Simply Superb Swans

Council out of Sync

2012-01-27T19:14:00.010Z

Our resident Swans are biding their time and enjoying relaxed days on the island and river. This week saw the return of one cygnet at the river mouth but flew off when approached by the parents. I notice that there are now 3 moorhens on the island, as well as the Pintail and mallard ducks. The Council have again shown that they are out of sync with the local wildlife, by cutting back all the dense growth beside the old gasworks site and around the harbour toilets . This dense growth was shelter and a food source for lots of small birds including the Robin which was pictured on this blog earlier. Why the hell they cut it now instead of the end of February or early March, shows lack of care and consideration for our local birdlife. It is still mid winter and the birds need the food and shelter ! It's time the parks dept got their pruning schedule for these sort of areas re-organised !

New Visitor - Update

2012-01-23T18:40:00.012Z

The Muscovy duck appears to have been moved off the island by the Swans and was sitting on the rocks off the west pier this morning. It seems very tame and used to people, so probably was someone's pet or on a farm.
It can also fly which is great, and more likely to avoid danger. If someone is missing their duck, maybe they would like to retrieve, and take it home ?

I had reports of an unusual bird up river before Christmas, and from the description I guessed it was either a Muscovy or Mandarin duck. Today, the answer appeared on the Swans Island and my first guess was right - It is indeed a Muscovy duck. I suspect it has either escaped from some farm or perhaps someone's pet that has been let loose ? Muscovy Ducks are generally farmed as a domestic species, and originate from Mexico and South America. I hope it can fly, because the 4 Khaki Campbell ducks introduced into the harbour a few months ago, were either killed or taken within 10 days, because they were unable to fly away from danger. Birds that have clipped wings and put into a wild environment will easily fall prey to mink, otters and dogs ! Whoever put these species into the wild should take note !!

Island Haven

2012-01-22T18:45:00.006Z

Regular visitors to the Swans Island now include the pair of Moorhens that take advantage of the spare wheat grain that I scatter around the island edges. I see them almost on a daily basis at some time or another. The island is used by all the water birds at some point over the year, and I have seen many species since first built in 2007, these include heron, mallard, lapwing, redshank, oyster catcher, turnstones, tufted duck, widgeon, shag, goosander and mergansers. Smaller birds like the Goldfinch occasionally feed on the wildflower seeds. These are dependent on the tides and time of year, but it's nice to see them whatever the season. A regular visitor to my garden just now is a jackdaw with white wing feathers !

Earthflight Excellence

2012-01-19T22:54:00.006Z

The New BBC series on Birds, "Earthflight" was again absolutely stunning tonight. So far I have missed half of them but will see them all one way or another. The filming and photography is breathtaking and a real eye opener on the fantastic world of birds. With all the pathetic TV programs on offer, it is again the natural world that grabs you by the throat and screams - "What a wonderful world" at us. If you haven't seen it yet make a point of doing so - makes the human race look ordinary ! Check out the clips on this link . http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018xsc1/clips

The Real Goldeneye

2012-01-18T20:19:00.006Z

I think whoever first named the Goldeneye, was maybe looking at a Tufted duck at the time !

The eyes of the Tufted duck are one of it's most striking features....along with that fabulous tuft!

Well Earned Rest

2012-01-16T22:51:00.005Z

After 8 months of devotion and care of the cygnets, our resident swans are finally having a well earned rest. Enjoying the winter sunshine, they are patrolling their domain and preening in the icy waters of the harbour. The goosanders and mergansers are also on the go, searching for whatever small fish they can find.

Blog Problem

2012-01-14T13:16:00.003Z

Apologies to anyone trying to view my blog comments using internet explorer. Apparently clicking on the comments freezes the screen, so I have had to work round this by changing the embedded comments to a popup. The problem has been caused by blogger.com who have added more options - they are apparently working on resolving the problem . Meanwhile using chrome or firefox browsers, I am told have no problem with the comments page freezing . Please continue viewing as normal.

On the Swan side, after 8 months the last cygnet left on the 12th January and the parents are now enjoying the luxury and peace of the river to themselves. Recharging the batteries until the spring.

Happy Success !

2012-01-13T21:55:00.003Z

Tonight's screening of "Happy" finished with spontaneous applause from the audience, and rightly so ! Like everyone else I was touched and impressed with this documentary style film by Roko Belic. It covered a lot of Psychology on the effects of happiness and how this can be achieved. From studies it appears that 50% of our genetic makeup already determines if we are of a happy disposition or not, and 40% can be created by ourselves and how we live our lives. Only 10% is determined by wealth and other factors.

I was a little disappointed by the turnout, but 35 happy souls at least covered the cost of the hall and film hire etc, and I will send a donation to Action for happiness of whats left over.

My thanks to all those who turned up and enjoyed the film, maybe Cinema Nairn will bring it back one day for another viewing.

See Happy - Be Happy !

2012-01-12T18:11:00.001Z

The DVD film of Happy has arrived, and will be shown in the Nairn Community centre this Friday at 7-30 pm. Admission £5 per adult and half price for under 18s. Happy is a documentary style film which took over 5 years to make by Roco Belic, an academy nominated award film director. It explores the secrets of Happiness and what we can all do to have a happier life. Why not start the New Year on a positive note and see the film ? This is a one off showing, so I hope there will be a good turnout. Proceeds will go to the Young Foundation Charity.

Carbon Copy Re-run

2012-01-11T13:51:00.005Z

In what appears to be a re - run of last year, all the cygnets bar one have gone today. It makes you wonder if the Swans have a built in Gregorian calendar ! The conditions are similar to last year with benign seas and high pressure building, optimum for cygnet departure. The parents are on the lookout patrolling the estuary, while the last remaining cygnet enjoyed some wheat and carrots.

On Patrol - With Insurance

2012-01-10T20:19:00.011Z

The Nairn Swans have adopted a two strand approach to safeguarding their territory. They have deposited the cygnets in the river around the island, and placed themselves in the harbour to keep any intruders out ! They have regular patrols down to the estuary on the lookout for the intruder cob, whilst the cygnets keep out of their way up river. This is a pretty good strategy and insurance to show that the territory is occupied !

Cygnet Backup !

2012-01-08T16:04:00.001Z

In a remarkable turnaround since the Friday departure of the cygnets, the pen has brought them back to save the territory and her mate ! Another large older Cob has come in and tried to take over on the same day that the cygnets left. I think he partially succeeded by the look of our Cob who has several marks to his bill and was pretty exhausted on Friday. I think the Pen realised that they had chased the cygnets too soon and brought them back yesterday, accompanied by the Intruder cob ! She gave him the brush off and took the cygnets up river calling for her mate at the same time. Over the last 2 years another Cob has come in each January but the cygnets being around stopped any takeover bid. Our Swans were a little too quick to get rid of them this year which resulted in a serious fight between the cobs. Today the family are together again and crawling all over the island in a show of unity and strength.The pen is shrewd and very much the boss on this river. ( short video of pen and cygnets in the harbour with the intruder, who was left as they looked for their Dad.)

Cygnets Gone !

2012-01-06T18:09:00.006Z

Last night our resident Swan family gathered under the bailey bridge, sheltering from a ferocious and cutting wind. After giving them a feed, I took a pic knowing it might be the last chance. Today there was no sign of the cygnets, and the parents only turned up together this evening. It looks as though our cygnets have finally gone, I was told that there is a flock of 30 to 40 cygnets at Ardersier. With the wind coming from that direction it is likely that our lot will have joined them for life's great adventure ! This evening Our resident pair had already started their pre mating ritual in anticipation of the spring, this is the earliest I have ever observed them doing this. (short video below.) This has been the most successful year yet for the Nairn swans, with all 9 cygnets reared to adulthood. Although winter is not yet over, the cygnets have built up enough reserves to survive whatever comes now.

The Pen is Mightier......Than the Pen !

2012-01-05T13:50:00.019Z

In a remarkable bit of action today, our Pen showed what a great mate and Mother she is ! The stormy weather had driven another adult Pen into the river for shelter, it may even have been our previous resident pen and seemed familiar with the river and island. There was also 7 of our cygnets and the recent incomer too. The pen that was seeking a rest was challenged by ours, but was reluctant to leave the shelter of the river and chased around the island several times. At one point a cygnet joined in the chase but our Pen was the most aggressive and kept pouncing on the reluctant visitor. The visitor scrambled on top of the nest site, but this was the final straw for our pen who pounced on the visitors back knocking it to the ground ! It proceeded to bite the visitor several times on the neck until the visitor dropped it's head turned looked at our pen, showing complete submission. With that, our Pen let it get up and scramble down into the water away from the family of cygnets. Surprisingly our cob was a bystander during all this action, and he watched as our pen marched the visitor away from the island some 20 yards or so. She came back to the cob who paid homage to her strength by reinforcing the bonding stance and giving the deep grunting sound. Our pen was satisfied that the visitor was no longer a threat and left it in peace just upriver from the island. Seems that female Swans are not that different from female humans..."hell hath no fury..."

Expulsion Put on Hold

2012-01-03T18:17:00.006Z

The bad weather has put the cygnets expulsion on hold for the time being, athough the parents are still keeping them on edge. The three that had been sent to sea yesterday were allowed back today. The tides are not suitable for grazing on the seaweed this week - it should change by the weekend.

Then There Was Three

2012-01-02T23:57:00.002Z

A trip down the river tonight revealed only three cygnets with the parents, and being harassed at that. Looks like they have managed to expel four today. Will be interesting to see how things go tomorrow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR....for some !

2012-01-01T13:28:00.008Z

The Cygnets are still being hounded by the parents, and we are now down to 6 in the harbour this morning. The other big male is still being singled out and made to leave the river time and again. I get the impression that the parents are chasing the males who have been canoodling with their sisters, so not such a happy new year for them ! The parents are often alone and have already made the break from their offspring, it's just down to the weather as to when they decide to push them out for good.

