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| the Ballachurry stream, visible again following last Saturday's Work Party |
Tuesday dawned damp and drizzly and the same gloomy forecast pertained for the rest of the week too. Should I stay home and do the ironing or put on some waterproofs and go to Ballachurry? No contest really! I arrived at the reserve at exactly 9 a.m. and as I was putting on my wellies noticed a huge flock of 60 to 70 birds flying over in the general direction of the Southern Amenity Site. I hadn't yet got my binoculars or camera out of the car so could only guess what they were. Winter Thrushes perhaps? They seemed to be silent, so no clues there either. As I walked through the reserve gate I felt I wanted to turn on the light, it was so gloomy and the first time I used the camera it urged me to "raise the flash" ! Clearly it was not going to be butterfly weather but I did see a good selection of birds during the morning. Here is what I noted:
Birds:
SC209694 ( hide) male Chaffinch; Robin; Pheasant heard not seen; 5 x Jackdaws flying over; Wren; male Blackcap; Siskin; 2 x Long-tailed Tit; Woodpigeon on earth bank just outside hide + 4 in Churchyard trees; 2 x Song Thrush; Chiffchaff.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) Great Tit; 2 x Blackbirds drinking from dragonfly pond; 3 x Blackbirds on path near the hide; 2 Blackbirds on path along the gorse boundary; 3 x Blackbirds seen in the new glade; other Blackbirds seen flying across the reserve from time to time; Wren; Jackdaw flying over; 2 x Goldcrest; Chiffchaff; Robin x 2; Magpie; 2 x Mallard flying over; 2 x Goldfinch and a male Chaffinch bathing in the newly cleared stream.
SC209693 Wren, Blackbird and Robin heard not seen. Water Rail heard from reed bed.
SC208694 Robin; Jack Snipe flushed from newly cleared stream near boardwalk; Goldcrest x 2.
SC208695 Coal Tit on peanut feeder; Robin x 2; Great Tit; Song Thrush; Wren.
Other:
No new fungi noted, although that photographed last week is still there.
SC208694 Net-marked Parmelia Lichen (Parmelia sulcata) growing on bridge handrail.
SC209694 several pond snails on apples floating in the dragonfly pond.
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| Song Thrush bottom right aggressively sent off the other one..... |
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| then proudly held the territory for some time |
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| it did not appear to be feeding on the sloes |
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| a Blackbird was close by |
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| Blackbird on hide roof flew down to join 2 others on track |
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| one of three Blackbirds on track near the hide |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| I couldn't decide which photo to use |
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| so have put all of them in! |
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| it was moving about in the vegetation near the hide |
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| male Chaffinch enjoying a refreshing bath in the stream |
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| likewise his Missus |
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| Goldfinches too - it's a popular bathing spot |
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| this Goldcrest had particularly bright colours |
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| in fact, I checked it wasn't a Firecrest! |
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| Coal Tit |
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| Magpie |
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| Robins were nearly as prolific as the Blackbirds |
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| when I re-entered the hide I spotted this Woodpigeon |
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| seen through the side shutter |
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| Apple Bobbing Season perhaps? |
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| the tiny snails were enjoying them |
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| so I left them in the water |
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| Parmelia sulcata starting to grow on the bridge handrail |
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| very dull weather for my visit |
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| no trace of blue sky to come |
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| the bird hide from the usual spot |
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| and from near the path junction |
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| looking through the shutters at the drizzle |
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| and in the other direction |
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| through the side shutter |
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| view from the ramp -it's still drizzling a little! |
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| the stream to the pond had been cleared |
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| and the dam was working well |
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| dam seen from the other side |
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| the meadow |
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| and from a different angle |
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| usual view of the boardwalk |
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| looking back towards the hide |
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| view from boardwalk - hills blotted out by mist |
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| the cleared stream near the boardwalk |
I was trying to remember whether I had taken a picture of the stream before or after I flushed the Jack Snipe. In fact I'd done both. So I enlarged the first one and scrutinised it intently. Sure enough I had captured the bird before it flushed! No wonder I had not noticed it! Perfectly camouflaged in the vegetation! Jack Snipe flush late, go off straight rather than zigzag and don't tend to call as they go. Next week I shall have my camera at the ready and my eyes peeled!
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| the bird is just below the black arrow |
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| you can tell it's watching me! |
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| it's now much easier to watch the bathing birds |
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| autumn colours along the path to the hide |
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| usual view of the dragonfly pond |
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| and from the other side |
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| taken near the private entrance |
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| the new glade from the gorse boundary |
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| the reed bed looking rather flattened by recent weather |
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| and also cleared by volunteers |
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| view from the bridge, water flowing well |
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| web hung with raindrops |
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| lovely autumn Birch and bracken |
and here to finish are two short videos of the birds bathing in the stream
The Volunteers on Saturday had worked very hard to clear the streams of fallen vegetation, so it was lovely to see the wildlife - Jack Snipe and bathing birds - enjoying the renovated facilities!
please click on photos to enlarge them
