Ballachurry Reserve: Tuesday morning, 23rd December, 2025.

nearly Christmas at Ballachurry Reserve

  

 A dry day was forecast for Tuesday so despite overcast skies I decided to make a final visit to the Reserve before Christmas. I was there by 9 a.m. and at first everything was very quiet. It was certainly a gloomy day and there seemed to be very few birds about. However, as the morning went on and the skies lightened a little I began to spot them. Judging by the number of alarm calls, the Blackbirds also spotted me!  Here is what I recorded: 

Birds:

 SC209694 ( hide)  Mallard pair in reeds at first, later swimming and feeding. Blue Tit feeding among the reeds; Goldcrest feeding among the reeds and in the willows later; Sparrowhawk flew over the pond at low level; Blackbird on path near the hide.

SC209694 ( elsewhere) Male Blackbird flew across from near Ginnie's bench as I arrived at the reserve;  2 x Blackbirds flew across reserve together;  Blackbird flew across path junction at low level; Wren near dragonfly pond, another in vegetation along Gorse Boundary; Woodcock flushed from beside path on Gorse Boundary; Blue Tit; 2 x Robins together flew across path; Great Tit; Song Thrush, Robin, Greenfinch, and Chaffinch all at the path junction on the ground; 

 SC209693 Blackbird heard not seen.

 SC208694 Wren near the bridge; Water Rail heard not seen; Robin near the boardwalk; male Blackbird near boardwalk.

SC208695 ( on or near feeders) 2 x Blue Tit; Dunnock; Great Tit; Robin x 2;  4 x Chaffinch; male Blackbird flew across close to boundary, another sitting in tree with feeders; 3 x Goldfinch; Wren; 3 x Long-tailed Tit on feeders, also in trees nearby; Coal Tit;  Great Spotted Woodpecker working its way up the branches of the Sycamore tree with the feeders. When it reached the top it flew away; female Blackbird on the path.

SC209694 ( outside reserve in field) 3 female or juvenile blackbirds together down on the ground.

Other:

 SC209694 Redlead Roundhead fungi  on the path near the hide, going over but 1 new one coming through nearby.

SC208695 the sturdy stipes of the Pestle Puffballs  soldier on. 

SC209694 The Marsh Marigold in the dragonfly pond has put up new leaves. 

Chaffinch & Greenfinch at the path junction

Robin on the old Beehive Loop (NB Grid ref should be SC208695)

it was joined by Long-tailed Tits  (NB Grid ref should be SC208695)

 

which visited the feeders too - note ring

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Chaffinch & Goldfinch

Robin beneath feeders

Chaffinch

another Robin elsewhere

Mallards seen from the hide

Goldfinches

Great Spotted Woodpecker.........

doing the splits? no, it's a twig!

it was a lovely early Christmas present for me!

The Redlead Roundheads were looking very red indeed!

the Pestle Puffballs go on and on

fresh Marsh Marigold leaves on the dragonfly pond

with leaves off the trees we can see the nests

first photo of the day

always a sense of expectation on entering the reserve

I took my usual route

which was wetter than ever - usual view of hide

I think the orange colour is some kind of algae

the flood was deeper than ever!

usual view from the ramp

the mud flat and stream entering the pond

 a  Blue Tit and a Goldcrest were hunting insects in these reeds

looking through the side shutter

the meadow from the bridge

and from near the hide

and looking back from the boardwalk

usual view of the boardwalk

the stream still in full flow

usual view from the boardwalk

the boardwalk on rather a gloomy day

but the gorse makes a bright splash

in summer the stream vanishes beneath the vegetation

a bit too damp and chilly for sitting on the bench

but there were a few birds in the vicinity

heading for the path junction 

and onwards towards the hide

the willow wood

very quiet near the compost area today

the reed bed 

and the reed bed  channel

heading for the bird feeders

And finally......

 

please click on photos to enlarge them

Ballachurry Reserve: Friday afternoon, 19th December, 2025.

winter sunshine at Ballachurry Reserve

 The Water Rail was in full voice when I arrived at Ballachurry at 1.30 p.m. on Friday.  The call was coming not, as you might have expected, from the reed bed or pond but from a brambly patch near the path junction. I hovered, but it did not emerge. I think the flooded conditions are probably to its liking. Here is what else I recorded:

Birds:

SC209693 Goldfinch x 5 flying over;  2 x Song Thrush flew up and away from vegetation; 2 x Robins having a dispute; male Blackbird.

SC208695 ( on or near feeders) at least 5 x Blue Tit; Goldfinch; Chaffinch; at least 3 Great Tit; Tree Creeper ( I think only the third I've seen at Ballachurry since 2010!) Blackbird.

SC209694 Water Rail heard not seen; Blackbird heard not seen; Robin; Song Thrush; 14 x  Jackdaws + Hooded Crow in Churchyard trees,  seen from hide. Blue Tit seen from hide.

SC208694 5 x Long-tailed Tit; Sparrowhawk came out of willow wood  and flew low over meadow;  3 x Great Tit flying over,  2 in tree; Magpie flying over; Blue Tit feeding in Alder by boardwalk; Robin in gorse bush.

Acrobatic Blue Tit in Alder by the boardwalk

the feeders were extremely busy - I counted at least 5 Blue Tits

Robin in the gorse bush near the Bridge

Tree Creeper 

 

it was in the Sycamore tree which has the feeders

the light was fading so it was hard to photograph

just as acrobatic as a Blue Tit

Now, come a walk around the reserve with me.........

the path that runs parallel to the road is flooded on both sides

the reedy bend has a few puddles

but near the path junction there is extensive flooding

ankle deep in places, and possibly caused by the proximity of the pond

usual view of the hide - no shutters left open this afternoon

safely through the puddles, it is a little dryer at the path junction

looking towards the new glade

the new glade from over the dead hedge

 the new glade from the gorse boundary

I always take a photo from the ramp when arriving at the hide

through the shutters,

 no sign of the Mallards today

in fact, very few birds seen from the hide

back out in the wintry sunshine I walked through the meadow

the stream is still very full

and water was pouring over the dam

I headed for the bridge ahead

and crossed over into the Willow Wood

view back along the stream from the bridge

and looking the other way into the reed bed

the reed bed from the Willows - note blue sky!

I used to call the willows "the deep, dark wood" - not any more

fresh storm damage since my last visit

 

the "unofficial pond" grows larger week by week

the end of the path through the willows with the pond beyond

back across the bridge I headed for the boardwalk

glancing back towards the hide across the meadow

usual view from the boardwalk

looking back the way I've come

the boardwalk keeps us dry-shod!

at this point we can turn left into the old beehive loop path

the Sycamore tree at the end has the feeders

birch and willow provide a good habitat for fungi here

the low sun was picking out the tops of the trees

looking back from the Bowman bench

a good flow of water coming into the reserve at this point

the stream flowing back towards the boardwalk

next, along the gorse boundary path

looking back

and looking forward

the dragonfly pond tranquil as usual

although I heard the Water Rail near here

bright green Hemlock Water Dropwort growing strongly already

After a brief sojourn at the hide I made a second circuit

at 3.15 the light was already fading - bird in silhouette

and I couldn't make out what was

sun going down, seen from the old beehive loop

,

back in the hide I watched the sun sink behind the trees

the colours changing

from minute to minute

the temperature was also falling

so I headed home past the reed bed

To close here is a short video of the Tree Creeper

 Whether or not I visit the Reserve again before Christmas depends on the weather, but I have my fingers crossed!

please click on the photos to enlarge them