Ballachurry Reserve: Monday morning, 14th April, 2025.

the damp meadow on a damp day

  

Well!  What a contrast! Wall to wall sunshine for my visit last week and a steady downpour for most of my visit on Monday, ( which  had seemed my best option for a visit this week, given other commitments and a worsening weather forecast.) " I can always sit in the hide and count the ducklings" |I said as I set off mid morning. There had been sharp showers earlier so I didn't arrive until nearly eleven but by then it was only spitting and spotting and I even glimpsed the sun!

 

Sun!

 Here is my report:

 Birds: 

SC209694 Willow Warbler heard not seen; Great Tit; Pheasant heard not seen; Woodpigeon; Magpie; Goldfinch; Chiffchaff heard not seen.

SC209693 Chaffinch heard not seen.

SC208694 Willow Warbler heard not seen; ; Pheasant heard not seen; Wren; Long Tailed Tit; Chiffchaff; Goldfinch; male  & female Chaffinch; Robin; Blue Tit.

SC208695   (on or near feeders)  5 x Goldfinch; 2 x Great Tit; male & female Chaffinch; Blue Tit; Robin.

SC208695  (elsewhere)  Pheasant heard not seen; Great Tit.

 I think the reason so many birds were only heard and not seen was that they were sheltering from the rain in the heart of the vegetation

Other: 

SC10694 Garden escapes in flower: Yellow Archangel; Spanish Bluebells; Grape Hyacinth; cultivated Daffodils.

SC208694 Primroses in flower by stream.

 SC208694 Ladysmock in flower by Boardwalk.

 SC209694 Water Cricket near stream inlet pipe.

 

Robin trying to keep dry in the heart of the tree

this one was one of the few still singing from the tree tops

Goldfinch

female Chaffinch

male Chaffinch

it seems strange to see song birds walking amongst the reeds

the Woodpigeon came down to drink

Wren, though possibly not from the most flattering angle

mother Duck escaping down the stream - she had been sitting on the bank

she appeared with her family at the main pond much later

only three ducklings this week😢

they were busy feeding

increasingly independent of their Mum

lovely weather for ducks!

Water Cricket  - I could only see one

a mini botanical garden near the gate

Marsh Marigolds are native wild flowers

Flowering Currant

I believe the Flowering Current bushes were originally planted for the honey bees which used to be kept on site

 

Ladysmock - food plant for  Orange Tip Butterflies

Primroses near the stream

a large clump of Stitchwort

Oak leaves unfurling

Rowan flowers in bud

Sycamore opening

looking towards the boardwalk

view from boardwalk - no blue sky today

new information slate near the boardwalk

dragonfly  pond

the blue rubber duck had flown!

the gorse boundary - no butterflies or ladybirds today

usual view of the hide - but in the rain!

I sought dry refuge in the hide

from where I bird watched for quite some time

can you see the raindrops on the water?

there are a few new, green reeds showing through now

usual shot of "the reedy bend"

 near the path junction

and  what I now call "the new glade"

another sturdy nest box made by the scouts

and some useful information

perhaps  the sun will be back next week?

Feeling damp and chilly, I headed home for hot soup!

please click on photos to enlarge them

Ballachurry Reserve: Thursday morning, 10th April, 2025

spring woodland at Ballachurry Reserve

 

For the first time this year I was able to walk round the Reserve without a coat! Not a cloud in the sky and lovely warm sunshine. The strong wind which had bothered us for several days had finally gone and there were birds and butterflies everywhere! Here is my report:

Birds: 

SC210694   a very confiding pair or Chaffinches just inside the entrance gate.

SC209693 Blue Tit; Woodpigeon; Willow Warbler; Chiffchaff; Robin;  Pheasant heard not seen.

SC208694 Wood pigeon x 2; Magpie; Wren; 2 x Blue Tit foraging together; 2 x Goldfinch; Blackbird flying across; male & female Chaffinch; female Blackcap; Willow Warbler.

SC209694 ( hide) Mallard duck with 4 ducklings; joined by Mallard pair later; 7 further Mallard drakes flew in causing lots of noise and disruption;  further female Mallard came walking in close to hide, then flew off pursued by 2 of the drakes; 2 Magpies  drinking from pond and scrapping together; Blackbird; Pheasant heard not seen.

