Litter Pick

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

Dipper on The River Nairn

On the way home from a lunch at The Broadley Green Garden Centre (which was as good as ever!) we drove south and over the Nairn at Howford on the back road to Househill. Always prepared, Kate spotted a movement up river as we crossed the river and asked me to stop the car. Binoculars in hand she declared it a Dipper feeding from the stones. What a beautiful bird this is - and its fantastic rustic red / brown underbelly and white breast showed brilliantly in my new binoculars - justifying the outlay (or so I keep insisting!). We sat for a while as the Dipper puffed out its feathers to protect itself from the cold, giving us great views.

That’s it for now, we’re rushing off to the Cinema Nairn showing of Cinema Paradiso. The first of the monthly programme of films we are bringing to The Nairn Community and Arts Centre. Everyone is welcome!

Séamus