My first ‘blogging’ is from last Friday when I went out to help clean up the banks of the river Nairn and the paths near Jubilee Bridge. What an incredible amount of rubbish was found including car batteries, car seats and scores of broken alcohol bottles. Although it was satisfying to leave the place cleaner and tidier it is disappointing that there is a need to do this.
The weather was beautiful and we all soon discarded layers as we worked. The birds did their best to distract me, these included a heron which flew past close enough to touch before landing a couple of metres away to continue it’s hunt for food, and a dipper was obviously aware of our work as it kept flying round us then landing to do it’s ‘dip’ giving us great views. This is the closest I have been to one for a long time and it is unusual to get such lengthy views of one. There was also a grey wagtail under the railway bridge ‘wagging and pipping’ beautifully. The common birds I saw included Blue tits, chaffinches and blackbirds. There was also blackcaps heard by another litter picker but I was too busy to catch it at the time.
Another spectacle for the day was the amount of wild garlic. It is very aromatic and looks very attractive too.
So my recommendations are to slow down when out by the river to enjoy the smells, sounds a sights. And maybe take a bag to collect any rubbish which has gathered – this offers some exercise as you enjoy the area.
Kate
well done on the litter picking. its just a shame folk leave it their in the first place. i see the swans are at the pond before the roundabout too the airport two of them and it looks like they have set up a nest. also seen this week were a male duck at the bottom of granny babour road and yesterday a female duck on the same road. all the best billy
ReplyDeleteThanks Billy. It looks like the Swans are nesting near the airport. Also the Nairn Swans are at it again; have you seen their nest on the river? Good luck to them again this year.
ReplyDeletenot seen it but hope all goes well for them this year. as when reading the swan blog they have a lot too contend with what with humans and other wildlife.
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