24 February 2008

The Day After the AGM

Back home after the trip to Criccieth. What a sea we had looking out fro Criccieth Castle which is just opposite the Marine Hotel where we had our Council and AGM meetings. You will have gathered from the previous posting, that I was able to get online at the hotel and actually blog live from the AGM meeting. I was sitting at the back of the room with the laptop on a table typing away - it did seem strange when I realised that I was in fact reporting the meeting "live" as it was happening. I suppose, with all the right equipment, you could all have been there, watching proceedings on the screen and even contributing. I wonder if that will happen one day?

It was good to actually meet up again with old friends that you haven't seen for months or even years. For instance, in my case, our old friends of the Obs., like Dafydd Phillips and Dafydd Thomas and make new ones, like Liz James, some of whose photos of Bardsey and its birds you will see on the website. Christine Evans was there as was also a host of other friends of Bardsey. It was great to seem them all - and for them to meet our new Assistant Warden, Richard Brown (another Yorkshire lad) and of course, our newly married Warden Steve and his lovely wife Emma.

Practically all Council Members were there (travelling from all over the UK), including our Bookings Secretary Alicia (who actually gave a fascinating talk about bees after the business part of the meeting - we now have a couple of hives of honey bees just behind the Observatory and you can buy and eat Bardsey honey if you visit the island).

And Denise Healey was there selling our selection of unique Bardsey clothing and launching new items, like the cut glass whisky tumbler which you will be able to purchase shortly (did you know there is a Single Malt Whisky made in Wales?).

23 February 2008

Reporting direct from AGM at Criccieth

14.15 hours at the Marine Hotel, Criccieth. The AGM of the Observatory has just begun and the Chairman, Patrick Davies, is giving his Report and about 33 people are present listening intently.

Patrick is telling members of the appointment of Richard Brown, our new Assistant Warden, who hails from North Yorkshire. Richard Else has also been appointed, with a grant from the CCW, to monitor the Shearwater population on the island this summer.

He went on to inform members that we are looking into acquiring Satellite Broadband which will broaden the Observatory's accessibility enabling much better information exchange in the future.

The 2007 Report is due to be published by the end of August at the latest, well ahead of last years. (My comments: It is perhaps one of the Observatory's main jobs, as it details all the research and survey work that we conduct thoughout the year which fits into the national picture. This enables bodies such as the BTO, RSPB, Countryside Council for Wales, Local Authorities, etc. to better able to conserve many species of birds and show how important Bardsey Island is for the study of birds and the importance of it for its own breeding birds.)

The Chairman then announced to the members that we had been searching for, and found, a new President. He then explained how we discoverd him and are putting him forward for this important post. The meeting then unanimously agreed to appoint the Rt. Rev. David Hawkins, Bishop of Barking, as our new President. (His CV can be found at: http://www.bbfo.org.uk/president.htm)

All the other Officers of the Observatory were re-elected without dissention. Bryan Thompson was elected as a Friend of Bardsey, as was Liz James.

20 February 2008

Bird News from the island

Young Ben Porter has been twitching again. (I think he's really enjoying gripping us all off while he has the island to himself :-))

1st January - a Red Kite was seen over the farm. There have been arrivals of some of the commoner birds in the past few days - wagtails, linnets and lesser black-backed gulls. Yesterday - 19th Feb - there was a Red-throated Diver on the sea and there has been a female/immature Eider in Solfach for about a week.

Keep watching the stars and the birds Ben.

Bevan - the Bardsey Crier.

17 February 2008

Book Early to Stay at the Observatory

Minus 6 degrees centigrade here in the Midlands last night but I doubt if it got to freezing on the island. Frost and snow are rare over there on the west coast of Wales. We did have snow last winter - only lasted for a few hours - but Steve was able to record it for posterity with his camera - see http://www.bbfo.org.uk/wardensteve.htm

Talking of Steve, he is still off the island but if you haven't had a chance to see him on his tour of the UK giving talks about the Observatory (he had good audiences at Nottingham and Sheffield recently), then he will be at our AGM in Criccieth next Saturday afternoon (Council meeting in the morning for those who are Council members).