Cygnet Rescue

2011-12-30T12:52:00.014Z

One of our cygnets had a narrow escape after clipping a bridge and crash landing this morning. I was alerted by Council workers who came to my door to tell me a cygnet was on the road on the Town brae. I asked them to either bring the cygnet to me or keep the traffic from hitting it until I got down there. Thanks to the Council workmen they brought the Cygnet to me and I put it in the garden to check it out. It had blood on it's foot from a small skin cut and a grazed leg joint, other than that it seemed OK. I checked each wing and they were OK, and was walking around the garden trying to find a way out. The injuries appeared superficial and It was anxious to get back to the family, so I called my friend with a car and took it back down to the river. After release the family joined it in the harbour, with the parents harassing it - this caused the accident in the first place when they chased it up river over the bridge ! However when I left them a short while ago, all had calmed down and they were leaving it in peace. This is a dangerous time for cygnets when it's time for them to leave home, the parents chase them until they take flight, but they are still inexperienced flyers and sometimes hit wires or bridges ! My thanks to the Council workmen who did the right thing by our swans, well done !

Some Swan Favourites

2011-12-29T01:10:00.010Z

Having taken hundreds of cygnet pics this year, and with this brood about to leave soon. I thought this would be a good time to show you a few of this years personal favourites.

Bonding

2011-12-27T21:18:00.008Z

The Swan parents are turning up the heat on the cygnets, but still not serious about getting them out of the river...yet ! The incomer has now been in the river for 5 days but not so intimidated that he stays away. I watched today as the cob flexed his wings, and some of the Cygnets had a bonding session. I think it was Lefty who was the star attraction, and even went up to the nest site for maybe a last look around. It crossed my mind that maybe somewhere in it's genes/DNA, it was embedding a reference point for the future....who knows ?

Nairn Swans 2011 Review

2011-12-25T13:51:00.007Z

Last January started with a swan family of 4 surviving Cygnets still with us, the parents kept them as insurance keeping other squatters out of their territory. It was a much harder winter than we've had so far this year, with frost and snow last November. The parents finally decided to chase the cygnets out prior to the spring arriving and made their final move on the 12th January. The cygnets did try to return on the 15th but were escorted back to sea, lovely to see them in flight,
http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/01/nairn-swans-home-alonenot-quite.html .The Cygnets stayed close to home for the next 3 weeks along the west beach feeding on seaweed at low tide and were in excellent condition due to the good feeding I provided over the winter. The first week of February, three of the cygnets disappeared and left the young pen that had previously been injured by fishing tackle earlier in the year. She stayed around the west beach for another couple of weeks alone, and I started to feed her again because the tide did not suit her feeding from the rocks. She was a beautiful bird just like her Mum and trusted me greatly, and I knew she would probably join the first group of Cygnets that passed by. Sure enough a group of six or so passed overhead heading towards Ardersier and the young pen eagerly took off and joined them on life's great journey.

Meanwhile life on the river carried on with the tufted ducks in abundance last winter, and beautiful they were too! Steven my pet seagull friend was living outdoors throughout the winter and he withstood bone chilling nights at -12 degrees. With the Cygnets gone the Cob and pen settled down to a normal life again, and Incredibly started mating towards the end of January. This was the earliest I have ever seen them canoodling.
http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/01/swans-mating-again.html The January court case of the guy who pushed me into the river was again put back, because his mate did not show up. The court handling of the case was abysmal, and when due again in March, the same thing again - only this time the Sheriff ended the case by letting him off without any hearing whatsoever ! The Police did a great job but the criminals it seems are allowed to dictate whether a case goes ahead or not - simply by not turning up and ignoring the courts ! I still have the option of a civil action for damages .
http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/01/avoiding-beak.html . February saw a bit more Mating from the swans, and a Sparrow hawk strike on a pigeon in the Harbour ! http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/02/sparrowhawk-strike.html . March saw final pairing of the Mallards and many dispersing up river to mate and nest, While the Swans were at it again in the harbour, http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/03/harbour-mates.html. Nesting began in earnest, and April was one of the warmest on record, we all thought, Wow what a summer it's going to be !

Sometimes I get the chance to play the hero and rescue some birds - a mother duck lost 3 of her ducklings in the harbour, by the time I got my rescue gear, one had been taken by a gull. I managed to catch and return the others to a grateful Mum.

http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/04/satisfaction-guaranteed.html

Steven was now with me for 9 months and I had all but given up on him ever being able to fly. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/04/steven-seagael.html .

Ducklings started to appear and one mother had nested just a few feet from the swans nest,I think they watched each other for a month before the duck took 14 ducklings to the moat. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/04/ignorance-kills.html .

A mink eradiction program started and I contacted the water Bailiff for some traps to be put on the lower river. A mink had established itself within the harbour and was killing everything it could catch!http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/05/mink-eradication.html .
At last the big day arrived for the Cygnets to hatch, I had predicted a minimum of 7 with a max of 9. What joy when 9 took to the water with Mum !

http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/05/swan-island-success.html .
There were a few narrow escapes whe a hoodie crow nearly got one of the cygnets, then another occasion when one of the tiny cygnets could not battle against the current and was washed downstream. On this occasion I happened to be on hand and watched over the wee one until mum and the family came to the rescue !http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/05/lostand-found.html .

I received many positive comments on the success of the river wildlife, particularly from some Nairnites who recalled how there were no ducks on the river when they were young, and how great it was to see them flourishing now. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/05/cost-of-success.html . June saw yet more poor weather, and another near disaster with two cygnets getting caught up in fishing line.

http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/06/lethal-reminder.html Alerted by the public I again came to the rescue, but got a wing beating for my efforts ! I resolved to get some signs erected at the harbour entrance to lessen the chances of the swans being injured. After some minor arguments the Council finally erected 3 signs, one of which I paid for as a token of goodwill. Many ducklings were being killed by the Mink and I was delighted when finally the culprit was caught. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/06/gotcha.html .

July saw the cygnets thriving but one of them was starting to worry me a bit due to a distortion of the left wing. I started to suspect it was a condition called "angel wing", where due to rapid growth of the flight feathers the wing tissue is not strong enough to support the weight, and the wing starts to tilt outwards. This can lead to deformity that can deprive the cygnet of eventual flight. After consulting my avian Adviser and a vet, they agreed that it was developing angel wing. I decided to treat it at home since there was no other way of doing it safely. I bandaged the wing into the correct position being careful not to cut off the blood supply, provided a paddling pool in the garden and hoped for the best ! http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/07/angel-delight.html . After 4 days I removed the bandage and was delighted to see the wing growing in the correct position, a geat result ! http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/07/lefty-is-put-right.html . My big fear was for the parents to reject the cygnet after a five day absence, It was unfounded for it was welcomed back to the fold with jubilation !

http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/07/reunited.html .Meanwhile the summer just got worse and worse, the rain washed out the golf competition and all the weed in the river, depriving the Swans of their food supply and contaminating the usual areas ! http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/07/brown-flag-again.html . Steps are supposedly being taken to rectify this problem, we'll see.

The last July duck brood on the lower river hatched and were all killed within a few days, which was heartbreaking - some were hybrids from previous mixed broods. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/07/dead-and-alive.html . August was full of action and lots going on. Overall duck numbers were down in spite of initial good broods appearing, many adults that had gone up river never returned and I suspect foul play was the cause. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/08/duck-numbers-down.html . This was also the month when Steven my Seagull friend of 13 months finally flew over the garden gate and landed on the road, the time had come to let him go! I took him to the central beach on a windy day and watched as he took his first real flight into the wind. I was a bit choked to walk away and leave him heading for the flock of gulls on the shoreline. Two days later he turned up in the river, I am hoping he has survived but I know he at least had 13 months of life with me and my dog ! http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/08/steven-seagael-makes-my-day.html . The council nearly caused a disaster by cutting riverside vegetation that allowed the cygnets close to the riverside path. If someone had come along with a loose dog it could have spelt death for one or more of the cygnets ! It also deprived the small birds of bramble bush cover that was also cut down.

http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/08/nairn-swans-put-at-risk.html . I had a spat with our local vets too, after taking in a seagull with a broken leg to be fixed, with express instructions not to have it put to sleep ! They did in fact put it to sleep with no reference to me at all....I was Livid ! I had some success this year by saving several injured birds, but sadly some I could not save, especially a young puffin I thought was an Auk - which was a rarity to this shoreline. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/09/little-auk-dies.html . September is the main learning- to - fly month, and I got the occasional shot of them flying up river.

http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/09/we-have-lift-off.html .

We also had a few new visitors this year like the Pintail Drake, Wigeon, and Canada geese. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-arrivals.html . November brought a misty scene to the river and I caught a few interesting shots. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/11/mistical-island.html . It also brought one of the biggest November tides, due to extreme low pressure north of us. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/11/cygnet-and-seal.html . There are nearly 180 other postings on my blog this year, too many to mention here so I would suggest you trawl back and feast your eyes on some of my pics at your leisure. The current situation regarding our Swans, looks like they are on the verge of chasing the cygnets away a little earlier than last year, due to the milder weather I reckon. I tried my hand at movie making and a compilation film of the Nairn Swans can be viewed here,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Iyer7-U6w&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

I have been a member of Action for Happiness for a year now, and hope that my blog has given some of you a little happiness too. If you can manage, why not get along to the Nairn Community and Arts centre on Friday January the 13th at 7-30pm and see happy the film - It's inspirational , so I'm told. Have a Happy New Year !

Getting the Wind Up

2011-12-24T18:13:00.004Z

The young cob incomer is still hanging in there, and remains in the river for a third day running. Our resident adults escort it above the Merryton bridge and then leave it alone....until it comes below the bridge line ! The process of chasing all the cygnets out has definitely begun, and will increase in intensity over the coming days. They are getting the wind up now and always looking over their shoulders to see what mood the parents are in. Looks like the incomer wont be alone for long, if it does get chased out first.

