Tay Estuary Diary January 2017

We had a dry, calm and mild start to the New Year with the odd touch of frost and some snow on the higher ground but all in all a very good start to January with the temperature touching double figures some days!

This spell of good weather has been great for getting on with some of our outside jobs which have included painting some of the guttering, doors and shutters round the old bothy.

Down at the old boatyard we have been getting on with painting a couple of cobbles that were drying in the store at the end of last year.

A few of the old bird boxes that have come down in the wind have been patched up again ready to go back up in the trees.

The bees have been active on the heathers on the warmer days, there is a good showing of snowdrops coming through along the banks too.

There’s not been a lot of movement of birds about the riverside this month, not sure if it has been down to a settled spell of weather! Redshank numbers got up to six this month which is poor for the time of year, the Whooper swans are scarce with only two putting in an appearance on the 31st.

The Teal are about in good numbers just now. This month has seen the return of another two green darvex ringed mute swans to the area, PPB on the 11th and SBX on the 30th.

We are seeing a few more seals about the river just now as they are making the most of the kelts that are dropping back down the system. A lot of these spent tired fish are easily caught by the seals in the shallower water.

There has not been many boats out on the river this month but it was good to see the odd Kayaks and canoes making the most of it on some of the better days.

It was a showery last couple of days to the month and a low river was just beginning to rise again.

Dago

 

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