On a cold November afternoon, a still dark bird looks down on his watery kingdom. Could this be Graculus, royal bird of the land of Nog? Noggin the Nog was created once upon a time, in a land far away, Britain in the early 1960’s to be exact, by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. Graculus, the large green bird which flew […]
Author Archives: Paula Tod
Volcanic rocks around St Abb’s and Eyemouth give a feeling of a lunar landscape. They are the best-exposed remnants of late Caledonian igneous rocks south of the Southern Upland Fault. Small pools appear as mini lakes reflecting the jagged edges of these ancient rocks. Further north, at Siccar Point, James Hutton discovered his “Unconformity” and […]
A magnificent sight as the young swans hone their flying skills in Eyemouth bay. The embryonic wings have now grown to a size which will support the weight of their large bodies. The parents have taught them well. In a few weeks time they will leave the nest and look for territory of their own.
Autumn sees the welcome return of a true sea duck, the Eider, to Eyemouth harbour. According to the RSPB it is the UK’s heaviest duck and the fastest flying. It’s portliness is rather endearing. Like the puffin, it’s a real entertainer, decked in harlequin with a peachy blush to the chest and rakish black cap with a swathe of green. On […]
Green, from middle English and Anglo Saxon grene, a word associated with youth and hope, important to Islam and environmentalists alike, the colour of frogs, plants and marine environments. Algae on the surface of the harbour walls gives a green look to the water. Chlorophyll gives colour to the green. It gives Chlorophilia, the love of green as some suggest, […]
Sunday morning and a beautiful flat calm in Eyemouth bay. In salt water the swans forage for weed and algae. The edge of Fort Point can be seen in the distance. The profile resembles a dog with its paws stretched out to sea. A real dog appears. It is ready for action and has the same dog face as […]
A bold Yes stands on the site of D R Collins fish processing factory in Eyemouth. Further down the road, a modification to the Better Together hoarding expresses simple gratitude for the result of a referendum which saw Scotland voting to remain part of the United Kingdom in one of the most stimulating political debates of […]
A dramatic white cross on a blue ground flies over the remains of Fast Castle on the Berwickshire coast like a metaphor for the times. Little remains of the castle which fell in and out of English and Scottish hands before falling into disrepair and ruin. It was one of the many castles in which Mary […]
Not many miles from Eyemouth is the man made lake of Mire Loch in St Abb’s Head Nature Reserve. Each year a pair of swans nest here and raise their young. In the golden light of sunset it becomes the stuff of Arthurian legend.
With under a week to go before Scotland decides its future, views are being made public in formal and informal ways. The swans swim in oily waters, oblivious to great changes in the air.
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