Christmas Spirit - Not

2011-12-23T18:01:00.007Z

Although our Resident swans allowed the incomer to stay with them last night and even today, they had no intention of offering peace and goodwill . It appears to be a large male cygnet and I think he thought they would be a welcoming flock, instead even our cygnets were practising their ejecting methods by escorting him up and down the river. As darkness fell the incomer was escorted out of the harbour by our pen who then turned on her own cygnets for a bit of harassment ! Unless the weather gets much worse, it looks like our lot will be pushed out of the river within a week or so. Such is the life of Swans and their ways !

Time to Say Goodbye ?

2011-12-22T22:21:00.004Z

The unseasonal mild snap seems to have triggered the swans into springtime action. This afternoon with wings up they started nipping at the cygnets and chasing them to and fro, - this is usually the prelude to chasing them off for good. ( see short vid below) Ironically when I went down to see them tonight, I was amazed to see eight cygnets instead of the seven they have had for the past 5 weeks, they seem to have picked one up since 4pm today ! It could be a stranger or one of the previous pair that left 5 weeks ago. The coming week gives suitable tides for the cygnets to feed on the rocks along the shore, I would not be at all surprised for the parents to choose this time to give them the final push. Two of the cygnets were posturing on the island, and I managed to get the famous heart shape shot !

Let Them Eat Salmon

2011-12-21T18:40:00.009Z

The Annual river bounty has started to arrive in the form of spent salmon being washed downstream after spawning. The young gulls are learning to make use of this annual feast !

Two other species were close by in the shape of the Moorhens and Goldeneye fishing again.

Mid Winter is tomorrow the 22nd, and the Swans might start thinking of getting rid of the cygnets shortly. It was the 12th January last time when they chased the wee ones.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-20T00:02:00.001Z

Merry Christmas everyone, and here's to a Happy New Year . Special Thanks to those who have donated to the welfare of the river wildlife. From a very grateful Swan and duck population -Many Thanks !

With seemingly nothing but bad economic news on a daily basis, maybe people should start making some life changing resolutions, and reassessing what really matters in this life ? No longer can people rely on onwards and upwards as far as wealth and living standards are concerned. Reports suggest that house prices will continue to fall for the next 3 years in Scotland, and unemployment likely to be at a standstill for the next decade, creating a lost generation ...again ! Materialism and consumerism I would venture to say has reached it's peak, and people should start living within their means. Food and shelter are essential for survival but much of the rest is not. Society has sucked everyone into believing that we all need continual unending progress, seeking more and more wealth and material things. This has been proved to be the road to ruin and not the road to happiness. Why not pay a visit to The Nairn Community and arts centre on Friday the 13th January at 7.30 pm and watch "Happy" the movie, at it's inaugural showing it inspired many and gives an insight into Happiness. As a member of Action for Happiness I am bringing the film to Nairn, in the hope that it will inspire not only myself but others too. The entrance fee is by way of a minimum donation of £5 per adult and half price for under 18s. The film lasts 75 minutes and proceeds will go to The Young foundation charity to help spread action for happiness around the globe.

Mid Winter Swans

2011-12-18T18:29:00.009Z

With a few days to go before Mid-winter, the snow adds substance to the season. With three of the cygnets looking like, we three kings... it made a good shot for the camera ! It also brings in the river visitors and all of them looking for food. The Pintail arrived back, along with two pairs of tufted ducks. The Pintail and one of the tufted drakes always join in the melee for the wheat.

Busy

2011-12-16T17:43:00.009Z

Been pretty busy lately, what with getting the film showing of Happy organised, and a few leaflets put throughout the town. Click on happy to see Roko Belic the director of happy explaining why and how the film came about ! Remember to mark your diary for Friday January 13th at 7-30pm in the community centre to see the film ! Also doing my annual blog review which takes time, and should be online soon. Making sure the Swans and ducks are getting fed too, the cold weather gets them clamouring for food and must be catered to. I thought we had lost another two cygnets today but eventually saw them coming up the river to join the family, gave them their daily ration of carrots which the whole family now get twice a day. In addition to the wheat and poultry pellets, they need some bulk vegetation to get them through the long winter nights. They are looking good though !

A Year in the Life of the Nairn Swans

2011-12-13T01:02:00.001Z

Apologies to anyone recently trying to view the Nairn Swans compilation, I have had to rehash the music side due to third party copyright over the musical composition. It seems that it doesn't matter that I provided all the material, and my grand Daughter sung the song, so I have re-done the jingle and uploaded the new version to Youtube. It Can be viewed at the new link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Iyer7-U6w&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Cool Cormorant

2011-12-11T23:26:00.006Z

The chilly Harbour was host to a cool Cormorant the other day, standing on the upturned mink trap after the gale of last week. No easy eel meals to be had at this time of the year, as was the case during the summer.

HAPPY FILM DATE

2011-12-09T23:34:00.008Z

I can confirm that the HAPPY FILM will be Screened at the Nairn Community and Arts Centre on Friday January 13th at 7-30pm. Action for happiness is part of the Young foundation Charity.

The film lasts 75 minutes, and I'm told is inspiring.

I hope there will be a good attendance for the film, and maybe it will change a few lives for the better. After all the broken resolutions and used up turkey and leftovers, maybe the HAPPY FILM will be just the tonic for a HAPPY NEW YEAR !

TRAILER:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcMQmuvzPmI

Steven Seagull Part 2

2011-12-09T18:00:00.005Z

With yesterdays gale the cosiest place to be was indoors...after feeding the swans and ducks of course ! I continued to trawl through the computer archives and got bitten by the movie bug again. I have uploaded another new short, entitled "Steven Seagull Part 2" which can be seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTaVv9AYVUk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Some new antics from Steven and the long suffering Millie, she was intimidated by him ! I also saw the male goldeneye today, fishing at the side of the Swans Island - again a bit far away for a good pic.

Sparrowhawk at Work

2011-12-09T16:49:00.001Z

Just uploaded another short film to Youtube, of two Sparrowhawks in action earlier this year.

Most people if they're lucky get a fleeting glimpse of a Sparrowhawk in action, I was very lucky to see two separate incidents of sparrowhawk strikes this year and have the camera handy as well ! The film can be seen on this link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXSkCZ01Bls

Tufted Ducks & Steven video.

2011-12-07T16:32:00.011Z

As I expected the Tufted ducks returned to the river today, hard weather brings them into the estuary. The same little fellow as last year with some of his mates, he immedaitely joined in the feeding session with the mallards. He specialises in diving under all the ducks and swans for food, and has a lovely tuft on his head.

I have also uploaded a new video featuring Steven the seagull that I released earlier in the year.

It gives a few of the memorable moments during his long recovery and can be seen on Youtube here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuxjNuflsTQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Overwintering

2011-12-05T23:47:00.002Z

It looks like our remaining 7 cygnets will be overwintering in the river . If the parents were going to chase them off they would have done it before now, and are probably repeating the successful pattern of the last two years by keeping them until January. There is method in the madness, because keeping them will deter any other adult pair from trying to steal the territory. Trying to drive out 9 swans cannot be done easily by incomers, and our pair have realised that safety in numbers ensures survival success. Just means more expense for me providing food over the winter, but as the short video shows, all the river wildlife are thriving on it !

Feed our Feathered Friends

2011-12-05T14:10:00.004Z

Looks like a repeat of last years weather has arrived, although not as cold as last year yet ! Our feathered friends need feeding and watering, so put out those leftover bits of grated cheese, crushed peanuts, fat balls, crushed biscuits, bird seed and crumbs. When its frosty they need water too. I think last year saw small birds in particular hit really hard, and many did not survive the winter. We can all do our bit to help them survive the harsh conditions. Feed the birds

This Time Last Year

2011-12-03T19:49:00.006Z

With 3 weeks until mid - winter we have got off lightly compared to this time last year...so far ! Personally I like winter during December January as it should be. I was trawling through some of last years pics, and came across poor Steven the Seagull on Dec 3rd last year with the icicle hanging from his beak !

Picture Perfect Pintail

2011-12-02T18:53:00.011Z

Another winter visitor arrived today in the shape of a male Goldeneye, a little too far away to get a decent pic of it. With the frost starting we can expect the Tufted ducks to arrive soon too, they are very cute ducks with a fabulous hairstyle ! Meanwhile the pintail that arrived the other day has taken up residence among the Mallards and is incredibly - pushing them around ! It was enjoying the wheat on offer and did not want the Mallards having any, if they got too close they got a nip ! I got some very detailed shots of the pintail, they are beautifully marked birds.

Wildlife under Threat ?

