Cygnet safety was priority
In your article ‘ Wildlife lover says mother swan is heartbroken after SSPCA takes cygnets away’, dated 1 July, it was claimed by Sylvia McAlpine that the Scottish SPCA was wrong to rescue cygnets from the River Ayr.
These cygnets were just a day old and were struggling without their mother, who was nowhere to be seen. The person who contacted us kindly waited with the cygnets for over two hours and their mother did not return during this time.
The cygnets were very close to being preyed upon by gulls and rats and our officer rescued the birds after seeking advice from our National Wildlife Rescue Centre and Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue.
The Scottish SPCA does not move wild animals without good reason and our officer made the correct decision in this instance to ensure the safety of the cygnets. We rescued over 3,700 wild birds last year and will always act in the best interests of animal welfare.
Anyone in Scotland who is concerned about a wild animal should call the Scottish SPCA’s animal helpine on 03000 999 999. came back. I was actually there when she was sat in the nest with her babies then decided to pop into the river then moments later try to jump back up the bank back to her babies but to no avail.
The large, slimy pipe below her nest proved too difficult to climb and she spent some time swimming up and down trying to find a way back to her babies, calling out to them to let them know she was near.
Eventually she swam over to dad who was on the other side of the Auld Brig and he eventually swam back with her but finding the same problem with exiting the river, he swam off leaving her to sit alongside the riverbank.
I watched over the defenceless babies for quite some time and a number of people stopped to view them. One person informed me he and his wife could see the nest from their home and were keeping a close eye on things and would contact the sspca if necessary.
It wasn’t the first time mum had found herself unable to get back up to the nest, she just had to wait for the tide to rise to be reunited with her babies. I do hope when they are released back on the river that mum and dad will be reunited with them. Does Bob Shields write for the Ayrshire Post or the Ayr Post?
I got the impression he was a bit miffed and possibly ‘ Trumpish’ that Rod Stewart included Kilmarnock in his latest tour rather than a venue at Ayr and I am sure Rod Stewart fans from Ayr and further afield would not have minded travelling to Rugby Park.
Most music fans like to travel to venues and other entertainment outlets - just ask a bus driver for Stagecoach Express Buses from Ayr to Glasgow at the weekend or the mud lovers of Glastonbury.
Robert Burns is described as a famous ‘ Ayrshire’ poet rather than a poet from Ayr. Thanks to a trusty and obviously fit horse he travelled to many parts of Ayrshire including Kilmarnock and further( e. g. Edinburgh/ Clarinda) and eventually settled in Dumfries where incidentally Status Quo performed at Palmerston Park during a recent tour. Upon landing at Prestwick Airport and living locally, I went to get a taxi at the taxi rank.
It was raining but having done the same after a trip in May, I knew the taxis would not be long. I stood for 10 minutes with another five couples in the rain until an airport worker told me that the taxis were banned from the airport now and I should call one.
Genius, take the taxis out, don’t tell anyone, don’t put a sign up to advise the public, don’t provide telephone numbers to call a taxi!
Talking to the taxi driver I was informed it was our glorious council who stopped taxis sitting at the rank at a busy airport.
Yet another tale of incompetence in South Ayrshire Council! After the Brexit vote, I have been very saddened at the apparent rise of racist attacks against minorities in some areas.
I hope people from all backgrounds know that they are welcome in Ayrshire and Scotland in general.
People should not be living in fear because of a small minority who are using the referendum result as an excuse to vocalise hate filled views.
I would like to make it clear that people are welcome and we understand the contribution they make to the local economy.