A Walk Along the River Spey

At home in Speyside and Cairngorms, It’s an odd time of year for birding. The adults are hiding away, growing new feathers and taking time out. Spring and summer were exhausting for these little birds, fighting for territory and mate, protecting their nests and feeding little ones.

A walk on my local patch last week, showed me that even though the birds may be a little bit quiet, there’s still lots of wildlife to enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised at every corner.

The start of the walk, the footpath hidden by grasses (Ailie Brown)

I started later in the afternoon, about 3.45pm It was a warm 18 degrees and very sunny. I started my walk as I always do, crossing over the golf course and down towards a small footpath that runs along the River Spey. The path was almost invisible with the tall grasses. Ragwort was vibrantly yellow; Knapweed pushes out the tops with the purple heads and the Lupins have gone to seed. As I brushed up against the grass, I disturbed small white moths, which flew in different directions away from me.

I heard Jackdaws calling and a Speckled Wood Butterfly moved away from the path as my footsteps disturbed it. The nettles were hidden in the long grasses and I noticed this as I brushed up against them. The path hugged the edge of the river and I noticed it was running very shallow. The water, although a peat colour, was very clear that day.

As the walk continued, the tree’s became bigger and the odd tree became a woodland. The wind caused the Aspen to tremble and I could hear the wind. The Rowan were bursting with heavy berries which were vibrantly red. There were bunches of Feverfew and Forget-me-nots mixed in among the undergrowth. I took a moment and sit by the river, enjoyed the peace and quiet and the warmth of the sun. A few spiders crossed over my legs and I watched cricket’s climb through the grass.

I progressed through the woodland, the path moved away from the river a bit. A Song Thrush flew through up from the ground. I heard a Wren singing, I must pause as I heard a familiar sound but it’s not one I’ve heard before on this walk, I listened closely and sure enough it was a Crestie! There are conifers across the river, that’s a first! As I wandered along, I also heard Chaffinch, Woodpigeon and Treecreeper. Still not seeing many birds but glad to know they were there.

I nearly tripped up in a hole that had been dug by a creature, carrying on there are several of these little holes, dug into the side of the path. Badger possibly. The claw marks are big enough.

I have named the sections of my local walk, more for my notebook and I have come out of the woodland and across the ‘farmer’s field’. The sunshine beautiful and rewarding from the cool woodland. The path climbed up and you get a view of the Cairngorms. Sand Martins were present here as the path climbs above the river, at eye level with the birds feeding. There is a colony on the bank of the river. The flora on the edges of the field is different to the riverbank. I enjoyed a few ripe raspberries and took a moment to smell the scent of the Meadowsweet. There was large Broom bushes rattling in the wind, I always think of these as natures maracas. Above I heard a Buzzard mewing.

I continued along the edge of the field next to an older woodland with huge Birch and Oak trees. The butterfly count was up to three species as Meadow Brown and Tortoiseshell visit tall thistles. I heard a singing Goldfinch. Lovely.

I climbed over a fallen tree, over a burn, to continue my path. The next section wound closer to the river again but through a creaky, slightly messy woodland. This area gets flooded quite a lot so the remnants of debris could still be seen, caught halfway up the tree trunks. I stopped and picked some sprigs of Water Mint for my own senses. The smell was fresh. The woodland had quietened down, it was nearly 5.30pm and I was ready to find an ice cream. I quickened my pace to the end, where the view of the Cairngorms could be seen in full view over the other side of the river as it bends down. There were more Sand Martins here and some gulls.

The end of the walk with views of the Cairngorms over the River Spey (Ailie Brown)

My local patch is also my weekly walk. It’s a wonderful section of river, woodland and meadow, which gives a variety of bird, insect and wildflowers throughout the seasons. It’s where I do my dawn chorus walk and where I enjoy the view of the mountains when they are covered n snow. This local patch is where I have done most of my personal learning and has enhanced my passion for nature.

If you would like to include a walk along the River Spey on a Guided Day Out, you can do so here. Any season can be wonderful to spend next to the River Spey.