2011-11-30T19:05:00.001Z

For some time now I have noticed Local Councillors, and officials with clip boards discussing and looking at the riverside area between the Road bridge and Merryton bridge. I understand this is to be “cleaned up and managed”. If this entails the stopping of old sewers leaking into the river in this area and removal of litter and alien plant species, plus some broken old trees, that’s fine. If however this entails manicuring the entire area, and allowing easy access to people and dogs then this could be highly detrimental to the local wildlife!
The Island strip in the middle of this part of the river, serves as a retreat and haven for waterbirds such as Ducks Mergansers, Moorhen and Heron. The dense riverbank is also used by a myriad of small birds throughout the winter months, such as Goldfinch, Bullfinch Chaffinch, as well as more common species such as Blackbirds Doves and Robin. After spending the last eight years and around £1000 a year encouraging the wildlife to proliferate and winter on the lower river, I feel I have earned the privilege to protect them. The one thing I am absolutely certain about, is that the more people and dogs are allowed close onto the riverbank, then the more the wildlife will be disturbed and disappear!
This is a tidal area and provides over wintering for many water birds. The impact of people and dogs are always detrimental to wildlife in some form or another. An example of how the council through ignorance can have a negative impact on wildlife, could be seen earlier this summer when the vegetation along the riverside at the seaman’s hall was cut away, destroying small bird habitat and allowing dogs easy access to young cygnets that use this area! No one has yet owned up to authorising this, although it was Council employees who cut it.
It is also common knowledge that our resident Pen was almost killed two years ago by a dog, yet when I asked the council for a few signs to be put up around this area pointing out dog owners responsibilities, it was refused! I would like to remind the council that people are only responsible if they are constantly educated and urged to be responsible, I have spent years taking flak because I have urged responsible dog ownership and care of the wildlife.
This not only includes conforming to The Scottish outdoor access code on dogs, but also on the outcry over dog mess littering the riverside paths!
Some responsible dog signs should be put around the lower riverside, at least to accommodate the large amount of tourists that bring their dogs to Nairn caravan site. Many are ignorant of our local wildlife and allow their dogs total freedom to run wild. When are our Councillors going to start behaving responsibly themselves, and start taking notice of what the law abiding public want ? We don’t want dogs mess all over the place, and we don’t want the wildlife attacked and killed by uncontrolled dogs either!
There are already unofficial pathways all along the riverside from the road bridge upriver, we do not want dogs bounding into the river below the road bridge as well, scaring the wildlife away !
We want a clean safe river environment, and a habitat that is safe for the wildlife that we all want to see, all the year round for generations to come. In conclusion I urge the Councils to be mindful of the impact of their actions, and balance the needs of the environment and wildlife with that of human distraction, interference and vote garnering. ( A copy of this comment has been passed to regional and Community councillors ).

Six of the Best

2011-11-30T00:30:00.004Z

Having taken thousands of Photo's over the years of the Swans and river wildlife, there's maybe only one in a hundred that have something that really appeals to me. Most of it is down to being in the right place at the right time, some good luck and maybe light conditions are also just right. In my case it's not just the photo, but the subject and what they might be doing at the time that appeals. I have discounted the cygnets but here are 6 pics that are special to me.

My first go at a movie with the Nairn swans compilation is also special to me, can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Iyer7-U6w&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Mallard Decline

2011-11-28T22:56:00.009Z

I see on the RSPB website that there has been a dramatic decline of 46% in wintering Mallards since 1982. The report published by a coalition of conservation organisations gives figures and trends for Scotland and the UK. Details can be seen here :http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/298371-report-reveals-dramatic-changes-in-scotlands-waterbirds?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=News

So much for some people who have remarked that the river has "heaps of ducks!" From my own observations in recent years the local ducks have been decimated by predation from allsorts, like Mink, seagulls, Hoodie crows, dogs, and humans, not to mention the effects of climate change! Certainly this year many adults that went up river to nest never returned, which took me by surprise. Fostering and caring for these lovable waterbirds will continue, and locals should keep an eye out for their welfare.

Moose wi nae Hoose !

2011-11-27T20:17:00.011Z

To avoid any misunderstanding with my North American friends, A Moose in Scotland - is a Mouse in English English ! Today the high tide and river spate, flooded the river walls which contain some homes of Mice. This wee moose had a lucky escape and swam for it's life after being flooded out, it eventually found refuge in a floating thicket of twigs. Every time I see a moose I always remember that they were the one species that survived the extinction of the dinosaurs, and are actually related to our ancestors ! Lang may yer Lum reek !

For anyone who missed my Nairn Swans Compilation here is the link to Youtube :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68MP43fQ2HQ

The Cygnet and the Seal

2011-11-27T16:54:00.010Z

A Combination of High tide, low pressure and river spate ensured that the river breached the banks at the estuary today. The estimated tide was 4.6 metres which was not out of the ordinary for a spring tide, it could have been much higher. It is the highest I have seen at this time of year, after the long dry spell it will help the Spawning Salmon get up the tributaries. The Seal was very much on the prowl for any passing Salmon, and at one point perhaps contemplating a bit of cygnet ! It had a definite close look and the cygnet was keeping a very wary eye on the river predator, with Mum and Dad at a safe distance.

Blind Gull Treated

2011-11-26T22:49:00.000Z

As a keen photographer and wildlife observer my eyesight is pretty important. How much more to a bird ? A couple of weeks ago I noticed a young gull that appeared to be blind in one eye, from the pics I took it looked as though it might have been pecked by another gull. Anyway it was sad to see it being knocked over by another gull attacking from the blind side. It was impossible to catch the bird because it can fly perfectly well, so I studied the pics and decided to give it a course of antibiotics since the eye seemed to be infected. After a weeks course, the infection appears to be going and I am hoping that it may even get some sight returning to the eye. It was difficult to administer the dose soaked in bread because it had to be thrown just in front to the left of the bird so it could see it ! I failed a couple of times because it landed beyond it's line of sight and was taken by other gulls. Ah well, I cant win them all, but the pics show that it is getting better . I think it knows I'm doing it good, because it shows up just yards from me when I go to the river. It no longer gets attacked by other gulls because it looks normal, although I think it may only have very slight peripheral sight in it's right eye,
if at all . Maybe it will learn to adapt and compensate.

HAPPINESS IS COMING TO NAIRN !

2011-11-25T14:47:00.005Z

Happiness is coming to Nairn in the New Year by way of a one night only showing of "HAPPY" the movie. I have arranged a Showing for around mid January, exact details will be published later. I envisage the entry cost by way of a minimum donation of £5 for adults and half price for under 18s.

From what I hear It’s a fantastic, inspiring film and we’re really keen for it to be seen
as widely as possible. It moved people to tears and applause at the inaugural screening.

Action for Happiness is part of The Young Foundation (Registered Charity 274345)

Does money make you happy? What about
family? Do we live in a world that values and
promotes well-being? Are we in the midst of a
happiness revolution?
Roko Belic, director of the Academy Award
nominated "Genghis Blues" brings us Happy, a film
that sets out to answer these questions and more.
Taking us from the bayous of Louisiana to the
deserts of Namibia, from the beaches of Brazil to the
villages of Okinawa, Happy explores the secrets
behind our most valued emotion.
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcMQmuvzPmI

More NO NO'S

2011-11-24T18:36:00.000Z

I came across more stupidity last weekend in the form of broken glass on the river bed. This is extremely dangerous to the wildlife, especially the Swans with their large webbed feet. The tissue on their feet is full of blood vessels, and can be cut just as easily as a dogs paw or our feet !

Please keep an eye out for these idiots and haul them up, or report them. I have gone down into the river bed several times to remove shattered glass and splinters which could be ingested by the Swans or ducks. Feeding the swans and ducks Mouldy white bread is also a No No - mouldy bread of any kind is poisonous to swans and ducks - DON'T DO IT !! Again whole slices of mouldy bread dumped into the river at merryton this week. If you want to help feed the river Wildlife , then either buy Wholewheat grain or give a donation to me and I will guarantee the Swans and ducks will get the full benefit of it .

A MESSAGE FOR Mr SS - you are overdoing the Carrots and wheat (Pic above). The carrots are sliced ok but too large for the Swans to eat, anything bigger than a 2P piece has to be broken in half. In addition you are dumping it in a heap and in the wrong place ! Dumping it amongst dead leaves and pine needles does not suit the wildlife. (pine needles get stuck in their throats )Better to spread it around the middle pillars from the merryton bridge, that way the Swans and ducks will get it even as the tide goes out. Try to avoid spilling it all over the path as well. I know you mean well, but please take advice from years of experience.

Goosander with Attitude

2011-11-22T19:30:00.013Z

Our Male Goosander is still knocking about the river, and is happy among the ducks and drakes.

He showed another side to his character today, and threatens a herring gull that gets too close for comfort. Another photo opportunity today and I thought I would try the 720p movie format too, since the goosander was in a performing mood. ( see video below ) The close up shows that hooked bill clearly, ideal for catching small fish !

Youtube Nairn Swans Compilation Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68MP43fQ2HQ

Line Dancing Cygnets

2011-11-21T23:30:00.000Z

This must be the best November weather I can ever remember, the Sun was really warm and after 3 weeks it has surely shortened the Winter. Today it was a pleasure to watch the whole Swan family having a bathing session, at times the whole lot thrashing the water together. These baths help keep the feathers waterproof and in good condition, and get rid of any parasites too.

If you missed a chance to View my Nairn Swans Compilation on Youtube here is the link again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68MP43fQ2HQ

New Arrivals

2011-11-20T19:13:00.013Z

Been fascinating weekend on the river and several new happenings for me. First of all I saw a Pintail duck for the first time on the river, quite rare going about the business of searching for food.

It was a male but I could not spot any mate. The good weather seems to have got the Herring gulls bonding as well, with two pairing up and trying to outdo each other in the nest gathering stakes ! Our annual visitor the Moorhen also arrived last week. The next new experience for me was a male Goosander wanting in on the feeding action at the merryton bridge. He was intrigued by the melee of mallards getting their daily wheat ration yesterday, and frustrated by the fact that they were all getting stuck into something - he just couldn't figure out what ! He was only feet away which was extremely unusual, Goosanders usually keep their distance from humans but I think the fact that the ducks were ignoring me, helped him do the same. Sensing his frustration , I tossed a lump of wholemeal near him and he dived at it immediately devouring it instantly, I followed this with several more pieces and he treated it as jumping fish. Never have I seen a Goosander behave in such a way before. Today unperturbed by the cygnets, he turned up giving me close looks and waiting for some food again, so much for birds being stupid and bird brained ! Enclosed video of today's close Goosander action.

If you missed a chance to View my Nairn Swans Compilation on Youtube here is the link again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68MP43fQ2HQ

Nairn Swans Compilation.

