Headless Body on the Beach !

An unusual bit of flotsam landed on Nairn beach the other day, a headless and legless Statue! Legless men are sometimes common in Nairn on a weekend, but this is something new.

As for flotsam, the harbour has it's share of litter as always. I was about to clean it up the other day after it had all gathered in a corner, unfortunately when I went to do it, a boat was turning it's engine and washed it all over the harbour again !

You would think having nice new pontoons and ramps, that they would like the harbour to look clean and tidy !

I note that many litter and poop bins are packed solid, and have not been emptied for weeks, no doubt part of the cuts. Maybe our local councillors should start taking these matters in hand?

Swan Pen Chills Out

A tranquil calm permeated the riverside today, and the Pen chilled out in the harbour.

She was having a well earned sleep in the middle of the harbour, haven't seen her this relaxed since before the cygnets were hatched.

The cygnets hatched on the 12th of may and left on the 12th of february - nine months old to the day.

It wont be that long before the pen starts nest building again, and I got a short vid of them getting in the mood today. (see below)

No news on the Goose am afraid, I have walked through fishertown several times, using a goose call and had the binoculars today looking along the shore. Mind you several flights of geese have come in near the swimming baths over the last couple of days maybe brought in by the goose calling ! I can only hope it made it safely back to the water.

Job Done !

Again no sign of the cygnets in the river today, they have finally gone. It is possible one or two might return briefly, but as far as the parents are concerned - Job done! What a fantastic job it was too, they cared for them, disciplined them, educated them and ushered them away when the time was right. Interestingly last years brood were also ushered away when the weather was high pressure and settled, this gives them the best flying conditions whatever direction they choose to go. Today the parents were tranquil and relaxed on their island enjoying a well earned rest, within a month or so the whole cycle will begin again. I will also get a break from slicing 6lbs of carrots daily, but i'm sure it helped the cygnets get healthily through the winter.

Can I remind everyone that the resident pair will be somewhat off their food for a while since it's approaching the mating season again. The pen will be very picky about what she eats now, this is natural because of the egg producing cycle, so please dont attempt to feed them any kind of white bread ever. Remember they are long term residents and should only have the best for the benefit of their long term health. With the increased daylight hours the seaweed should become more available and the pair will eat this at low tide off the end of the piers.

My thanks to all who have contributed to the successful season, roll on the next one.

The Great Escape !

Momentous day, the cygnets are exactly 9 months old today and appear to have gone ! This morning one cygnet (the runt) arrived back in the river but no sign of the other seven. The parents had a melancholy aire about them indicating the young might have finally gone.

The spring fever seems to be catching, for the loose goose also made a bid for freedom this afternoon about 4.15pm. It had a quiet and cosy night in the garage on a bed of straw, this morning I let it into the garden and it nibbled on some corn and other veg . Most of the time it inspected the garden gate and strutted around the place sussing it out. In the afternoon it flexed it's wings a few times and continued to inspect both the main gate and side gate. I went into the house to prepare some more corn and a minute later came out and the goose was gone !

It all makes sense - this is probably what it did to the previous owner, the call of the wild is stronger than anything else. It must have flew / jumped the gate, I heard later from a friend that the goose was seen heading down King street, I only hope it makes it back to the sea or river. I was still waiting for a call from the SSPCA who said they would try and find a suitable home for it. Watch this space.

Swan Flight & Goose Update

Been a very eventful day, was lucky enough to be on the river when the cygnets headed down stream into the sea. The reason - to catch the light wind and have a flight around the fishertown again. Nice to see them all together again and flying daily, I managed a short video clip on their approach to the merryton bridge .

The other big event was deciding to take the loose goose home for it's own safety. Getting caught by a dog is a distinct possibility. This afternoon I headed for the west pier and thought I might be too late, for a spaniel was running wild along the beach heading straight for where the goose was standing ! I started running along the pier and got to the end when the goose saw me and started running to the base of the pier. I ran down the steps and threw it some corn which it started to eat, so picked it up and managed to put it in a cardboard box which was barely big enough to accomodate it. So it is now in the garage sitting on a bed of straw and happily eating a wide variety of food. I will have to make further arrangements for it, either in the form of a paddling pool or another location ! At least it's safe for the moment.

