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Sadly 2 of the rescued ducklings that I released have been killed in the harbour yesterday. With this weeks high spring tides I saw 5 of the ducklings up at the Merryton bridge, and thought maybe they had just been separated after leaving the harbour. This has been my main fear after their release, that they would fall victim to predators before they got river wise to the dangers.
I released them before the spring tides so that they would gain a weeks experience before the high tides during the night. The harbour can be a safe place, but also a death trap if used by the Otters, Mink or Seals for hunting.
The good news is that the other 5 are now close to their Mum, and Sari and Joe are still alive !
If they can survive the next 5 days tides, they should be pretty well integrated with all the other ducks and aware of all the dangers.
I hope our new
Trust members have now received your membership cards posted recently.
The hard frost has brought in a female Goldeneye today. These birds usually turn up in January when the temperature drops below zero. Last year we had several male Goldeneye, and I expect they will show up again soon.
The Mallards were clamouring for the grain today to keep out the cold ! (short vid above) Even the Turnstones were close by, eating the grain as well.
This has been designated the Year of Natural Scotland - by coincidence we have launched The River Nairn Swans and Waterfowl Trust this year too! The River Nairn is small but has it's share of natural beauty, along with the coastline, the Culbin and the hills to the south.
Many visitors are quick to praise how lovely Nairn is, and how lucky we are to have a pristine river with all it's wildlife right on our doorstep! Sadly familiarity does often breed contempt, and some locals do not appreciate what's right at their doorstep. The River Nairn Swans and Waterfowl Trust hope to highlight the importance of preserving and taking pride in our River, keeping it litter free, and protecting the rights of the water birds that inhabit it. There is no doubt an abundance of wildlife attracts and entertains visitors everywhere.
The trust intends to enhance and preserve this asset feature of Nairn. Membership is growing daily, with even more eyes to keep a close watch on our wildlife.
The Cygnets are still hanging in there, but the split between the parents and offspring is all but over, save the final parting. They are still flying short bursts up and down the river, with wings being strengthened all the time.
I will be sad to see these three go !
( Short video of Popeye harrying them in the moat below)
Our three cygnets gave me quite a show today, I thought briefly they were on their way to a new life, when they started to take off from the river ! These beautiful birds showed their massive 2 metre wingspan in unison, and what a great sight as they ran along the surface ready for take off !
It turned out they were just playing around, and landed 50 metres up river then started to bathe ! Popeye and Penny, sat on the island and let the cygnets please themselves, they are in no hurry to chase them off but keep pecking them ready to perform the final act !
These pics show one of the reasons why we have formed the Trust - Having these beautiful birds in perpetuity on our river, so that everyone can enjoy sights like these !
Was overjoyed today to find the 7 rescued ducklings that I put in the river last Wednesday. I had not seen them at all until today in the Harbour, I can get a good nights sleep now !
There was also a Red breasted Merganser doing a spot of fishing and preening, and the Cygnets were on their own, with Popeye and Penny having coupled them off and moved up to the island.
For Those of you who may have missed the Christmas Nairnshire Telegraph, or my earlier post about the launch of the River Nairn Swans and Waterfowl Trust. I thought I would give you a little reminder with an old, but apt email photo !
This is for future generations, so use the donate button or send it to : River Nairn Swans and Waterfowl Trust, 10 Douglas street, Nairn. Scotland. IV124DJ.
Swans are creatures of habit, and ours are no exception. This unseasonal mild spell is coming at just the right time for Popeye and Penny to start bonding and get rid of the cygnets, and see in the start of another year ! The daily nipping is getting ever more aggressive, and the inevitable is only days away ! How beautiful the cygnets look, and in excellent condition too.
These are a few pics of Sari and Jo that I took over the last few weeks, for my Canadian Swan Friends, Sari and Joseph Grove.
After 9 weeks to the day since I brought the ducklings home, today was their D - Day. With low tides and a benign weather forecast for the next few days, this was the best time to release them into the wild. For the past 4 days I have kept the ducklings outdoors 24/7 to get them used to the long, dark cold nights. This morning with the help of my friend George and his car, we transported the ducklings to the river. Conditions were ideal at the Swans island, and they were introduced to the open river. Series of pics and short video below tells the story. Their chances of survival are good, tonight they were mixing with the other ducks, and a successful rescue / rehab was accomplished !
