AN EXPERT demonstrating bird ringing will wing his way to the third edition of a free nature festival this weekend.

Peebles’ Stuart Craig returns to the event allowing visitors to experience the beauty of some of Merlindale’s many different bird species up close.

The Merlindale Nature Festival will take place from 2pm to 6pm at Drumelzier, near Broughton, tomorrow (August 24).

A Merlindale spokesperson said: “With Stuart’s expert assistance visitors will even be able to release birds which he has rung back into the woods and our meadows.”

Another major attraction will be Stephanie Schaffler and her horses who will work in tandem, with expert scythe-user Rob Brodie, to mow the meadow during his scything workshop. 

Fabulous fungi will feature on a stall organised by the Scottish Borders Fungus Group, with all display examples picked somewhere in Merlindale.

Last November the Peeblesshire News reported that the Tweed Meadows Project, part of Merlindale Nature Ltd, was granted £140,416 from a Scottish Government fund to restore flower-rich meadow habitat across 19 sites in the Borders.

Tweed Meadows makes land-management changes to tackle biodiversity loss and help to halt the decline of pollinators by reducing habitat loss and increasing food sources.

David Lintott, of Merlindale Nature, said: “This year with secured funding from the National Lottery we will have a big tent showing a video of how the Tweed Meadows Project is progressing.

“In addition there is horse and mower and scything, alongside a number of new stands, including Future Forests which strives to ensure the creation of a sustainable biodiverse countryside through their projects which are breaking phenomenal milestones, including planting of more than one million trees.

“Our second new organisation is Happy Hedgerows, which makes beautiful locally sourced leather goods including bags, belts, bookmarks.” 

There will be an array of refreshments provided by the community run Broughton Village Shop.

The Tweeddale Red Squirrel Network (TRSN) will have more information on their project which is at the centre of the resurgence of red squirrels in the Borders.

Visitors will also be able to experience red squirrel walks in Merlin’s wood and hopefully replicate many of the sightings from last year.

There is parking at Drumelzier Village Hall, postcode ML12 6JD. The co-ordinates are 55.594282, -3.373495, and signs will take visitors to the festival.