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| Ballachurry Reserve on a lovely spring day - can you spot something new? |
Tuesday was forecast to be a beautiful Spring day and so it proved to be. Unfortunately, I had an appointment mid-morning so couldn't visit Ballachurry Reserve until 11.30, which was quite frustrating.. Since my last visit there had been some hard work going on - more willows coppiced and I spotted 3 new nest boxes. Here is my report:
Birds:
SC210694 House Sparrow heard from hedge; 2 x Woodpigeon flying over.
SC209693 male Chaffinch; Robin.
SC209694 ( hide) Long-tailed Tit on the hide; Mallard drake on the water; Wren foraging among the reeds, another heard at same time close to hide; Goldcrest in vegetation at the back of the pond.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) male Pheasant close to pond near path junction; male & female Chaffinch together near Ginnie's Bench site; Robins in several locations; Blackbird seen in two locations; Blue Tit flying through; Wren; Goldcrest; Dunnock; Buzzard.
SC208694 Blackbird alarm call from Willows; Long-tailed Tit in the willows ; Chaffinch heard not seen; Blue Tit; Goldcrest; Robin.
SC208695 ( feeders) 2 x Great Tit; 2 x Robin; 3 x Blue Tit; 2 x male Chaffinch +1 female; 2 x Greenfinch; 2 x Goldfinch.
SC209695 Great Tit; male Chaffinch.
Other:
SC209694 Peacock Butterfly ( first butterfly I have seen this year)
SC209694 6 x large Spiders in bird hide ( Tegeneria? to be confirmed)
SC209694 Frog heard croaking but not seen.
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| Is it a bird? Is it a plane? The plane flew just beneath the Buzzard...... |
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| which later came down and circled over the reserve |
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| Mallard Drake - he was bathing and preening....... |
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| and feeding too |
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| Great Tit |
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| Goldfinch |
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| Greenfinches |
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| Blue Tit |
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| Robin near the feeders |
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| there were two |
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| this one was under the ashes |
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| and this one on the gorse boundary |
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| this one was near the "reedy bend" |
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| I was surprised to see this Long-tailed Tit on the hide |
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| searching for insects no doubt |
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| first Peacock butterfly of the year |
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| there were Greater Water Boatmen in the dragonfly pond |
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| tadpoles developing in the frogspawn |
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| I counted 6 of these large spiders in the hide |
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| Celandines enjoying the sunshine |
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| Primroses just over the boundary |
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| Blackthorn in full flower |
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| and the gorse too |
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| the path parallel to the road |
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| usual shot of the reeds |
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| and the flooded path |
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| it will take a long time to dry out, I think |
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| it was from here that I photographed the Long-tailed Tit on the hide |
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| coppiced willow awaiting the next work party |
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| through the hide shutters |
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| looking the other way |
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| view from the ramp - those clouds soon cleared away |
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| vegetation along stream now growing fast |
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| meadow from near the hide |
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| meadow from near the bridge |
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| a clear blue sky at last! |
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| the coppiced willow area |
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| the usual views |
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| still rather muddy |
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| heading for the boardwalk now |
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| against the sun, looking back |
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| over the stream and... |
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| the usual view from the boardwalk |
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| the ash walk |
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| and apple trees on right hand side |
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| usual views of the pond |
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| hopefully not too long now until we start seeing the damselflies! |
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| heading back towards the gate now |
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| looking back from near the noticeboard as I leave |
And finally, pictures of the new nest boxes. Hopefully they will be occupied this spring.
With thanks to Rob Fisher of the Manx Wildlife Trust for his recent hard work on the Reserve.
please click on photos to enlarge them
