CONGRATULATIONS TO GARETH ROBERTS

Our heartiest congratulations to Gareth Roberts, Cwrt, Uwchmynydd, for coming 3rd in the Farm Factor competition throughout Wales last night.  

OVER to the Winter Wardens to KEEP YOU IN TOUCH

FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS - OVER THE WINTER - SOCIAL NEWS FROM THE ISLAND WILL COME FROM ELAINE AND JIM LENNON.   THEY ARE STAYING THE WINTER IN CRISTIN AND LOOKING AFTER THE OBSERVATORY AND KEEPING RECORDS OF BIRD AND OTHER WILDLIFE  ACTIVITY ON AND AROUND THE ISLAND.

THE PORTER FAMILY AT THE FARM WILL BE THEIR NEIGHBOURS.

WE WISH THE LENNONS AND THE PORTERS A VERY MERRY XMAS.

SO GO AND LINK ON TO JIM AND ELAINE'S BLOG FOR UPTODATE NEWS FROM BARDSEY.

Bardsey Crier

Winter Warden finishing first Task - but where is Elaine?

Jim and Elaine Lennon are our "Winter Wardens" and will be in residence at Cristin until the spring.  We will be hearing regularly from them over the winter about life on the island which will include things like..................................................  we will just have to wait and see.

However, this photo shows Jim putting the finishing paint coat to the renovated Solfach Hide so if Elaine finds he is missing when there's jobs to be done, she will know where he is - sitting in here watching the Chough and the Turnstones feeding in the seaweed.

I hope Jim takes some photos of Elaine for us to see.   And it would be wonderful during those dark winter nights, when the stars above are shining bright, if Jim can arrange for Steve Porter (the island's resident skyologist (astronomist) to take some photos (he has now had the training) of some interesting aspects of the "sky at night on Bardsey".   Steve has an astronomical telescope mounted in his "Observatory" so both Jim and Steve can do a disappearing act in the evenings.   Yes, we now have two OBSERVATORIES on the island now.

Publish Post

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IAN WRIGHT

Happy Birthday again.

Last year, on Sat 4th October Ian Wright (one of our Council Members) should have been spending his birthday listening to his favourite musician, Van Morrison, live in concert. However, he was stuck on Bardsey due to the strong winds and was therefore unable to make the Van Morrison gig. As a consolation he was presented with a home- made cake that was iced and decorated in the shape of a Morrison's Van!!!

Ian obviously enjoyed his impromptu party so much that this year he decided to return with his wife to spend his birthday with all his friends on the island and at the Obs. Ian can be seen here in the centre of the photograph talking to Jo from Ty Pellaf (the farm). A very enjoyable evening was had by all as we watched the sun set over the Wicklow Hills whilst we ate nibbles and drank wine!

Happy Bithday Ian from all on the island.

Poetry and Writing and FUN Week on Enlli

For the writing week, 20th to 26th June, eight of us journeyed across the sound to arrive on Enlli. Five of us were returning from last year and three new people joined us for the first time. For two of them it was their first trip to the island and they were entranced of course. Christine Evans helped us to get going with some poetic-juice stimulating exercises and she was joined later in the week by Chris Kinsey, BBC Wildlife Poet 2008.

We met every morning for a couple of hours to have some starter exercises, and then the days were ours to enjoy and absorb the island, and write Enlli inspired verse. Not only did we write, but we also visited Carole Shearman in Llofft Nant for art and craft sessions. We all made small books on which we could write our poems. An anthology inspired by the 2008 week and prepared for this year is in the library in Cristin.

A "round the island sunset cruise" with Colin on Tuesday provided the stimulus for a group poem and we hope that this can be submitted to the website before too long.

Our week culminated in a reading evening on Friday when we were joined by Carole, BBFO staff and some Trust visitors. We read our favourite pieces, including the group poem and displayed our art and craft materials.

We all had a fantastic time; our laughter could be heard across the island.
Many thanks to Steve, Emma, Connor, Rich B, Rich E, Gwyn, Christine, Chris and Carole for helping it be such a special week.

Next year is booked already and vistors to the BBFO website can look forward to new poems appearing soon.

Caring and Maintaining the Observatory

Richard Brown, our Assistant Warden, has been painting the fascia boards and preparing the Obs to take the new guttering that has just arrived

Bog for the Blog - A new loo for the Gents!

Richard Brown has created a stunning new loo for the Gents. We now have parties and social events in the gents loo, usually looking at the rare wall, when up to six people have managed to squeeze in! The rare wall is a board that has been attached to the east wall of the gents, and if you find a rare bird on the island you are required to paint an image of the aforementioned rarity on the wall. We have some nice pictures there already and many more will be added soon we hope. We are accepting historical records - Tony John has just done an excellent Quail - one he found several years ago.

There are many historical rarities to be added and you don't have to be Johnson or Mullarney to get out the paints and brush! So on your next visit to the island don't be surprised if you are locked in the gents with a brush and a field guide!

A'white at the front and A'wite at the sides!!!

Over the past week or so, the outside of Cristin has had its periodic "facelift", thanks to the hard work of Dan Dawson who has spent three weeks giving the outside and the windows the TLC they deserve. Cristin now looks in tip-top shape and the south facing wall has been painted with rubberised lighthouse paint and the other walls with an oil-based masonry paint.