Meanwhile, enjoy the cygnet pics and video.

Goose Clipped !

Having paid a visit to my friend the loose goose today, I was pleased to see it was still alive and in the river. It is very vulnerable to attack with the inability to fly. I had a chance to have a close look at the right wing after it had a bath and was preening itself. It has been clipped by someone in order that it cannot fly, and has kept it for breeding or maybe a guard or pet . I made a few honking sounds and it came to me readily , a wild goose would never do this. I will take vets advice tomorrow and see where we go from there. You can clearly see the clipped flight feathers in the close ups I took today, also a bit of video below.

Regarding the Cygnets, they are all back in the river at the merryton bridge. The parents have cut them off, and tolerate them up by the bridge well away from the harbour and island.
They will go at some point in the next few weeks prior to the parents mating again.

Goosed on the Beach !

Today I was anxious to check on the cygnets to see if they had returned after yesterdays flight.

I could only find 6 of them, so it looks as though two have paired up and probably gone for good.

While checking the beach area I noticed a greylag goose pecking around for food , it was in the river last weekend and appears to have been winged by a cowboy shooter.

It looks ok but missing it's two main flight feathers on it's right wing. I was astonished when it approached me when I made a few sounds to get it's attention, I got the impression it was hungry and proceeded to offer it some carrots and bird seeds. I was truly astonished when it came up and took the stuff out of my hand ! For a wild goose this is amazing, they are usually very wary of humans, I can only assume it is so hungry or someone has already been feeding it.

It was pecking at everything, and in the end I had to laugh for it was grabbing my camera strap and trousers etc. (see vids below.) After eating some grain it walked to the waters edge for a drink, sadly flapping it's wings as though trying to take off.

Close Encounters !

This afternoon might be the last day all the Nairn cygnets were together. At around 3.30pm seven of the eight cygnets flew down the river into a bracing northerly wind, they circled around the bay and caravan site and had a near mid air disaster coming back towards the river.

Their inexperience showed when the tail wind brought two of them close enough to strike wings.

I did not notice at the time, but when I put the photos on the computer you can clearly see the lead cygnets outer flight feathers bent and almost broken !

The photos show only six of the seven because the zoom could not get them all into the shot.

I watched as the 7 cygnets circled even wider and headed off towards the west beach, I managed to get a bit of video before they disappeared. (See vid below)

When I walked back up the river I saw the runt of the family alone beside the island, the parents were at the harbour entrance stopping any entries !

It will be interesting to see if they return tomorrow, the seas are rough and the weather is still cold. I feel sorry for the runt, because swans are gregarious creatures and it will be sad if it has been left behind.

Farewell Fishertown -- Not Quite

I thought briefly that the cygnets were leaving , having spotted them flying over fishertown Saturday afternoon. After a couple of circuits over the town they headed back to the river. The dull leaden skies did not help the photo opportunity and there were only 7 of them doing the flight. One of them flew in alone later in the day. If the weather stays mild I think they will be gone fairly soon. The parents are more determined than ever pushing them to leave !

Anyday Now

The Nairn Swans continue to harass and intimidate the cygnets, and are making it clear they are no longer welcome to stay in the river of their birth. It could well be a matter of days before they are forced to leave. The only fly in the ointment is the weather forecast for next week is a return to freezing temperatures - Hope the forecasters are wrong !! I can say with conviction that this is the longest, coldest winter in my lifetime.

Nessie in Nairn !

With the second highest tide of the year, Nessie appears to have taken a short trip into the river Nairn. I managed to get a pic of it before it headed back out to sea, no doubt back to loch ness !

The Pen was curious and swam close to check it out !

The Resident pair of Swans have eased up on chasing their offspring away for the moment, obviously realising the weather is not suitable for departure yet !