Even if you are not a member of the Friends of Bardsey, you will still be welcome to join us at 2 pm on Saturday 23 February, at The Marine Hotel, Castle Street, Criccieth. Even the "Bardsey Crier will be there" :-)) - but he will have his bell muffled. Some important items will be on the Agenda, including the election of a new President of the Observatory. I wonder who it will be? All this strain on the Vice Presidents is getting too much they tell me - they need a boss!

See you on Saturday - you can all buy me a drink. I won't be driving :-))

Bevan

7 February 2008

Into the second month of 2008

Hi everyone, particularly Chris and Dai who made comments. Thank you for that.

Well, Steve and family are still on the mainland, writing up the annual report, oganising things for the new season and a host of other jobs they aren't able to do on the island. Steve loves his computer and is emailing everyone at the moment (all about Bardsey I hope!). He has been giving talks up and down the country and I know has done two in Wales to groups which have been very successful.

Through the post today I, and presumably other members of the Friends of Bardsey, have received the latest edition of the Bardsey Beacon. The editor is now Mike Armitage and his first one is very good indeed. Mike intends to put his own stamp on the Beacon but doesn't intend, he says, to make wholesale changes that would destroy its traditional look and feel.

He reminds us all of the Annual General Meeting at 2pm on 23 February at The Marine Hotel, Castle Street, Criccieth and immpresses upon us that the Beacon belongs to the members and that their contributions are very welcome. The rest of the ten page newsletter contains the following:

Warden's Report - Farming on the Island - The Porter Family move into Ty Pellaf
New Staff for 2008 - Secretary's Bit - Wedding Bells on Bardsey (guess what that is about!) - Treasurer's Bit - Booking News - an amusing aside called "Naval Protocol" - and finally, all the contact details for the Observatory.

There is an appeal for photographs for inclusion in two Bardsey publications, the Annual Report and a new edition of "The Birds of Bardsey". (On a CD to Steve, the Warden on the island (not by email). And Mike even mentions this Blog:-))

Chris asked in his comments about who is on the island and do they interact. When Steve and his family left in November, they "left just the four members of the Porter family. Even Emyr, who works for the Bardsey Island Trust (owners of the island and our landlord) came off too. So for 3 months the Porters have been living on their own, with only the sheep, welsh black cattle, chickens and seals and birds to communicate with. Here is a para from the Beacon written by Rachel Porter, their thirteen old daughter:

"I love it here! It's such a beautiful place to live. It's been strange having school at home with mum and dad as teachers. On Thursday afternoons I have been having art lessons with Emma, which has been fun. (I hope Emma left her with homework to do!). During this winter, mum and dad and I have been making things to sell in the craft shop; felted hats and booties, shell jewellery, wool rugs, baskets and other things. I am looking forward to the possibiity of running a cafe in the summer with the help of my friends. I have seen plenty of wildlife; I have enjoyed watching the seal pups and their progress".


When Steven, Emma and Connor return; Emyr to the north end; and our new Assist. Warden, Richard Brown and Shearwater Monitor Richard Else, their will be a permanent summer population of 10 and maybe a couple of other people. On an island, you have to work together as you never know when you might need other people's help, as, for instance, Ben Porter and myself found outwhen we had accidents and had to be taken off to hospital by helicopter. Things break down and everyone helps each other. There has to be real community spirit if you are to survive on an isolated island like Bardsey.

Well, that's enough for now. More later about our new Warden, Richard Brown, and Richard Else and his monitoring job this year. I think we will have to change Mr Else's name to Richard Shearwater so we can distinguish them - or Shearwater Else!

See you all on 23 Feb at Criccieth. I have a white beard and a loud voice - I may bring my Bell!

Bevan