Wildlife isn’t difficult to find in Nairn, it is all around. The Swallows are gathering on the telegraph wires and the hedgerows are heavy with brambles. The seasons are changing and although Autumn hasn’t quite arrived it is just around the corner.
We’ve had a pheasant visit the garden at Altonsyde, just underneath the now laden apple tree, rummaging around in the rhubarb and this week we were delighted to be visited by a hedgehog. We named him Spike and he was a bit of a Stealthog and he rubbed against my brothers leg and gave him the fright of his life around 9:30 at night (already dark). Can you remember the last time you saw a live hedgehog? Perhaps when you were a child, like us?
When I got for my morning walks along the beach I might be lucky enough to see dolphins playing in the firth of have a curious seal watch and listen, they are such curious creatures. Popping there heads out and watching you. I’ve had roe deer jump onto Altonburn road and run along it before disappearing into the Sandown fields. Of course we have the Red Squirrels too which frequent Tradespark Road and even our neighbour Chris’s garden (she feeds them Hazelnuts!).
The Curlews have already arrived in numbers , i’ve seen them down the beach and there was a Curfew of Curlew in Sandown Field this morning, next the swallows will fly off south and the geese will arrive. Wildlife in Nairn, in the form of birds is everywhere, I’ve seen bullfinch, long tailed tits and yellow hammer (the golf course is full of yellow hammer), all favourite birds of mine.
The glut of tomatoes has been harvested and my friends is off to make green tomato chutney. Laden with rhubarb from the allotment, courgettes and a huge bag of tomatos. The apple tree heavy with fruit was harvested a little for the chutney but most will feed our wild birds over winter. Oh to have pigs again, they would have loved so many apples.
Badger are around but I haven’t seen a live one yet, just those killed by vehicles on the A96, maybe we might be lucky enough to get on visiting from the field this winter. I hope so.
I mixed some weed killer yesterday, using salt, vinegar and water, for although autumn is coming there are still some pesky weed trying to creep up between the slabs in the Garden studio and this natural weedkiller is a lot more beastie friendly. The bee friendly lavender is flowering well now at the Garden studio, I think it has finally become established.
