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| Santa lending a hand at Ballachurry Work Party |
A good number of volunteers turned up on Saturday to attack various winter tasks on the Reserve. Santa proved to be a dab hand at willow hedge laying! The rest of us built a dead hedge to screen the water near the path junction, attacked brambles and cleared ditches. We had been tempted to volunteer by the promise of mince pies and mulled wine later but I don't think any of us had expected the wonderful spread provided by David and Rob from the Wildlife Trust, which they had laid out in style in the meadow!
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| photo courtesy of David Bellamy |
We then rounded off the break by singing a few Christmas Carols before returning to finish our tasks. Thanks were due to the Church Warden of Rushen Parish Church (a long standing Ballachurry Basher!) for letting us borrow the song-sheets. We did our best to keep them mud-free!
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| photo courtesy of David Bellamy |
Before dispersing back to our tasks we thanked all those involved in organising the morning and providing the festivities. We also posed for the "official photograph" ! My thanks to David for allowing me to post his photos on the Blog.
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| photo courtesy of David Bellamy |
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| photo courtesy of David Bellamy |
Here is what we achieved during the morning
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| a good morning's work |
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| more clearance near the concrete bridge |
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| Brambles discouraged from their onward march |
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| willow hedge near the hide |
Despite the disturbance on the Reserve during the work party (not to mention our efforts to out-sing the birds with the Carols!) there was plenty of wildlife about. I had a Robin helping me all morning ( SC208695) and I saw a flock of Goldfinches and a couple of Blackbirds along the gorse boundary ( SC209694) The Water Rails, possibly 2 or even 3, were in good voice and other people saw a Snipe and a Heron at the end of the morning.
One of the volunteers found a couple of earthworms which she later identified as Bimastos eiseni and Dendrobaena veneta - both new records for the Reserve. Sue is an expert on this kind of thing and AI tells me that she is our very own Oligochaetoligt or Lumbricologist.(I think I'll just continue to call her Sue!) She also found what might to turn out to be a new Centipede for the Reserve and an alien flatworm which we knew about already.
With thanks to the Southern Group Committee, David Bellamy and Rob Fisher for organising the event and Peter Hayhurst for lending the song sheets.
please click on the photos to enlarge them
