
SC208695 Greenfinch in tree; Blackbird foraging in leaf litter. Pheasant heard not seen; male Chaffinch.
SC208695 ( on or near feeders) 2 x Dunnock; Coal Tit; 3 x Blue Tit ( one ringed) Robin; Goldfinch; Wren; 3 Chaffinch ( 2 females, 1 male).
SC209695 male Chaffinch + 2 females.
Not strictly in the reserve but seen from it:
SC210695 Buzzard perched on post in field.
SC209694 5 x Redwings and 3 Blackbirds feeding on the ground among sheep in adjacent field.
female/juvenile Blackbird 
male Blackbird foraging amongst leaf litter 
Dunnock 
Greenfinch
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| Several Robins hold territory at Ballachurry |
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| this one was heading towards the bird feeders |
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| where it waited patiently for a Blue Tit to finish |
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| 2 Blue Tits and a Coal Tit |
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| Redwings feeding on the adjacent pasture |
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| from time to time they flew into trees but returned minutes later |
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| notice how small they are compared to a Blackbird |
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| a Buzzard on the fence post caught my eye |
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| the sheep were unperturbed |
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| I had a good view of it |
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| damage by Storm Darragh |
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| many willows had split |
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| and this mature tree had keeled over |
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| willow split and path obstructed by fallen branch |
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| fortunately this one fell away from stream |
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| this tree had multiple splits |
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| only the nest box seemed to be holding it together |
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| there was ice on the dragonfly pond |
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| usual view of it |
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| quite a frosty corner in fact |
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| reeds flattened too |
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| sunshine catching the boardwalk |
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| but it was white with frost |
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| usual view from the boardwalk |
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| looking back, note damage to tree |
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| meadow area |
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| winter sunshine |
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| usual view of the hide |
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| view through the shutters - no water fowl today |
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| usual view from the hide ramp |
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| sunshine catching the adjoining trees |
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| frosty conditions though |
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| even at midday the frost had not melted |
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| time to go home and warm up! |