They are still shepherding the cygnets and keeping them out of the harbour at every turn.

The cygnets are very wary of the parents and always looking over their shoulders to see where they are !

High Noon & High Tide for Nairn

After nearly 9 months since hatching the Nairn cygnets are about to get expelled from the river.

The parents have been exemplary until the last few days, and have now turned on their beloved offspring as nature intended. It is time for them to make their own way in the world and join flocks of other young swans where they will pick partners in a couple of years time.

Meanwhile I hope the parents don't push them away until this coming bad spell of weather has passed. Strong winds are very dangerous to young inexperienced cygnets and can result in serious injury or death . It's obvious the parents think springs on it's way regardless of the current weather situation. I think the cygnets are healthy and strong, and have probably enough reserves to get them through the remainder of the winter. They have almost stripped the harbour walls bare of seaweed, and I have been feeding them 6 lbs of carrots and 2 loaves daily for the past few months. Many other people I know have been feeding them as well. I feel privileged to have witnessed their lives over the past 9 months, it has been a joy.

While it will be High Noon for the cygnets, it will be the highest tides of the year this Sunday to Tuesday. With strong northerly winds and the river in spate, it has the potential for flooding in fishertown. Freezing temperatures would hold back any big melt of snow.

The Pen today was particularly aggressive to the youngsters, (see vid).

Big Garden Bird Watch

This coming weekend is the RSPB's annual big garden birdwatch. Everyone is invited to observe and record for 1 hour the highest number of each species you see at any one time in your garden or local park. You can participate using the RSPB website online form. www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch . This can be done anytime over the 30-31 Jan and provides a useful snapshot of the state of the country's birdlife.

This year will be particularly interesting because of the harshest winter for decades, and a drop in the number of small birds is expected due to the severe cold over the past month ! The results will be released in march on the RSPB website.

I joined the RSPB a few years ago and have done the garden birdwatch before, I find observing birds enjoyable anyway. What I have noticed in my own garden is the lack of coal tits and blue tits this year, I fear they are such small birds they have suffered badly with the cold icy conditions. On the other hand I have about a dozen chaffinch which are regular visitors this year. I have been doing my bit along the river by putting down mixed birdseed and crushed peanuts at strategic locations. It seems to have helped since a variety of birds turn up daily for their food.

On the subject of food, the Cygnets enjoyed a dessert of Spinach today, this was after their usual carrots and wholemeal bread. (see vid )

River Action

The Cygnets are honing their fighting skills and frequently raise their hackles towards each other. The other day they had a play fighting session. The parents are increasingly distancing themselves from their offspring, partly to get on with the business of protecting the territory against intruders, and I suspect getting the youngsters used to separation ! Other action on the river this week included a Blackback gull feasting on a spent salmon, and our damaged duck bill having a dip. It sure is true the saying "Water off a ducks back ", it was like watching mercury running on a glass table !

Nairn Swans Go Global

After my Library displays over the past couple of years, I was asked by several people if I could produce postcards and calendars of the Beautiful Nairn Swans. Reluctantly I gave it a go since I now have a vast library of Swan Photo's on my computer. In spite of the cost of producing a few hundred, I am pleased they have been well received and with a bit of luck I might break even. I want to thank all those people who have bought them and who have sent them abroad to relatives etc. It's nice to know that the Nairn Swans have gone global, as far afield as Australia, the US , Canada Switzerland France etc. I am sure it will have a positive effect on the Nairn wildlife and tourism.

TIME OUT FOR HAITI - UPDATE

HAITI UPDATE: It is now estimated that up to 200,000 could have died, and 3 million affected, made homeless etc. Put into context, that's like more than half the population of Scotland killed injured and made homeless in a matter of minutes . Mind blowing stuff !

This iconic image from AP shows the power of the still photo is alive and well, and one can feel the joy from the childs face as he sees his Mother !

