Saturday 30 April 2011

Royal Wedding Celebrations in Kirkmahoe

The bunting was out, the Hog Roast ready, the weather set fair, on the day Prince William & Catherine Middleton married. Kirkmahoe Community Council had great foresight in organising our local Celebrations. An absolutely FABULOUS evening was had by all, and everyone would like to thank KCC for putting on this wonderful event for us.
It was amazing to see everyone mingling from all parts of Kirkmahoe, lots of us meeting new folks from the area, with new friendships being formed.
Kirkmahoe Royal wedding Celebrations
 The Hog Roast proved a great success, as did the cupcakes, with the gentlemen treating themsleves to the delights of Sulwath Brewery (based in Castle Douglas), wine and soft drinks were available too.
The Gallovidians provided Scottish Dance Music for us in the Hall which was bedecked in our beautiful Saltire Flags, which form the blue and white background of the Union Jack.
Scottish Dancing in the Hall


 


Our school children contributed a carefully sculpted cake with pictures of the Bride & Groom on the top.
                                                    
Wedding Cake made by our school children
Huge Thanks to all those involved in organising this event, and to all the Helpers who worked quietly in the background to ensure that everything went smoothly on the night.



Sunday 24 April 2011

Happy Easter and Spring Diary

After our harsh winter we are welcoming  Beautiful Spring with temperature higher than in some Mediterranean resorts.
To record our lovely countryside at this time of year, you are invited to send your Spring photographs in to kirkmahoe@googlemail.com for our Spring Diary. Flowers, blossoms, trees, birds, lambs and all things Springlike will be welcomed to our Blog. Our overseas readers are included in this.
Here are some to start us off





Wednesday 20 April 2011

Sponsored Walk

Jordan Tweedie is doing a Sponsored Walk in Mabie Forest, on May 2nd for Dumfries Town Band.

Jordan now plays the euphonium in the Band, and is also a member of our local group Kirkcophony.

He is currently looking for sponsors for the walk, and anyone wishing to sponsor Jordan can contact kirkmahoenews@googlemail.com to get the details required. Please leave your tel no so Jordan can get in touch with you.

Further information about Dumfries Town Band can be found at:-

http://www.dumfriestownband.co.uk/DTB/Home.html

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Your Invitation to our Royal Wedding Celebrations

The Community Council would like to invite you to the


Kirkmahoe Street Party

To Celebrate the Royal Wedding
 
Friday 29th April

6pm-10pm

Kirkton Hall and Village Green

Hog Roast, Licenced Bar, Ceilidh, Raffle

All Welcome





Monday 11 April 2011

Osprey Conservation in Dumfries & Galloway




 If you want to know anything about Raptors, Ciril Ostroznik, from Ae Village is the man to ask. With a lifelong interest in these beautiful Birds of Prey, Ciril is doing much to help with their conservation in Dumfries & Galloway. Look up in this area and you will see many Buzzards with the familiar wide wingspan, soaring above. But how many of us have ever seen a white buzzard? Ciril took this picture of an albino buzzard  in  an area to the west of Kirkmahoe.
Albino Buzzard
Whilst his interest is in all raptors Ciril has become increasingly involved with Osprey Conservation. I am sure most of us think of Ospreys as being at Loch Garten, and do not associate our area with them, but thanks to the endeavours of Ciril, in the whole of Dumfries & Galloway there are now 13 nesting pairs.

So just how has this come about? I was intrigued to find out that Ciril has built all the nesting platforms which attract the birds to the sites.
Ciril making the precarious traverse to the Osprey Platform

Once the birds have found the site the nests made of twigs can reach over 6' in height. There they rear the chicks and Ciril goes to the nest to ring the young birds. This enables the bird to be tracked throughout its life.


Ciril preparing to ring chicks

If you look at the top picture of this post you will see the parent osprey and young. The photo immediately below here is of the same chick in Brittany where it was photographed by a French photographer. This is the first stage of its migration to Senegal where the ospreys overwinter.


Below is a photo if the same bird in Brittany taken two weeks later, and you will see that it has been fishing. It is also looking more mature, and ready for the long flight to Senegal.
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Kirkmahoe News would like to Thank Ciril for providing the photographs and for giving us an insight into the wonderful work he does for Osprey Conservation in our Region