Scotland mostly - through nsl4u

I've not checked the egg type yet.... pecked out for a hatchling....
Aren't bluebells just some of the most striking flower carpets that will
ever be seen/ They do such wonderful contrast with the green canopy...

Cheers, Denis.

Labels: Forth and Clyde canal near Torrance, Torrance

On a beautiful Sunday, after a really dreich Saturday, the walk took us
along the old railway line, past the marshy pasture; I wanted to see what
was happening at the swan's nest, but already had worst fears. The swans
were not to be seen..so I trudged through the bog towards the nest and soon
realised it was empty...at the best, fledglings walked away somewhere
else....? Then as I came back through the spiny marsh grass I saw the egg
lying...stone cold. Very disappointed I took it back to the path to let M
see it; shocked by the size, but sorely disappointed it had come to nothing.
Maybe we thought a young pair, or possibly a raiding fox...or, some 'stooms'
who had caused bother and spoiled the chance.....(see later).
Met up with a couple of old friends on the course; one a pro, the other, a
supporter and trier!

On the way past Rob Roy football back lane towards the canal, caught sight
of the roe deer......with little movement (little threat) they sometimes
take a while to determine the action to take - it was literally only 5m
away....I tried to stalk behind when it stole away, but deer are amazingly
adept at melting away! I gained a few nettle stings for my adventure. Then
a few minutes later, on the margin of a field below the canal I saw another
(same perchance!) behind a tree...perfect chance to stalk quietly and use
the line of sight for cover. I got to within some 30m and one got an eye and
earshot of me..those huge lugs! Anyway, the next step is to flush them and
they'll stop and look..they have no fear of a decrepit old geezer catching
them anyhow! I worked my way to get them on the horizon and quite pleased at
the x10 zoom lens for reasonable clarity. I think a buck, a doe and possibly
a last year fawn, or a younger female.

We came along the canal path after leaving the head-rig and saw the shelties
and got quite close to a swallow too; the next shot I got was not in focus
but he turned his russet breast to the front..pity to miss that one; the
crown of the head is quite lustrous.
Along the side pasture, the wee roan boy was really friendly, quite keen to
take some lush fence grass, and happy to share a stroke and get a scratch. I
got some fun and manky, oily-dusty hands! The owner had a nice grey a
stallion pony, bonny and frisky and I think knew that he is 'the man'!

Along towards the Torrance bridge we came upon what I am sure were the swan
pair off the marsh grass nest; they had distinctive reddish caps from
foraging down at the shallow dubs ..they looked fine, but we felt they had
an air of despondency about them ..kind of lethargic, 'not lot going on'
when they should have been proud and nurturing parents. Trusting things go
OK next year.

A rare, fresh day, lots to see and do as usual; get off the beaten track to
see some more things than otherwise we'd often drift past.

Best regards, Denis.

Labels: Forth and Clyde canal near Torrance, Hayston, Torrance

Garden buds at home in Spring glory.....
Riverside walk then along by Cadder golf course. On to the F&C tow-path and
cross-country jumpers just off the perimeter of the Antonine Wall; mallard
ducks and ducklings, then a narrow boat. Bull rushes in flowering seed and
finally, a wet hole at East Carlston Farm pastures - a swan pair, Mum using
the long neck to take up soft growth in the reeds, and Dad nearby keeping
watch over the dome nest....

A bracing but typically bright day...'ne'er cast thy clout 'til May is
oot!'

Best regards, Denis.

Labels: Forth and Clyde canal near Torrance, Springtime, Torrance

On this evening walk got a few snaps of a difference.

Just to remind you, the 'Forth & Clyde canal' goes from Bowling in the west on the river Clyde, out to Grangemouth on the east ---- the Forth estuary.
http://www.canaljunction.com/canal/forth_clyde.htm
What's also interesting about the two rivers is also that the Clyde starts way down towards the southern uplands near 'Tweeddale' and is separated from the source of the Tweed by a mile or so. (I seem to remember that the Tweed, that great salmon river, is 93 miles long). The Forth starts way out west near Aberfoyle and comes from the Flanders Moss area draining out past the glorious Stirling Castle - that favourite of the late Magnus Magnusson ('I've started so I'll finish', of Mastermind fame).

The Clyde used to be a famous salmon river too and the Glasgow coat of arms is the tree, the bird, the fish, the bell ... and is beautifully emblazoned on the light standards at the Cathedral.
'There's the tree that never grew,
There's the bird that never flew,
There's the fish that never swam,
There's the bell that never rang. ' http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_flourish.htm

I guess that it lost it's 'nature' when it became the conduit for export/ import trading as the second City of the Empire from the later 1800s to mid 1900s; I'm sure the pollution was devastating. Not now, it's back to very good health.

Never mind river talk and canal walk ...what about the jet streams?

Kind regards, Denis.

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Labels: Forth and Clyde canal near Torrance

# posted by Denis Bell @ 4/22/2009 10:02:00 pm 0 Comments

Bailey the athlete! Spanialish eyes and spirit...loves the water under his belly, loves to fetch to please.

The Cadder Church has been on the spot since about 1150 and this one re-built from approx. 1909 I believe.

The graveyard is a font of history...the cast iron coffin being an attempt to stop grave robbers from taking stolen bodies to GLASGOW , down the canal...!!! - looks like it didn't work...hmmm. A squad of 6 rough, tough, hard men - and levitation maybe taking a couple of hours....job done, siller in pockets.

To note the duck is a gadwall, and threatened, and is quite rare......first time we've seen this one we believe..really not very similar to a mallard duck (the brown, wee wumman!).
The Moon above the large beeches on the old Antonine Wall, a bull-rush head very close to springing into seed, and the old canal lift or swing bridge (defunct).

Kind regards, Denis.

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Labels: Forth and Clyde canal near Torrance