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| Friday afternoon at Ballachurry Reserve |
Friday afternoon was my first ( and last) opportunity to visit the Reserve this week. I arrived in sunshine at 1.30 and immediately saw a Peacock Butterfly and there were bumble bees zooming round in the pussy willow. Chaffinches were singing and there was a spring in my step as I headed for the hide. But alas! By the time I reached it the sky had clouded over and thereafter the sunshine was only intermittent. At one point I had to hotfoot it back to the hide as it began spitting and spotting with rain and by the time I left at 3.30 the rain had definitely arrived. Nevertheless, I had enjoyed my afternoon visit. Here is what I recorded:
Birds:
SC209694 ( hide) Goldcrest; Mallard drake; Moorhen; Wren; Chaffinch heard not seen; Greenfinch; Chiffchaff; Pheasant heard not seen; Goldfinch x 3.
SC209694 ( elsewhere) male & female Chaffinch; Woodpigeon flying over; Goldfinch.
SC210694 Goldfinch.
SC209693 Robin; Chaffinch heard not seen; Great Tit; Pheasant heard not seen.
Sc208694 Blue Tit x 2; Chaffinch; female Blackbird; Great Tit.
SC208695 ( feeders) Blue Tit x 2; male Chaffinch; Goldfinch; Pheasant.
SC208695 ( elsewhere) Great Tit x 2.
Other:
SC209694 Peacock butterfly.
Sc209694 and throughout reserve, unidentified Bumble Bees.
SC209694 ( dragonfly pond) 3 x Pond Skater; 2 x Whirligig Beetles; Diving Beetle; Tadpoles have now dispersed throughout the pond.
SC208694 Marsh Marigolds in flower in the meadow.
SC208694 Herb Robert in flower under the willows.
SC208694 Coppiced Willows re-sprouting
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| Blue Tit in the pussy willows |
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| Chiffchaff |
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| Great Tit |
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| Blue Tit enjoying sunflower hearts |
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| female Chaffinch |
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| distant shot of a Greenfinch |
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| Moorhen |
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| it was feeding along the edge of the pond for some time |
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| Mallard drake seen through side shutter |
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| it too was feeding |
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| Peacock butterfly |
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| Pond Skater |
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| Tadpoles |
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| Marsh Marigolds in the meadow |
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| Herb Robert |
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| the coppiced willows are sprouting afresh |
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| still muddy! |
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| looking towards the compost area |
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| and back the other way |
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| entrance to the willow copse -looking very spring-like |
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| no Mallard at this point |
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| usual views of the hide |
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| the view from the ramp when the sun came back out |
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| usual views through the shutters |
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| sunlit corner |
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| taken from the Bowman Memorial bench |
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| looking back towards the meadow |
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| everywhere is greening up very rapidly now |
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| I made the most of a sunny interval to re-take earlier photos! |
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| grey skies for this one.... |
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| the sunshine makes everything more cheerful |
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| this was my first photo from the boardwalk |
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| and this was second time around! |
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| not too long to wait for the first damselflies now🤞 |
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| gorse possibly at its best right now |
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| still no gorse Shieldbugs though |
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| stream vanishing behind the Hemlock Water Dropwort |
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| awaiting April's work party? |
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| I fear the pond may be overflowing onto this path in wet weather |
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| this section is marginally drier though |
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| we all know what this is for! |
The next work party is scheduled for Easter Saturday between 10 and 1p.m. Volunteers are always welcome.
My next visit to the reserve will be in April. I am looking forward to the return of more summer migrants and more butterflies.
please click on photos to enlarge them