2011-11-17T20:23:00.005Z

Thought I would try my hand at a short Movie using windows movie maker. I have strung together vids and images lasting about 7 minutes. I uploaded it to Youtube for it's too long for Blogger. A special mention to turn up your sound and listen to my Grand daughter Beth, she was only 12 years old when she made the recording you will hear on the film. Enjoy !! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68MP43fQ2HQ

Mistical Island

2011-11-14T18:14:00.009Z

Heavy Highland Mist shrouded the river today, adding a mystical quality to the swans island. The ghostly silhouette's of the Swans filtering through the mist - For a brief moment it looked like the sun would break through, and I managed to take a few pics. The mist acted as a filter and some rather nice effects came through.

River Rat

2011-11-13T22:53:00.005Z

Thought I had trapped another Mink today, only to discover it was a river rat that had triggered the trap. Rats on the river are part of the river wildlife, In a way I was relieved it was not a mink, and I suppose the presence of a rat indicates that there are no mink about ...at the moment ! Gave me a chance to try out the built in flash on the new camera.

Stevie - I Wonder ?

2011-11-13T00:09:00.010Z

Glorious Indian summer's day today, hopefully more to follow ! Weather has been so good for the past two weeks I was even contemplating cutting the still growing grass again ! Camera still coming in handy, and I took some shots of a gull which landed very close and acted like Steven my old friend of yesteryear. As young gulls enter their second year, they are constantly changing and starting to get their adult feathers and eye colour changes too. He certainly came abnormally close, but I could not swear on a stack of bibles that it was him. Another young herring gull has arrived on the river with a severe injury to one eye. It appears to have been pecked badly and is blind on the right side. I saw another gull fly at it and knocked it over, because it did not see the attacker approach from the right side. The right eye appears to have been gouged and is pointing slightly skywards, don't know how long it will last with half it's sight.

I tried to take a shot of the Moon the other night, but came out blurred and too bright. I kept sharpening the picture and the effect is interesting with the pixelisation of the shot.

Robin Poser

2011-11-10T18:18:00.018Z

I have started sprinkling bird seed along a river wall again for the winter months. The thick undergrowth along the wall is ideal for small birds, and hosts many Sparrows, Dunnock and a very cheeky Robin. Today the Robin put on a show for the new camera, payback for all the winter feeding I think ! They are one of the nations common but favourite winter birds, fearless but cute ! The last shot shows what happens when a bird moves as the shutter goes, his legs are in focus but the body is a blur !

Still Experimenting

2011-11-10T00:12:00.005Z

Still experimenting with the new camera and having to look up the jargon and photo blogs to see what I'm doing ! I am beginning to think that using the Auto modes is probably the safest and most productive thing to do with this camera. It seems to me that Nikon have worked out all the best combinations for taking a variety of shots in almost every situation. I just cant see me using a tripod and doing long exposures for night shots etc. I have set one option for macro close ups so I dont have to fiddle around if I have to snap a butterfly or insect fast. I tried different ISO settings and could not better what the auto settings were doing either. Looks like I have bought a lot of surplus buttons that are truly surplus ! There is no doubt that this camera eliminates the need to carry around a bag of different lenses, it pretty well handles everything I'm likely to do.

I have a good photo editing program, and I would say that most shots need a bit of sharpening. Enclosed some more experimental shots.

Injured Duck Still Around

2011-11-08T18:58:00.011Z

Just over two years ago I saw a duck on the river with the tip of it's bill missing, it looked quite yellow and raw. I got the impression it was infected and maybe had been bitten off by a mink ? Having recently treated another bird at the time, I had some spare antibiotics in the cupboard and decided to give it a course for 6 days to prevent the infection from spreading further.

It did the trick and stopped the rot and the natural colour seemed to come back, but the damage had been done as far as the bit that was missing. Anyway she went up river each spring, no doubt to nest because she did have a mate, but she has never returned with any ducklings. It's great to see her come down river each year, and she is still very much on the go. The two pics at the top I took today with the new camera, the others are from two years ago when I first saw her. I am hoping she will turn up with ducklings next year !

New Camera

2011-11-06T18:47:00.009Z

The Internet is amazing, and eventually likely to empower everyone on the planet - one way or another. I have been looking around the Internet lately for a new camera, but the choices are bewildering to a novice. I wanted something with a bit more than my current compact digital , but not so much that was not easily portable and quick to use for wildlife shots. Basically I was looking for a cross between a compact and a DSLR that I could still carry around easily. The beauty of the Internet is that you can seek out the reviews of almost everything that's made. This is particularly important if your going to be shelling out a lot of cash and your not knowledgeable enough about what your buying ! Electronics move along at lightning speed and the choices are mind boggling. I eventually made my choice and opted for a Nikon P7100. What the hell, I dont smoke drink or gamble and I dont have a car either !

I have taken my first few shots today, but it's going to take quite some time to get used to the bewildering array of buttons and settings ! Hopefully my blog viewers wont be disappointed with the results ? I am impressed by the macro setting and think this will be a winner for this particular camera. The first two shots above are with the macro setting. It's also capable of HD movies. I doubt if I will ever buy another camera, and will fall back onto my old reliable canon if the need arises.

Lefty Sleeping Again

2011-11-02T00:35:00.012Z

After a nice meal of wheat and poultry pellets, our Swan family floated serenely on the water and drifted into sleep mode. Or, should I say "Lefty" the ex angel wing cygnet was fast asleep !

I have been asked several times before, when and where do Swans sleep, and do they sleep on land ? The answer is yes, they can sleep anytime either on land or water. The interesting thing is, unless you watch them closely you wouldn't know when they were sleeping . When the eyes are closed it is almost undetectable because they are an extension of the black part of their face. I would reckon that this evolutionary makeup makes it more difficult for any predator to judge whether they can approach the Swan - if they cant tell if it's awake or not . Check out the pics of lefty - all with eyes shut !

I see on the Scottish SPCA website that the shot Swans are recovering well. With the amount of airgun pellets lodged in the poor pens head and neck. The b**tard who kept shooting at them should be jailed !
http://www.scottishspca.org/news/730_shot-swans-make-good-recovery

Still Seven Cygnets

2011-10-30T18:19:00.008Z

The two missing cygnets have still not returned to the family in the river. I can only hope they have joined some others somewhere locally. At least the weather is mild and settled , normally the sort of weather the pen gets rid of the cygnets. Today the remaining cygnets were getting another love lesson from the parents, and got the message by copying the parents bill in the water afterwards.

Early Departure This Year ?

2011-10-28T14:31:00.014+01:00

October is often departure month for cygnets, and with 3 of our cygnets missing this morning I am wondering if our family are on the verge of an early departure. The Cob and Pen were on their own this morning and I thought the cygnets were all gone until I spotted 6 of them in the distance . They cautiously approached the parents with the wings up, then displayed a subservient stance, until the parents dipped their heads showing acceptance back to the river. (Sequence of pics shows all.) With the tides currently low and settled enough to get at the seaweed near the baths, perhaps the parents will take the opportunity to either chase them or leave them at sea. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming days.
UPDATE : Late this afternoon one more cygnet arrived back, leaving two still missing.

Watch Out There's a Vandal About !

2011-10-26T13:48:00.005+01:00

Today I found the Swans Island safety sign broken and floating in the river. I would ask everyone in the community to keep an eye out for vandals and anti social behaviour along the riverside. I noticed too that broken bottles on the paths leave dangerous glass splinters that cause injury to dogs. Dogs mess and litter along the river paths is again becoming prevalent with the darker nights - no doubt the same culprits as usual. I know the Citizens of Nairn appreciate the Swans and river wildlife and I would ask you to do the right thing and report any wildlife crime, vandalism and anti social behaviour that you see, the NAIRN POLICE number is 01667 452222. A timely reminder of what can happen to innocent creatures like Swans are on the Scottish SPCA website just now- http://www.scottishspca.org./news/723_brutal-airgun-attack-on-swans. Like the SSPCA I also support a total ban on the use of airguns in Scotland. With all the computer games and simulated shooting etc....no need for dangerous airguns as well !

What's Happened to the Herons ?

2011-10-26T00:01:00.003+01:00

It's well over 6 weeks since I've seen any Herons down the lower river. This is unusual because this area was a favoured fishing spot for 2 of our regular herons. I wonder if the Mink or some other predator has killed them ? I know one of the herons used to frequent the Swans Island and stand in the tall grass preening itself. This makes me wonder if a Mink has got it there, for this is where I found a dead Khaki Duck just a few weeks ago. I am told that there is still a heron up river but we used to have at least 4 of them on the lower stretch. The pics show our colourful birds earlier in the year.

Cygnets at Play

2011-10-23T00:17:00.001+01:00

The cygnets are growing in confidence and independence, but the parents are still not inclined to chase them off. They flew confidently up river landing at merryton bridge. After a good feed they all had a bath and preening session and some were in a very playful mood, playing tag !

The Matriarch

2011-10-20T15:55:00.023+01:00

Our Swan family are large and very close, yet my parents generation came from families that were just as large in those days ! It makes you think and appreciate just how tough they were, trying to provide and keep them all towing the line ! Today I watched as two cygnets started flirting and doing a ritual mating session. I wasn't the only one watching, and the pen kept a close eye on proceedings until another two joined in...she was not amused ! She is very much the Matriarch of the family and decided it was time to intervene, what she wants she always gets !

The sequence of pics tells the story from the cygnets flirting until she moves across the river to show her displeasure. They were suitably humbled and put in their place by the Matriarch, followed up by the cob.

