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a chilly but beautiful morning at the Reserve
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Despite good intentions and my best efforts, I didn't arrive at the reserve on Wednesday morning until nearly ten o'clock.
It was a beautiful, sunny morning but the South East wind was quite strong and decidedly chilly, which kept the invertebrates mostly out of sight. There seemed to be Redwings flying about in all directions though, and as I opened the shutters in the Hide I was just in time to see a male Teal walking up the bank before flying off. Here is my weekly report:
Birds;
SC209694 ( hide) male Teal; male Blackbird; over-wintering Chiffchaff working through vegetation behind pond; Magpie in Churchyard trees; 6 x Redwing in Churchyard trees; 3 x Chaffinch; Moorhen; drake Mallard.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) male Blackbird; Goldfinch in tree + 4 flying over; 5 Redwings flying across; Mallard drake flying over; Redwing sitting in tree; Robin on path; 2 x Robins on Ginnie's bench, one ringed. Chaffinch; Woodpigeon flying over; Chiffchaff working through bushes; female Blackbird; Great Tit; Buzzard flying over.
SC209693 Great Tit; 6 x Redwings flying over; female Sparrowhawk; Dunnock.
SC208694 2 x Blue Tit investigating bird box; 3 x Chaffinch; Goldcrest; Blackbird flying through; Goldfinch in tree; Goldfinch drinking from puddle; Chiffchaff near boardwalk; Robin.
SC210694 Jackdaw and Rook on chimney pots of Old School House; Sparrows heard not seen; 2 x Goldfinch flying over.
SC208695 ( feeders) Coal Tit; 2 x Blue Tit; 2 x Great Tit; female Chaffinch;
SC208695 female Chaffinch; male Chaffinch.
A Robin, Dunnock, Coal Tit, Blue Tit and Female Chaffinch all had rings this week.
Other:
SC209694 Lesser Celandines in flower
SC209693 Lesser Celandines in flower
SC209694 6 x Yellow Dung Flies on Hogweed flower
SC209694 Eristalis species Hoverfly on Hogweed flower another hovering by noticeboard
SC208694 Eristalis species Hoverfly on boardwalk.
SC209694 numerous Pond Snails.
SC209694 Honey Bees in gorse
SC209694 Frogspawn has elongating embryo tadpoles
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a Blackbird seen from the Hide
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Buzzard passing over
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Chiffchaff near the Boardwalk
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seen in 3 different locations during the morning
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Redwing in Churchyard trees
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a pair of Blue Tits were investigating the nest box
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prospective tenant
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Coal Tit and Blue Tit
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Coal Tit
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Blue Tit
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female Chaffinch near the feeders
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Moorhen has found something to eat
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it left shortly afterwards
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Drake Mallard
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male Chaffinch enjoying the sunshine
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| Jackdaw |
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| Rook |
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Robin on Ginnie's bench
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it wasn't ringed
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but photo shows this one is, so there must have been 2!
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Composite photo of a Goldfinch drinking from puddle in the mud
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Redwing near the path junction
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Ringed Dunnock
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Great Tit
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Eristalis species Hoverfly
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and another on Hogweed flower
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Yellow Dung flies and Hoverfly enjoying Hogweed nectar
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Yellow Dung Fly
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it attacked the Hoverfly, forcing it to choose another floret!
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Pond Snails under water
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there are lots of them
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developing tadpoles in the frogspawn
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Honey bees were in the gorse
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Lesser Celandines having their moment of glory.
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I love their starry yellow flowers
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the Ash walk
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the "old beehive loop"
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near the boardwalk
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a few clouds on the horizon now
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usual view from the boardwalk
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the dragonfly pond
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and again looking in the other direction
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the path through the Hazels parallel to the road
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usual view of the hide, now with a leafy hawthorn
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the stream from the boardwalk
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and from near where it enters the reserve
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usual view from the hide ramp
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the meadow
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the shorter, direct path to the hide
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heading for the path junction
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there is still some flooding under the willows
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I went to retrieve this chair
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and discovered a disposable Vape had been left on it!
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Unfortunately, not everyone who visits the Reserve has the welfare of wildlife (or other human visitors) at heart! As well as leaving behind a Vape (and failing to put the chair back in the hide) there is increasing evidence that someone is regularly walking a dog here. I was told recently that a pre-school child had walked in the dog mess! I too saw some on my visit today.
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view through the hide shutters
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and looking in the other direction
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looking back as I left the Reserve
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Earlier in the week a birder had posted photos on Social Media of a Great Spotted Woodpecker at Ballachurry. I had been hoping to see it but was not lucky on this occasion. Perhaps next week?
please click on photos to enlarge them
