News Update - what's happening!

Treating the loch water with barley straw - the annual task in the depths of winter.

The ducks love the straw and are in to the pile before it is out in the water.  Once on the rafts it is a free-for-all to rummage around and then get nesting.  The swans take prime position to build a high nest and are there for a month before cygnets hatch.

It is all hands to the deck to fluff up and get the barley straw out on the rafts.  The weather was wonderful this year (the photo is from a rainy 2023) and put out in record time with two boats employed for the task.  Sixteen volunteers from all the sports clubs and the Trust make light work of the task.

Once the rafts are loaded, the straw is slowly degraded at the interface of the atmosphere and the water surface.  Over several months the large pile of fluffed up straw diminishes and is just about gone by late autumn.

For a downloadable explanation including contemporary photographs please click on button below:

Photo Competition Winner 2023.

"Winter Queen of the Loch"

Photographed by Paul Williams.

For more information on the Kingfisher, click the link below:

Competition is always really keen at the photo presentation.  This was the eleventh annual show, and this is the first time that the same person has won the trophy a second time.  Well done to Paul.  Friends vote for the best photo and this year it was announced at the Annual Summer BBQ, after counting of the online and paper votes.  The weather was kind for the BBQ and a lovely time was had by all.  You can check out all the entries through the link below, but congratulations to Paul for this wonderful entry.