One Swallow...
28 Apr 2016
Actually it's more like 30 Swallows (and several hundred Sand Martins) but that doesn't make it feel any more like summer.
If the hail/snow/thunder/sleet freezing wind is a trial for us it must be a terrible shock for the poor migrant birds like the Swallows, Sand Martins, Osprey and House Martins who have spent the winter in the warmth of Africa and returned back here to this!
It's breeding season for the wildlife which are here at Haddo all year too. We've just got the first Mallard ducklings out on the lake which is good to see. We've also had a rare treat in the Kelly Burn where the Lamprey have been busy nest-building and spawning in the gravel of the stream bed.
Lamprey are a very old, primitive type of fish with big suckers instead of a jaw and teeth. They don't feed with the suckers but use them to move stones and gravel out of the way so that they can lay their eggs underneath. We've seen Lamprey in the burn before, but it's very rare to see them actually spawning. Our Aberdeenshire Council maintenance staff even managed to film them and you can see the video on our Facebook page.
What's On This Weekend
It looks like it's going to be a busy Bank Holiday weekend, with the Hit The Road Classic and Custom Bike Show on Sunday and Monday. The show opens at 11am until 4pm both days, and entry is £3 for adults and £2 for children. Weather permitting there'll also be a bike parade around the park before the show opens. You can pay on the day or pre-book tickets at the NTS website.
Our Celtic Storytelling evening on Saturday night is now sold out