Na h-ealachan, the swans: bhideo a rinn Joe (Joe's Video)

Tha e caran goirid ach ma tha sibh a' leantail cuisean bidh sibhse toilichte ris tha mi cinnteach às.
It is a little short but if you are following events you will be pleased with it I'm certain.

Oidhche mhath - good night :-)

Tha an cleoc againn ag obair a rithist. Oor clock is working againn.

Viewfield Feasgar Dihaoine/ Friday evening

Oifis-ghuail - Coal office

Chòrd e rium gu mòr a dhol sìos Sràid Dhùghlais airson a bhith a’ pàigheadh mo chunntas aig oifis Frank Milne. Bha daonnan beagan còmhraidh ri fhaighinn agus air sgath s gu robh iad a’ reic guail b’ àbhaist dha a bhith teine blàth a’ dol ge b’ e an aimsir taobh a-muigh. A-nis tha e dùinte agus a-rèir coltais bidh e ga leigeil a dh’ aithghearr agus bidh taigh ga chuireadh na àite. Tha an t-seann mhillennium an ceana fada air ar cùlaibh saoilidh mi.

I used to really enjoy going over to Douglas Street to pay my account at Frank Milne’s office. There was always a little conversation to be had and because they sold coal there was always a fìre going no matter what the weather outside was doing. Now it is shut and it appears that it will be coming down and a house going in its place. I reckon the old millennium is already far behind us.

PS. Chan eil mi cinnteach ma bhios mi a’ sgrìobhadh air a’ Ghurn gu tric ach bho seo a-mach ma nochdas dad idir, bidh e càil dà-chànanach: Gàidhlig agus Beurla

I don’t know if I will be writing often on the Gurn but from now on, if anything appears at all it will be bi-lingual: Gaelic and English

Looking upstream from the A96 Bridge

A dull kind of a day but reasonably warm and the recent boost the trees got with the spell of warm weather is evident.

Swan Blog opens up again!

HI citizens. Joe has opened up his Simply Superb Swans blog againn and he has some cracking pictures. Take a few minutes off from this cruel life and see how Nairn's wildlife is getting on. Please spread the word.

Message from the swan mannie

Hi, good news......the resident swans are back with 5 cygnets !
They arrived this afternoon about 3 ....i was passing the harbour when they came in....mother with all 5 on her back....they headed straight for the 2 young swans that had lost their nest, and proceeded to oust them...( i hope they find a new site).
I went down into the harbour basin and they came over to show me the brood....gave them a good feed of wholemeal bread....think it was the first bread since the 17 march when they left. the cygnets are gorgeous...and i reckon they are older than the ones last year when they arrived...probably a week old ! It's great to see them back....i think they were pleased to be back too ! enclosed pic i took this evening.

Another duck pic from Joe

Happy scenes here captured by Joe. Meanwhile further down in the harbour a potential tradgedy was in progress. Seven ducklings were seen alone in the habour basin, later on 6 were heading out to sea but turned back at the last minute. Unfortuneatly this is a regular feature of late spring/ early summer on the river, families of ducklings just hatched can get seperated by heron or dog incidents etc.

No further sightings tonight but then hardly any ducks around at all. This year's star brood had already gone to bed. Thanks again for the picture Joe.

PS no not a comeback for the gurn, infact not a gurn at all. Gurns are history on the gurn.

News from the swan blogger

No this is not a gurn comeback, just a response to interest in how the Nairn swans are getting on. The swan blogger, has been taking pictures but not published any yet. So the above pic is a sneak preview of what is, hopefully, to come. It shows the intruders taking up residence. This is Joe's message.

I may blog those at some time in the future.....as for the Swans....those are a new pair in the river.... probably 3 or 4 years old...and this will be their first attempt at nesting ...there will be a 4.2 m tide on the 27th of this month....and providing it does'nt flood the nest ...and providing kids or dogs dont attack her on the nest..then maybe we will see some new cygnets around the 6 th of june..which should be about the 35 day incubation period.
The big problem will be when the resident pair get back from lochloy with their offspring....i hope they can co exist for this season....it may be the first time we will have two lots of Swans and cygnets on the river at the same time !
There should be enough food supply...at least during the summertime.....and if they share the territory, 2 up the top area...and the other two towards the harbour and pier..it could work out ...if only they could reason like us !!!!

I read a blog the other day...

I've started to read Wind on the Heath . Quite enjoyable.