Sometimes the usual things that occupy our time have to be put to one side, and other more important things brought to the fore. Today I feel compelled to mention the Catastrophe that hit Haiti the other day. We live in a country and part of the world that thankfully does not have to worry too much about devastating earthquakes. Many people will be moved by the plight of these poor souls who have lost everything, and the suffering of those who are trapped and injured as I pen this blog. Feeling helpless in such a situation is normal, but for us we can contribute by making a donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). Their web address is as follows : http://www.dec.org.uk/ It is easy to make a donation on their site, or alternatively you can make a donation by phoning their number: 0370 60 60 900 .

All you smokers out there could send them the price of a packet of fags - £5.

This is the only way we can dig deep in this situation, DO IT NOW !

Swans High Drama !

Since the Cygnets have stayed with the parents all winter I have been asked umpteen times why haven't they gone yet ? My answer has always been that the parents have been keeping them around as insurance, to help ward off the intruder male Swan (Cob) that tried to take over the place last January. My hunch has today been vindicated with the return of the Same Cob into the river.

He was quickly ejected by our resident pair, who homed in on him like a couple of US drones !

The cygnets were all cheeping excitedly and adopting the same raised wing mode as the parents. The intruder at first tested the resolve of our pair by swimming upstream, but was quickly turned round and escorted towards the piers. I note that the intruder turned up last year on the 24th January and was finally ejected on the 8th Feb, he is 2 weeks earlier this year, perhaps this indicates an earlier spring or just desperation on his part . I dont fancy his chances at ousting our pair and 8 cygnets though ! I feel kinda sorry for him, his territory is probably frozen over and he might just be looking for food ! A few nights ago a single swan was spotted on the football field at the links, I think it came down in the dark thinking it was landing on water when in fact it was the reflection of the ice !

Enclosed sequence of photos of the High Drama this afternoon .

Keep Feeding the Birds !

With the Big freeze continuing into next week and maybe beyond, this looks like a new record on the cards. I remember the winter of 1981-2 the temperature locally fell to about -18, however this was short lived and did not last anymore than a few days. The river is now freezing all over except the areas of fast flowing water. In some ways this is a blessing for the Swans and ducks for they are not entirely trapped by the ice, and the Swans can still get at some of the seaweed that is growing on the rocks ! Many other wildfowl will be suffering badly with their ponds and lochs frozen solid. I noticed the duck with the damaged bill is still on the go, she and her mates were walking on the ice earlier today. Garden birds are going through food as if it was going out of fashion, and the word seems to be getting around. I have a dozen or so Chaffinches joining the sparrows, blackies, robins, pigeons starlings etc etc. I also have to put out water daily, for it freezes solid every night. I prepare a mixture of chopped peanuts with wild bird seed, and any old cheese that I grate, along with biscuit and cake crumbs. I urge everyone to do what they can to help the birds through the worst weather for a generation !

History Repeating

It was 50 years ago this week when I started my first job on a farm in the Clyde valley. I was 15 and remember clearly having to get up at 5am to catch a bus at 6, to get to the farm by 7.30am.

Trudging through the snowy fields to get to the farm, my wellies were full of snow with balls of ice formed on the home made knitted wool socks. For £2-14-2d (That's £2-70p) for a 5 and half day week ! I was allowed to keep the 14 shillings and the rest went to my parents for my keep. I recall that during the 50s and 60s deep snowy winters were a regular occurrence, and as kids we used to seek out the deep snowdrifts built up on embankments to dive into them ! This winter looks like it will be a record breaker, maybe the start of a mini ice age ? Who knows !

Today I went down to feed the Swans as usual and was damn near blown off the bailey bridge by a ferocious northern blizzard, it was bitter ! The Swans were bobbing around like corks as the waves travelled right up under the road bridge. We have a little grebe visiting, and of course the tufted ducks as well.

Can I remind readers yet again to put out food and water for the birds, this weather is lethal to them!

I recently invested in a mini slicer/processor for £16 from amazon.co.uk very useful for chopping up peanuts which most garden birds relish, especially when mixed with wild bird seeds !