Steve back on the Mainland

A quick phone call from Steve yesterday to say they were now in England - home for Xmas.

And a quick trip back to the past in the photo above - what year was this picture taken? And do you know anyone on the boat? If no one can name any of them, then I suppose I will have to let the cat out of the bag - well I did take the photo - it was a transparency - and I have just scanned it digitally.

Bevan

Thursday 19th November

Richard Else has now left the island and is back in Bolton. "Still dreaming of Shearwaters Richard?". Richard Brown, our Assistant Warden, is staying with Steve for a little longer when they will be coming off at the end of the month.

On Wednesday 18 November another Yellow-browed Warbler was found. More thrushes were arriving but the weather is rough at the moment and with cold northerly winds and heavy snow falls forecast this coming weekend in England, there could be more birds moving west to try and get away from it. Bardsey could get some hard weather movement in the next few days.

Visitors all gone and weather atrocious

The Warden, Steve, phoned today with the latest news.
On the bird front, there are still some of last week's birds still around such as Bullfinch, Coal Tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Long-tailed Tits.

The Engineer managed to get over late last week and check our generator which had been playing up and was only firing on one cylinder. In about three hours he managed to get it repaired and it is now working ok again.

All the staff will be leaving the island by the end of this month for a break over Xmas, leaving just Emyr at Nant looking after the Trust houses and Steve, the farmer, and his wife and two children. Their son Ben, of course, will be taking over as Honorary Warden and Bird Recorder while our Warden, Steve, is on the mainland. What's the betting he gets some really good birds on the island while on his own - and he will no doubt produce photographs to prove he saw them.

Our next Council Meeting is in Penkridge on Saturday 6 December when they will be deciding on the Observatory Fees for next year. Next year's visitor vacancies are now on the website and bookings can be taken now, subject to the new charges when they are announced next month.

6 November 2008

1 Yellow-browed Warbler recorded.

And then there were 10

Steve phoned today (the ten remaining on the island for the time being are Steve, the warden, his wife Emma and their son Connor; Emyr at Nant; the Porter Family at the farm - Steve, Jo, Rachel and Ben; and Richard B, Assistant Warden, and Richard Else, Shearwater Monitor).

Today birds of note recorded are Barn Owl and Firecrest.

A Rough and exciting October week on Bardsey for last visitors of season

Bev, Bev and Neil were due to sail over on Saturday 25 October but weather conditions prevented us going until Monday 27th. It was a rough crossing but as we approached the island the excitement mounted, especially when the engine cut out! No safety problems, however for the President, Vice President and 7 others who were dingyed ashore - some of us a little wet from the breaking seas and rain that lashed us as we sailed from Pwhelli to Bardsey in approx. 2 and a half hours.

However, for the 10 people waiting on the slipway to return to the mainland it was a tense half hour while we ferried people back to the boat, with the tide falling, the seas getting rougher, the anchor dragging and the lifeboat racing out from Pwhelli to tow the boat back to the mainland. In the end, only half the party were able to return that day, five having to stay on the island for a couple of extra days until Ernest could get over to take them off.

One of the people due to return was our Bookings Secretary Alicia Norman and her husband Bob. Unfortunately, Lis had had a fall on the island during her stay and had extreme difficulty walking along the gabions to get on the boat. Although drugged with painkillers her one leg was giving her extreme pain which she said was a very bad sprain. (In fact, when she eventually returned home, she had to go to the hospital and after xrays it was pronounced that she had a fractured leg - she was nearly an additional member of the YHC and in fact, would have been, if she had complained a little more strongly of the pain).

Whilst on the island, a presentation was made to Ben Porter to commemorate his membership of the YHC (an embroidered helicopter on his Hoodie which he proudly wore for the rest of the week).

Now to the Birds of the week:

27th October - 7 Whitefronts, Black Redstart
28th October - Pale-breasted Brent Goose, Little Auk
30th October - Woodlark, Twite and Snow Bunting, 47 Brambling
31st October - Hen Harrier, 6 Coal Tits, 2,200 Chaffinches

There were a couple of small Lighthouse attractions producing 2 Storm Petrels of note.
Passage during the week was mainly of finches (Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Bramblings and Bullfinch) plus several Woodcock, Goldcrests, Redwings and Fieldfare. Several Med. Gulls also recorded. On the days when it was calm enough to unfurl the nets, lots of chaffinches were ringed and a record number of Long-tailed Tits, 52 in all.