Beautiful Birds

2011-10-17T19:29:00.011+01:00

The more I watch them the more I appreciate beautiful birds. With the drop in temperature the birds are looking forward to their food, and I was given a lovely welcome today down by the Merryton bridge. The cob and some cygnets spotted me from below the island and decided on a shuttle flight for their grub, camera out in time to get a few flight shots. The cob arrived first followed by the cygnets all of which flew really well , one of them had a pre - landing wobble, but corrected for a perfect splashdown ! The last pic is of Lefty the cygnet that had the angel wing, flying and landing like a trooper ! In addition someone sent me a youtube link of a fantastic nature video which will bring a lump to your throat. Well worth a look ! http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=SkY03n0_sD8&vq=medium

Chief Gurner Rises to the Top

2011-10-16T20:11:00.012+01:00

I note that Nairn's Chief Gurner, aka the Gurnmeister, aka Graisg, aka Des Scholes our New river community councillor to be -intends to raise the river pollution issue at the next River Community Council meeting. I have long felt that the RCC should have pressed Scottish water and SEPA for more action to prevent sewage leakages into the river. Previously highlighted pollution incidents on both the "Gurnnurn.com" and this blog, have given graphic images of unacceptable pollution into a clean Salmon river, and only a few hundred yards from our tourist beaches ! I did send a comment to Des but he saw fit not to publish it, which is his right of course. The gist of which was that I advised the resident adjacent to the brochers brae leak to contact SEPA,(Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) since she has young children that play in that contaminated area. She said she had spoken to Scottish water and that they said that funds were not available to fix the leak ! They then turned up with a 5 gallon drum of disinfectant and splashed it all over the grass beside the leak. I told the resident that she should in fact be talking to SEPA since they have the powers to make Scottish water solve the problem. Since Des has highlighted the issue yet again and as a new Community Councillor, I asked if he would take action on this matter ? He seems to have risen to the challenge, good luck Des ! (Previous pics of River pollution enclosed, swans were swimming in and drinking it on Oct 1st above.)

Catching The Rays

2011-10-12T13:49:00.008+01:00

Glorious sunshine today....so rare this year ! With talk of another Arctic winter looming, it's lovely to catch some rays along with the last of the years butterflies. In April we had what many of us thought was the start of a long hot summer, butterflies and all. May saw the weather go downhill and along with all the insect life, Summer did not arrive at all. Virtually the only butterflies I saw this year were a Tortoiseshell in April and Peacock in October !

Swanning Around

2011-10-08T23:35:00.005+01:00

The Cygnets are getting whiter by the day, and Lefty - the one that had the angel wing is the whitest of them all. They have daily visits to the sea, and the young cygnet that tagged along earlier in the week is still around the shoreline. The pen was looking restless, she went out of her way to chase the young cygnet out to sea. Short vid of the family swanning around in the moat, with Lefty the whitest of them all in the foreground.

All at Sea

2011-10-06T23:14:00.009+01:00

The banished cygnet again joined our family at sea today, only to be shunned again as they returned to the river. The lone cygnet was left offshore to brave the elements, watched by our River seal who was fishing at the end of the pier. Yesterday 3 young year old swans arrived in the river only to be ousted by our cob within minutes of their arrival, It could well have been their offspring from last year.

Cygnet Banished

2011-10-04T22:39:00.010+01:00

The new cygnet that joined the Nairn swans yesterday, was banished today. It was still there this morning but being harassed continuously by one particular cygnet. The pen finally got fed up with it and decided to separate the newcomer from the family. I watched along with the swan family, as she escorted it from the island to the moat. (The enclosed pics tell the story ). Later in the afternoon I watched as the cygnets flew in from the sea minus the new cygnet ! Peace has been restored on the river, and it looks like our swan family have no intention of leaving the river yet ! Sad that they chased the young cygnet away, hopefully it will find it's family or another welcoming flock.

Cygnapped !

2011-10-03T13:06:00.010+01:00

Notice anything different about the Nairn cygnets ? There are now 10 of them ! I'm so used to seeing them piling into the moat and getting stuck into the wheat I rarely count them. Today was odd because one of the cygnets appeared to be getting attacked from time to time by one of the other cygnets in particular. This kind of activity is fairly normal at this stage in their growth, and the parents tend to ignore it - they were not bothered at all. At one stage the harassed cygnet got out of the moat came close to me and hunkered down for a sleep ! After a while they all headed over to the island and then I realised there were 10 cygnets instead of 9. Obviously they have cygnapped an addition to the flock this morning, making it an even dozen. This one has probably just been chased away by it's parents and has joined our lot at sea thinking it's a flock, this is normal for Swans to seek the first flock and join it. I get the impression the new cygnet is a female because it's smaller, and seemed to be getting attacked by one of our female cygnets...a bit of female jealousy perhaps ! It will be interesting to see how this effects the family and if it will be allowed to stay with them until they all leave. Perhaps it's one of the Brodie or Forres cygnets, will one of our young cobs take a fancy to it ? Interesting times lie ahead !

Steven Seagael Shows Up !

2011-10-03T00:01:00.001+01:00

What a great surprise on an otherwise dreich morning, I spotted Steven my seagull mate on the river ! I was feeding the ducks when he walked over from the riverside, he is whiter and looks in good health, obviously not starving to death. I have only seen him once since releasing him on the beach a couple of months ago. After seeing him fly I was confident he would survive OK, which is just as well with the Mink on the prowl.

Eleven Swans a Swimming

2011-10-01T20:06:00.004+01:00

Our 3 day Indian Summer has vanished, and Autumn rules again with leaden skies and steady rain for half the day. The storm drains were again overflowing into the river, and it felt like Scotland again instead of the Costa Del Moray. Being the first of October I took the usual reference shots of the Swans - now four and a half months old and almost as big as their parents. Size is not the only similarity, if you observe the top pic you will see the pen and one of her offspring side by side. The small v notch on the side of her bill (where the black meets the orange bill) has been passed on to her offspring, it's these small marks that allows me to follow some of the Swans now and in the future. October is often the month that Swans chase their offspring away, we shall await the parents action on this...but don't hold your breath for they may keep them a few months yet ! I have to say they are looking good and many comments from holiday makers from all parts of the country who have never seen a family of 9 cygnets ever !

Predators Strike Again !

2011-09-30T13:43:00.017+01:00

I was dismayed to see 2 of the new Khaki Campbell ducks disappear from the harbour days after this post.

http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-ducks.html Since then the remaining two moved into the river among the mallards, and up until 3 days ago another one went missing, leaving only one ! I did realise that these domestic type ducks had either been clipped or moulted and were unable to fly - making them especially vulnerable to predators. This morning I could see no sign of the last remaining Khaki duck, so checked the island to see if it was there. Sadly I found a dead Khaki near the top of the island, it had been pretty well stripped of it's flesh and was developing maggots, must have been killed several days ago. It looked like the work of a Mink, but I suppose could also have been an Otters handiwork. The growing number of predators on the river might well be killing other species too, like the Heron. One of the riverside residents told me that last monday night the Swans were hissing and warding off something about 11pm. This would be about the time this duck was killed. I have contacted the Water Bailiff to see if he can re-bait the mink traps before we lose any more ducks! The Mallard drake with the broken wing that I couldn't catch has also disappeared, inability to fly is pretty well a death sentence to any waterbirds.

Local residents overlooking the river have told me of massive duck commotion at night, this indicates predators attacking during the hours of darkness. I am saddened by the loss of these khaki ducks, for they were particularly attractive and added a bit of colour to the river. The mortality rate in the past 10 days is at least 5 ducks that I know of, this is unsustainable and will somehow have to be stopped ! A complete species wiped out, gives you and idea of how deadly mink are to ground nesting birds !

Wigeon

2011-09-28T20:19:00.007+01:00

In Addition to the 6 goosander seen recently another new arrival on the river today, a female Wigeon. I noticed it feeding among the grasses at high tide along with the Mallards, it was still there after the tide went out. Smaller than the Mallard, they sometimes follow Swans and coots and eat mainly vegetation.

"HAPPY" The Movie.

2011-09-26T18:27:00.005+01:00

As a member and follower of Action for Happiness, I have been invited to the premiere of "Happy" the Movie on October the 19th. This will be held in London's Notting hill gate at the Coronet Cinema. I wont be going, but have indicated I would like Nairn to see this film.
Action for Happiness presents... HAPPY: the movie, Does money make you happy? What about family? Do we live in a world that values well-being? Are we in the midst of a happiness revolution? Roko Belic, director of Academy Award nominated "Genghis Blues" brings us HAPPY, a film exploring the secrets behind our most valued emotion. (click on the link for a short trailer.)

I have contacted the events Manager of action for Happiness to see if the film can be shown here in Nairn. It is the intention to have this film shown throughout the UK as widely as possible.

Also emailed Cinema Nairn to see if they would be interested in screening this movie. I hope I can arrange a showing and spread the Happy message....we could all do with some of it ! Watch this space !

We Have Lift Off !

2011-09-24T23:27:00.006+01:00

Favourable downstream winds encouraged the Cygnets to yet again have a go at flying today. Sure enough the undercarraige went up and most of them flew a few feet from the water before splashdown, it was exciting to see. With settled weather forecast this coming week and suitable tides, they should be flying at some point every day - keep your eyes open for action.

Walking on Water

2011-09-23T20:12:00.010+01:00

The Nairn Cygnets are looking great - healthy and strong and in perfect condition for flying. I was a bit too far away today to see them having a wee sortie up the river, but I took a couple of distance shots showing them treading water with the wings going. The parents watched their progress but took no part in the exercise. With High tides due late next week I think they will be making daily trips to the seaweed near the swimming pool, this might give them a chance for short sea flights if the weather is mild. Soon they 'll be taking off, flying and landing like the cob in the lower pics. With a 2 metre wingspan they will look and sound great in flight !

Descended from Dinosaurs

2011-09-21T23:10:00.006+01:00

In the overall timescale of the planet we have been here in about the blink of an eye, yet we think we know everything ! I missed the bulk of the TV program on the bird type dinosaurs tonight, but the evidence is clear on the evolution of birds from dinosaurs. I can easily imagine swans having descended from dinosaurs, with evidence still there to be seen today. Take a look at the feet of the Cob which I took some time ago, the scaly effect, then there's the hissing when annoyed, probably a very early prehistoric sound, the spline ridges along the mouth which were probably once teeth like. Yeah, it's easy to imagine they are Dinosaur descendants !

