No this isn't about the David Bowie song (although that's not stopping Gail humming it).
About once a week, when she has time, Gail takes me on an extended morning walk and instead of our usual circuit round Duthie Park we exit the park at the far end, cross the bridge over the Dee and walk along the south side of the river, opposite the park. We then cross another bridge back to the north side and home again through the park.
One of the things Gail and I love is observing how the river environment is always changing.
It's less than a mile from the harbour entrance and so the river at this point is tidal. On Tuesday this week we caught it at low tide.
If we had been there six hours earlier or later, the scene would have looked quite different, with the banks of sand and gravel submerged and the water lapping all the way up to the vegetation.
The water was quite still, and as I waded in and took a sip I started thinking about other changes I've noticed.
At low tide, the water is quite fresh and palatable, the river being fed by inland mountain streams, but the tidal flow brings in sea water and so at high tide it is salty and not at all nice to drink.
Now in summer, the water is an agreeable temperature if one fancies a refreshing dip. I think it might be a wee bit cooler at high tide as the sea water is generally colder than the river at this time of year. (Gail's kayaking friends tell her the opposite is the case in the winter.)
We had calm conditions on Tuesday, but when the wind whips up the waves I am not so fond of entering the water. And as you know, it is really windy most of the time in Scotland...
Likewise in periods of heavy rainfall the river swells and becomes turbulent and might even even burst its banks, and it's best to steer well clear.
Sometimes during a flood the current can be so strong that it scours deep holes in the sandy earth, and when the waters recede one's human has to take care not to stumble into these holes.
Oh gosh, there are so many more interesting things I could tell you about the river - the wildlife, the fishing, the heritage - but I guess you'll be wanting to go and read all the other lovely Nature Friday blog posts, so I'll leave it at that for today!
rivers are interesting places ... and there are so much things to discover... like frogs or fishies...
ReplyDeleteYes indeed, that tide thing sure changes everything you see/do.
ReplyDeleteI hope you never have to deal with a bad flood if the river decides to come out of its enclosing banks...
That's really interesting Nobby, and good to see the photos.
ReplyDeleteAll our local rivers have dried up over the years, and mostly if you see the sign Rio, it's just a sandy track overgrown with bushes and weeds, so lots of them are used as unofficial walking tracks. All I have to look at is the sea and that's not very interesting, except on the rare occasion it's rough. Usually it just slops up and down a bit!
Love,
Paca xx
You look like you're having lots of fun in the water, Nobby, and that's one huge hole that the flood waters have carved out!
ReplyDeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteWell Nobby, that was most interesting! I do hope you will share some more of those facts in another post sometime. Hugs and wags YAM-aunty xxx
That's a fun place for walking and Mom knows a lot about tides from living on the North Sea Coast in Germany. It was a vacation destination so lots of dogs on vacation on the beach. They would drink the salt water and almost immediately have the runs. Since Emma and Katie drank it a lot, it didn't bother their system. Tides are very interesting and dangerous too. Tourists often got stranded on sand bars and had to be rescued.
ReplyDeleteGail says: Interesting - none of my dogs has ever had a tummy upset from drinking salty water (and Bertie tended to drink it quite a lot too).
DeleteRivers are endlessly fascinating, whatever the level of the water - so much life in, under and around.
ReplyDeleteI think low tide is really beautiful, showing us the sand and other things that appear. I am sure the water would be to cold for me, at high or low tide. I like my water at 80 degrees F and up
ReplyDeleteI thought this was an exceptionally interesting and informative "lesson," Nobby! As the location is local, I do hope you will return to tell us more—after tempting us by mentioning wildlife, fishing, and heritage.
ReplyDeleteNobby you and Gail find the most amazing x 87 sights to share with us. You are surrounded by so much gorgeous nature. Is that a lighthouse in the distance.
ReplyDeleteHugs Cecilia
Gail replies: sorry Cecilia it's not a lighthouse, it's the 'obelisk' monument in Duthie Park!
DeleteWhat a great place for a walk, especially at low tide, Nobby. Thanks for letting us tag along with you.
ReplyDeleteOh Nobby ~ so good to see you and what a great place Mom took you to with awesome photos she took ~ fascinating place ~ thanks and hugs ~
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Wow, that is one cool river! You are a brave WFT Nobby, we wouldn't go anywhere near the water when we were camping.
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Rosy & Sunny
That must have been a treat
ReplyDeleteOscar would have the same walk (a run actually) every day if he could - on the beach, with a ball to chase and some female dogs to sniff at. He puts up with occasional changes but got very perturbed when we last walked round the reservoir near us in an anti-clockwise direction instead of the usual clockwise - you'd think we'd gone mad... Ha ha
ReplyDeleteHi hi hi! Ojo here! I don't understand why Beach comes and goes and comes and goes... And why sometimes the water is tasty, and sometimes it's salty, or why sometimes there is Sun and Hot and other times there is Rain and Cold. If you figure these things out, please let me know! In the meantime, that looks like a fabulous place to got for a Walk! Can I join you?
ReplyDeleteJust lovely and interesting---does Gail let you swim when it is all brackish? and do you spy any fish? That would be cool!
ReplyDelete