SC209694  ( elsewhere) male Blackcap  singing from willow; Great Tit;  Mallard pair on Dragonfly pond; Chiffchaff near dragonfly pond; Chiffchaff heard from Old School House garden; male Chaffinch holding fly which it later dropped;  pair of mating Chaffinch; 2 x Goldfinch;  2 x Blue Tit showing courtship behaviour near nest box; 2 x Robin together.

SC208695 ( on or near feeders) 2 x Blue Tit; 2 x Goldfinch; male Chaffinch; Dunnock.

SC209695 Robin in tree behind Bowman bench; 2 x Woodpigeon; Blackcap heard not seen; female Blackcap in oak tree; Goldfinch;

Butterflies:

SC209695 Small Tortoiseshell on dandelion.

SC209694 Small Tortoiseshell on dandelion; Peacock on dandelion; 2 x Speckled Wood together on wood chip path; Speckled Wood seen from hide.

SC208694  2 x Speckled Wood together near compost area; unidentified White flying.

SC208695 Speckled Wood.

Other:

SC209694 7-Spot Ladybird on wild raspberry leaf.

Sc209694 Gorse Shieldbug on Gorse.

SC208695 3 x Longtails under feeders.

SC210694 unidentified small flies on dandelion.

SC209694 unidentified small Hoverfly on dandelion.

Sc209693 Bird Cherry in flower.

SC208694 Hawthorn in flower.

 SC208694 Hogweed in flower.

 SC209694 Pond Skater x 2 on dragonfly pond

Willow Warbler singing as I arrived

another elsewhere

this one was near the bridge

same bird as above

first Willow Warbler still singing as I left

Magpies near the pond

this one came down to drink

Magpie elsewhere near the compost heaps

male Chaffinch

male Chaffinch near the entrance

and his missus

male Blackcap

female Blackcap

pair of Blue Tits near the boardwalk

Blue Tit enjoying peanuts

Dunnock near the feeders

Goldfinch

and another elsewhere

Great Tit among the willows

this one was singing from his song post

Robin

Woodpigeon near the bridge

 

and another  seen from the hide

Wren

a pair of Mallard on the water and another female on the grass

Mother Mallard - it was some time before I spotted she had  ducklings

she eventually brought them out onto the water

there were 4 altogether

they were busy feeding

and swimming

seven more drakes noisily flew in

 2 flew off after a lone female put in a late appearance

a photo of the label would be "a spoiler" on this unusual species of duck

 2 of 3 longtails under the feeders this week

7-spot Ladybird

Gorse Shieldbug

Pond Skater

where would insects "bee" without dandelions?

tiny flies on dandelion

 a Hoverfly on Celandine

Speckled Wood - they are quite camouflaged on woodchip

another Speckled Wood

Small Tortoiseshell

butterflies depend on Dandelions for early nectar too

Peacock Butterfly on dandelions

Bird Cherry now in flower

close up of Bird Cherry blossom

some early Hawthorn blossom

early Hogweed in flower

Marsh Marigolds in the meadow

Stitchwort in flower

a close up of the flowers

heading towards the bird feeders

note the cloudless sky!

bridge over into the willow wood

looking back along the boardwalk

usual view from the boardwalk

banks of stream now covered with Hemlock Water Dropwort

looking towards the compost heaps

and the other way into the willow wood

the ever increasing mudflat

lack of rain definitely apparent

usual view of hide

view from the hide ramp - what a beautiful day

"the reedy bend"

the dragonfly pond

when will the first damselfly appear, I wonder?

not long now, I imagine

the gorse boundary living up to its name

a shady route to the bridge

the damp meadow with rushes growing well now

another view of the meadow

the new glade

view towards the churchyard boundary

usual view of the boardwalk

Some timely reminders........

 

I was delighted to see some new nest boxes which have been made by the Scouts - just in time for the new nesting season. Hopefully they will soon have occupants.

 

an excellent morning's visit but time to go home now.....

bye bye Ballachurry

please click on photos to enlarge them