New Ducks ?

2011-09-20T13:26:00.010+01:00

Today I saw 4 new ducks in the Harbour a Drake and 3 ducks, I suspect they have been put there for they are not wild Mallards but a domestic species. They look like Khaki Campbell's and have obviously been reared by humans, in addition they are unable to fly at the moment due to either wing clipping or moulting. They look exactly like the previous pair we had in the river a few years ago, larger than the mallards but very friendly and produce a lot of offspring. They mix and breed with the mallards and create hybrids of various colours. From what I've read, Khaki Campbell's are a mixture of Indian runners, Rouen, and mallard ducks anyway.

Some people will take exception to putting another species with wild stock and mixing the natural gene pool. Personally I don't have a problem with different ducks inhabiting the river, nature tends to sort them out over time.

The previous ones produced some lovely ducklings but many were killed because their light colouring made them obvious targets for the hoodie crows. The parents were good at producing and rearing their offspring and were highly successful, were it not for human badness ! Two of the light coloured ducks were killed by humans with catapults as I stated on older postings, - an awful heartbreaking crime on such beautiful innocent creatures. http://simplysuperbswans.blogspot.com/2009/06/duck-disaster-you-will-find-that-i-am.html

Needless to say If anyone sees wildlife crime they should contact me or the police.

Anyway, a bit of new colour in the river is welcome and I'm sure the new additions will mix well with the Mallards. The Cygnets were intrigued with them too.

Little Auk Dies - Puffin in fact !

2011-09-19T00:26:00.006+01:00

UPDATE : I have just heard from the RSPB that the bird was in fact a young Puffin although the beak and colouring have not yet developed ! This might explain the chest injury if it fell /dived onto rocks - very sad anyway.

Sadly the little Auk found at the carse yesterday died at Midnight. It had an injury to the chest which I only discovered on inspection after it had died. Beneath the feathers was a wet patch which I thought was because it was always laying down on it's chest, there was a small tear in the skin and small hole, maybe caused by another bird or maybe an airgun - who knows. I had phoned my friend and Avian adviser Sue earlier for her advice. She consulted a seabird expert who recommended feeding the bird with sprats until strong enough for release. Sadly all in vain now.

Arctic Little Auk

2011-09-18T14:33:00.009+01:00

Some Local good Samaritans out at the Carse found a Little Auk on the shore, they brought me the bird to see if I might look it over. I did not know what species it was until I checked my bird book, to find it was called a "Little Auk". It appeared tired out and is probably exhausted by being blown off course during strong sea gales. I think it's perhaps a juvenile just developing it's winter plumage and got caught in the recent deep low pressure that swept across the country in the last few days. Did not appear to be injured, showed no fear of humans and was easily handled. According to the bird book they winter in the open ocean, but are driven south into the North sea when food is scarce and can be driven onto our shores during autumn gales. They breed in the Arctic islands on Spitsbergen and Greenland, food is mainly plankton and small sea creatures, also eats fish and shellfish. It's a very dumpy endearing little bird, and I hope it survives. Hopefully rest and recovery time is probably all that's needed, but I will have a little fish on hand just in case!

Hard to Believe

2011-09-16T18:02:00.010+01:00

The cygnets have just turned 4 months old, which is very hard to believe considering their size ! They are fast losing their baby feathers and being replaced by more white. Flight training appears to be on hold just lately, and the cob has another week or two before he gets his new flight feathers. Maybe then we'll see some short flights around the bay ? The pics show the pen teaching them how it's done. Meanwhile the Swans and ducks are eating 20kg of wheat a week from me alone, not to mention the grass and wholemeal bread ! (Short vid below of wheat mealtime, note how the protective parents still position themselves at either end). Three donations from well wishers in the past week ensures the waterbirds food supply - Thank you wildlife lovers, much appreciated !

Council Cutters Wanted

2011-09-14T18:29:00.009+01:00

I notice this weeks local front page refers to a riverside cleanup project between the road bridge and merryton sewage bridge. The plan appears to be in doubt because of sewage discharge and contamination issues, frankly I'm not surprised. From my observations over the years, there appears to be several discharge points in that small area, this is in addition to the large Scottish water outfall pipe which leaks frequently - even in dry weather. There might also be two other drains from merryton and elsewhere. The lush growth and height of the trees is testament to the nutrition provided by the sewage discharges ! It's ironic that when walking under the roadbridge every day you have to duck to avoid being smacked on the moosh by the overhanging bushes, yet the council saw fit to vandalise a 5 foot strip of inoffensive wildlife habitat behind the seamans hall ! This is just another example of government mismanagement and wrong use of resources. Could the council kindly trim the overhanging skelpers at the roadbridge, and also the Berberis darwinii at the old harbour walk before someone sues them ? ( make sure you remove the berberis cuttings since the thorns are lethal !)

Swan Etiquette

2011-09-09T23:51:00.007+01:00

As the Nairn cygnets mature and have little skirmishes, the parents occasionally pull them together for etiquette and protocol in such matters. This culminates in communication with cygnets cheeping and head nodding, finally grunting by the Cob draws a line under any bad behaviour.

Gulls Fixed

2011-09-09T23:20:00.006+01:00

After a week of good food and medication it was time to release the Bumble foot gull back to the riverside, the foot infection and limping had all but gone. I let it go at the bottom of Brochers brae where it walked along the wall then flew around the river, returning to the top of the arcade, probably where it was hatched. I returned home and the other gull that has been with me for about two weeks, left of it's own accord an hour later, I think the departure of the earlier one was the trigger. It was in good health and the bad leg and wing had both healed. Two successful rescue results and my garden is free of bird casualties - for the moment job done !

I am however trying to catch a Mallard drake with a broken wing, so far without success because he can run faster than me ! I will keep trying though.

The Look

2011-09-07T00:20:00.002+01:00

With Blustery autumn winds and the leaves turning, all my hopes of a late summer are fast disappearing! The Cygnets will be 4 months old next week and it's hard to believe they are the size of the parents already. The previous pair of Swans used to chase their cygnets away around the 6th October when they were just 5 months old. It remains to be seen what will happen with our lot of 9 this time. I think the river food supply was the main deciding factor - I mean the lack of it ! This year has been a write off weather wise, and the river weed disappeared in July, the need for greenery has been obvious for the cygnets, and I do my best to supply them with some tender grass on a daily basis. In addition they get their Wheat Grain, alternating with poultry pellets and wholemeal bread. The other day the high tide allowed them access to some green willow leaves, they will be flying soon and will need all the power reserves at their disposal. I got a very Oliver twist look from a cygnet the other day when my supplier ran out of wheat - It was a, Please can I have some more Look !

Bumble Foot

2011-09-04T21:22:00.008+01:00

Yet another young gull with a bad leg at brochers brae, this one has been around for a while and limping quite badly. I saw it sitting close to the manhole that has been spewing out sewage every time it rains hard, it seemed poorly, still has baby fluff and was not eating. Perhaps the parents have abandoned it because of it's limping and apparent illness. I managed to catch it and take it home for a good look, although it can fly OK. The left foot appears to have the start of a painful condition called bumble foot, with swelling on the underside due to bacterial infection. This usually enters the foot due to a cut or scratch and if left untreated can enter the bone and other parts of the body with dire consequences. It crossed my mind with all the sewage overspill in that area, did it get the infection there ? Anyway since the other gull I have at present is all but cured of it's leg injury, I banished it to the garden to make room in the aviary for the new patient. I consulted Sue my Avian adviser and have administered some antibiotics and anti inflammatory medication. After two days it has already shown signs of recovery and is now eating with gusto, when the limping disappears I will take it back to brochers brae and release it. Meanwhile the other gull from the same area is getting familiar with the new casualty.

Swan Safety

2011-09-01T22:37:00.007+01:00

I was reliably informed by two eyewitnesses yesterday that the adult Swans were on the riverside path near the seaman's hall. This was exactly what I said would happen after the Council cut the vegetation which was a barrier to them getting onto the path. No one has yet owned up, as to who ordered the cutting of the wildlife habitat, but someone has alleged it was councillor Marsden ? It is just an eyesore now and with the high tide washing all the debris along the wall, maybe councillor Marsden would put his litter collecting talents to good use and pick up the daily litter along this part of the riverside ? I hear also that Nairn has won the carbuncle award, Hurrah ! No surprises here then, in fact I took a pic of an overflowing rubbish bin which has stood full all week with a recyclable cardboard box stuck alongside, part of which I pulled out of the river today. No doubt one of the houses close by cant be bothered moving away from their 51 inch TV to put the box into the available row of blue bins close by. I remarked on this blog in previous years about the lack of civic pride in Nairn, and have done my bit to beautify the River, with the provision of a beautiful Swans nesting site and cleaning the harbour from time to time.

Many of my blog viewers around the world get to see the good side of Nairn through the river wildlife, never mind we can boast that we probably have the most beautiful brood of cygnets in Scotland ! One small step for man - tonight I see the new Wildlife Safety sign has been erected at the harbour entrance - a giant leap for common sense. Too bad they didn't listen to my plea for keeping dogs on a lead signs in this area too - might be a little less dogs mess if they had !

Vets Admission & New Gull

2011-08-29T13:48:00.010+01:00

Today I received a phone call from Moray Coast Vet Group regarding the Seagull I took in for treatment / surgery 2 weeks ago. They admitted that not informing me of their action to euthanize the bird was wrong, and unacceptable. They said that a breakdown in communication seemed to be the cause, but also admitted that their expertise in avian matters was limited. Having been a customer of theirs for over 30 years, I accept their explanation and feel assured that they will do their best in future to avoid a repetition. Surgery on birds is very risky, but I would rather see a brave attempt to save a viable life than to automatically put it to sleep. Perhaps this will be more likely in future.

