Hi, this is my first Obs Life blog entry as I’m a new
addition to the wardening team here this year; I come fresh from spending all
last year in Broome, Western Australia, I’ve noticed a slight temperature
change since being here but I’ve spent a few seasons working on Shetland and
Fair Isle in the past so I soon reacclimatised! In an unplanned coincidence Ric, AW here for
the last couple of years, has moved down-under to take over my old job in
Broome, perhaps not a big surprise given the small, incestuous Bird Observatory
world!
My home last year - pretty much identical to Nouster Bay!
My first few weeks here have been filled with a wide variety
of jobs, largely concerned with getting the Observatory ready for the upcoming
season, I've helped paint most of the walls in the hostel, cleaned lots of things,
made repairs and small adaptations to the Helgoland traps near the Observatory,
put mist nets up in anticipation for the vegetation to grow up and generally
got my head round the running of the Obs including the bar, kitchen, rooms etc and my role in amongst it all.
Another major job resulting from the severe storms over the
winter months has been to make a start on rebuilding large portions of the
sheep dyke round the island which has been washed away. We’ve just started a section near Gretchen
Loch as it’s close to the Obs, provides good cover for migrants during an
easterly blow and allows folks to reach the hide overlooking the Loch without
disturbing the birds before getting inside.
Good progress has been made with Mark and myself having several
afternoon sessions while lately we’ve been joined by roving dyke-builder
extraordinaire Dougie who has speeded up the process no end!
Before
After!
Unsurprisingly I’ve also been carrying out the daily bird
census of the island, exploring my way round, getting to know all the promising
looking dykes, ditches and clumps of vegetation where migrants will turn up
through the season but the trickiest part has been trying to learn the names of
the crofts, fields and sections of the coast – I’m slowly getting there but it
will be a long process! I’ve also
carried out several mist-netting sessions at Holland House with the definite
highlight being a cracking Long-eared Owl while a Curlew was certainly a
surprise catch in amongst the Sycamores in the garden!
I write this with the famous North Ronaldsay Panto looming
large on the horizon (Saturday night!), I’ve been told it’s a huge gala-like
event with a lively dance afterwards to get involved with – although I have to
bear in mind, the last time I was dancing in the Northern Isles I ended up
breaking my foot in three places, although that was to Blondie and not Scottish
country dancing…….perhaps I should be more worried thinking about it!
The result of the last time I danced in the Northern Isles!
Simon, welcome, you're in dreamtime now. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI hope the North Ron sheep are not resorting to guerilla tactics and sabotaging the newly-restored wall.