Ironically I spotted a young seagull at brochers brae last week which appeared to have an injured leg . (God forbid ! ) It looked too young to have left the nest and still has some head fluff, but was limping badly. When a friend mentioned the bird to me a couple of days later, still limping and in the same location I decided to give it the once over next time I saw it. The following day it was pecking around the sewer overspill at brochers brae so I picked it up and carried it home for inspection. The left leg joint was swollen, and the left wing not sitting correctly, this leads me to believe it may well have been hit on the left side by a vehicle. The good news is that there are no broken bones that I can detect, some anti - inflammatory medication, rest and feeding until the fluff has disappeared is probably all that's required. This morning the limping has reduced, and it decided to have a bath - for this gull things are looking up!

Out Of Sight - Out of Mind

2011-08-28T13:43:00.008+01:00

Sewerage continues to blight the River Nairn every time we get a downpour that lasts for 20 minutes. It has been obvious for years that the Town sewerage system has been over loaded and can only get worse. Because most of us don't see the problem it is in the main ignored - a case of out of sight out of mind. Scottish water should be made to rectify the problem by agencies such as SEPA (Scottish environmental protection agency) and of course our local politicians! Maybe a radical approach like refusal to give anymore planning permission to build within Nairn - until the sewage infrastructure is put right, might be one way of forcing Scottish water to invest in upgrading the system ? I for one see the effects of the sewers constantly because of my contact with the river environment, and have contacted SEPA several times. This resulted in some action which temporarily improved the situation, because they cleaned some of the system and bolted down some visible manhole covers. It was obvious this was merely going to move the problem elsewhere, recent downpours just expose the weakness and the pics above show what is happening on both sides of the river every time it rains ! I think it's time our community councils and regional politicians start taking Scottish water to task, instead of destroying the wildlife habitat and vote garnering by occasional litter picking ! The more people that complain about this issue, the better for all of us - including the wildlife!

Flock of Angels.....Not Quite !

2011-08-27T00:51:00.011+01:00

The pen is still urging the Cygnets to stretch their wings, and they duly oblige. They have still to realise that they need space to spread their wings and today I witnessed several water crashes, due to the large wingspan and miscalculations of the young angels. One of the young cobs is exerting his dominance on the flock, and is just full of himself - attacking when the mood takes him.

Swan Love Lessons

2011-08-24T23:25:00.001+01:00

The Cygnets have now entered adolescence and showing all the signs of restless teenagers. Earlier today the parents decided it was time to show them who was the boss of the family, and pulled them together for a love display. I just managed to get the camera rolling to catch the love heart shape, and the cob giving the powerful male grunt that only he can do. The cygnets joined in joyous cheeping, at what was basically a family love in - great to watch. Turn up your sound and enjoy - the not so Mute Swan family !

Sparrowhawk

2011-08-23T00:00:00.009+01:00

Having my morning coffee in the living room, I glanced outside to see a Sparrowhawk strike a sparrow in front of the window. The talons were firmly wrapped round the poor bird and the hawk started stripping the feathers with lightning speed. I grabbed the camera but could not move the window plant for fear of chasing the Sparrowhawk, this has resulted in some plant colour reflection on the images. It appeared to be a young male Sparrowhawk and it made short work of the sparrow. I took a short video of the action (see below) before moving position to try and get better still shots. I managed a few pics before the hawk spotted me and flew off with its kill. This Sparrowhawk was smaller then the one last year - looks like I'm going to lose some of my garden visitors again. Nairn has no shortage of Sparrowhawks, with an abundance of feral pigeons and young birds to eat ! I don't suppose the sparrows get a chance to see the fearsome look on the hawks face , those talons are very long and needle sharp!

Duck Numbers Down

2011-08-21T22:54:00.007+01:00

This years new duck numbers are down on the previous year, we had about 35 surviving ducklings which is a bit of a disappointment. The Mink and hoodie crows had again a devastating effect on the numbers. Take for instance the superduck mother who had 23 at one stage, she finally ended up with 3. This was incredible considering what a great mother she was, having taken on the cob , avoided dogs and the heron - but I think the hoodie crows and later on the mink did the damage. They should have been safe at 6 weeks old but were going missing night after night. It was a great pity that the Mink was not caught sooner.( short video below of superduck and ducklings that were about a month old.) I also noted that we got only two broods from up river which was a shock, again I assume that maybe mink were mainly responsible, for many of the mothers that went up river have never returned. This could only happen if something is killing the mothers as they sit on the nest guarding their eggs. All in all the river duck numbers are about the same as last year because of the loss of many females that went missing up river. I did see some guy with a chestnut coloured spaniel whom I've yet to find out exactly what he's up too, but it looked suspiciously like he's hunting ducks and nests illegally along the riverside. This might account for all the missing broods up river !

Flight Training Begins

2011-08-20T18:49:00.011+01:00

The Pen has moulted and regrown her new flight feathers, and is ready for serious flight training exercises with the cygnets. Today was an ideal starting day with a light breeze blowing down the river. The cob took no part since he has just lost all his flight feathers, and wont be able to fly for another 5 weeks ! The cygnets wings are developing fast and should be capable of flight in a fortnight. Mum starts the training by giving a call for all the cygnets to pay attention, she then starts running with wings outstretched and then slows, waiting on the cygnets to follow. As the cygnets copy her she runs ahead even faster, glancing back to see who is following . The last pic shows Lefty the cygnet who had the angel wing - joining in and making full use of the wings. The Mute swan is Britain's heaviest flying bird and within 6 weeks these babies will be flying well !

Coping With One Leg

2011-08-17T13:54:00.006+01:00

I am still fuming about the disgraceful action of Moray coast group vets for putting down a viable bird life after being told not to do so ! Of all the bird species that could cope best with one leg I would say the Seagull is the most suited of all the birds I can think of. It has a broad webbed foot centred under the body, a large wingspan allowing it to take off from land and water easily. It does not use trees or bushes, spends a lot of it's time on water and flat surfaces such as sandy beaches. I also know from experience that they can walk quite well on one leg, for I watched Steven my own gull friend of 13 months, walk across the lawn one day on one leg - just because he wanted to. I know there are reasons why certain birds and conditions could not cope at all with one leg and their lives would not be viable. The vets culture is perhaps where the problem lies, maybe the separation and distinction between what they consider to be domestic pet species and the wild ones ? This makes it easier for them to put to sleep anything that is not considered human friendly, unlike a budgie, parrot or canary. These of course are wild birds in their own countries adopted by humans as pets. Vets practice are business's and we go there as paying customers, we expect them to do the best for our pets and would not accept for one moment them putting to sleep our budgie parrot or canary, should it have a broken leg. We are not talking complicated invasive surgery here, the biggest risk would be the anesthetics - a risk we would all accept given the choice. This gull should have been given the same treatment as any pet bird, it would have been paid for and my experienced aftercare facilities were there for a full recovery too. It was a callous act to put it to sleep.

Thumbs Down for Vet

2011-08-16T17:25:00.006+01:00

Yesterday morning I took the seagull with the broken leg to the Moray Coast vets in Nairn . I left strict instructions with the nurse that I did not want the bird put to sleep and told her two options to be considered. One was to have the leg fixed if possible, or amputate if that was not possible. I was told I would be contacted but heard nothing until I phoned this morning - to be informed that the bird had been put to sleep !!! I was livid that a perfectly healthy bird that could have been saved albeit with one leg, had been put down without any reference to me. I asked for an explanation and was told that Sarah the vet would contact me. Sarah phoned later and told me she thought rather than put the bird through a complex operation, putting it to sleep was the kindest thing to do. I said that I would not like her to be my Doctor if I had a broken leg !

She laughed and seemed to think this was amusing....I certainly did not ! All living things deserve a chance to survive. This bird in particular deserved such a chance, for it risked it's life to survive. I had it at home for two days and it managed to get in and out of the bath using only one leg, It was in good health and could fly. I have already given the Scottish SPCA 4 seagulls this year that were probably too badly injured to be saved. This one had a fracture about quarter of an inch above the leg joint, if you cant amputate that and leave a stump, then perhaps you should go back to vet school ? I left strict instructions that I wanted the bird saved and that I would pay for it. I also don't think she had the right to euthanize without informing me first. Thumbs down for professionalism Sarah.

Swallows Fledged

2011-08-14T23:14:00.005+01:00

The Swallows I discovered a few weeks ago have now fully fledged and only return to the nest to roost. They now have just over 5 weeks to hone their flying skills and put on some reserves to start the long journey to Africa. Usually they leave around the 23 Sept, roughly the same time as the Geese start arriving here for the winter. After the summer we've had I'm sure a lot would like to follow them ! I found another gull yesterday with a broken leg, too bad to repair it myself so will take it to the vet in the morning. I would like to see it survive because it's healthy otherwise and showed a strong determination to live when I discovered it. If the leg cant be saved I will ask for an amputation, I have seen several birds in the past that survive perfectly well on one leg. Meanwhile I have given it an anti - inflammatory to reduce the pain.

Steven Seagael Makes my Day

2011-08-13T23:30:00.002+01:00

Two days after I released Steven the gull on the west beach, I have looked anxiously several times to spot him, without success. This morning whilst feeding the ducks near the island, I saw a solitary gull paddling up river under the trees which was unusual for a gull. It looked like Steven but was too far away to tell, after a while it took off and flew towards the maggot flats and landed on the grass. I couldn't resist the urge to investigate further and crossed the Merryton bridge to check him out. The closer I got the more convinced I was that it was indeed him. I have carried a piece of fish every day in case I found him in a starved state, and when I held it he came running as usual and gratefully swallowed it. He has survived his first 2 days in the wild at least, and his ability to fly from land and water is essential to his survival. If you wonder how I know him compared to all the other gulls, he has white scar marks on top of his beak from when he was first injured. Seagulls don't go totally white until they are two years old, he is of course whiter and older than first year seagulls. It's great to see he's survived and can take off from water too ! (short vid clip below)