As well as the walls being painted, Dan set to on the windows - who of you can remember the wash-room window or boot-room window opening? Mmmmm... it has been a long time but with a blow torch and several hours on each window, decorating guru Dan now has them opening, sanded down and painted - they look excellent!

And then there is the GWOBR!! What is a GWOBR I hear you ask? Well, it simply means AWARD in Welsh (as all our Welsh speaking/reading viewers will know). Anyway, the GWOBR/AWARD has hung on the south wall of Cristin since 1977, when it was presented to the Observatory by HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, for the efforts of the Observatory and its members, made towards the protection of the island and the creation of refuges for birds.

The guttering and rain tanks are all being moved and renewed too. As you can see, some of the unsightly tanks that were around the building have been moved to a new platform constructed by Rich B at the back of the building , and he and I will be replacing all the guttering soon so all the rain from the building is collected in one place.

To see how good the place looks now, get booking your next visit with Alicia

Steve Stansfield
Warden

Shearwaters in colour on Springwatch

At last they made it tonight when the cameras recorded Shearwaters flying, landing and entering their burrows - looking very unlike a Manxie as they were photographed using heat imaging which showed reds and yellows rather than black and white. The Bardsey Island Trust were thanked for their help but Steve, our Warden, did manage to be listed in the credits at the end. Staying visitors on the island during the breeding season can be shown this spectacle by our wardens on a dark night during the summer. The calls of the birds are heard all over the island at night and it will be a night to remember if you pay us a visit.

SPRINGWATCH ON BARDSEY

Springwatch was on Bardsey filming at the Observatory yesterday. It will be broadcast on the TV some time this week. In the meantime here is proof Simon King was there - photographed with Connor.

Have you heard of Bardsey Island?

What a stupid question! Now the Observatory has Satellite Broadband, the whole world is learning about Bardsey and it's birds. Not a day goes by now without I get an email from the island - it was great in the past as emails from Steve disappeared the day he returned to the island after a break on the mainland. No peace for the wicked now! His latest email sends me uptodate pictures of Cristin's courtyard - looks like he has cut the grass :-))

If you log on to the "Latest Sightings" link on the Obs. home page, you will now get daily updates on the birds our staff record on the island - yesterday it was a Red Kite - but it isn't all birds as you will see. We are, after all, a "Bird and FIELD Observatory" and we study not only birds, but Insects, plants, animals and all creatures of the sea which abound around our wonderful island.

VOLUNTEERS - our biggest asset.

Weather poor - Mike Archer and his band of budding volunteers are making good headway with checking all the ringing data. They have completed one volume of checking with 21 more to go!

Ian Wright is back with us and has been helping around the island - pruning bushes and helping fix stiles and boardwalks.

What would we do without our volunteers! I have just received a CD with loads of photos of Bev and Neil Healey and Michael working the last two weeks on the Observatory buildings. I will try and put some of them on the main website.

Prospective volunteers should contact our Warden direct on the island by email giving their phone number and Steve will phone or email you. warden at bbfo dot org dot uk

News from the island will be more uptodate shortly - thanks to Steve and his team

Steve has set up a BLOG so he can directly put uptodate records (and sometimes photos) on the web. There is a link on the home page to his Blog (Island Wildlife News). He is still having a few problems with uploading of information but within a couple of weeks this should be ironed out and he and his staff will hopefully be keeping you "and the world" uptodate on the birds that breed and visit our island.

My Town Criers BLOG will therefore not be containing bird news shortly, but will continue with an "off the island" view of Bardsey and stories of the people and other happenings on the island which sometimes make for more interesting reading than even the birds, dare I say!

If Steve, Dave and Dave don't keep us informed, then you will see sparks flying from my BLOG and igniting his. So look out Steve - it could be war. (Note: Steve and I were both born in Rotherham, Yorkshire - although a few years separate us - and I don't think it is likely that two Yorkshiremen will get to blows - well, not physical anyway - cos I think he would win).

Ay up Steve, I don't see any Pom Skuas on your Blog yet - but with 10 off Criccieth today I would have thought some must have passed Bardsey.

Yorkshire Bev

Ben demonstrates new invention for "Elderly" Bardsey Criers visiting the Observatory

This latest picture taken by Liz James is of our neighbour Ben Porter demonstrating the latest gadget installed by Colin Evans on his boat. I understand it has already been named the "Bardsey Crier's Ladder" but will be available for use by other elderly visitors to our wonderful island. A big thank you to Colin for these six steps to heaven!

BARDSEY HAS ARRIVED IN THE 21st CENTURY

The first of no doubt many thousands of emails has just arrived from Bardsey - thanks to a young man who has just installed Satellite Broadband at Cristin.

As I write this, Steve, or his Assistant Richard, is probably sitting in the Library at Cristin surfing the web when he should be in the sitting room next door conducting the log for the last day of the week before our visitors leave the island.

This is certainly a day to remember as it now means communication to the island has improved a hundredfold and information from and to the island will improve, hopefully making life just that much more easy. "That's a joke, I have to say. Life will now become much busier and there will have to be "Internet Log-on times, both on the island and here in my home, otherwise I will never manage to do the washing up, or shopping, or look after the allotment or my bees, or even do any birding".

Anyway, it does mean we will get the news regularly now and photos of birds perhaps on the day they are seen.

My regards to all the visitors and I hope you all get off tomorrow.

The Bardsey Crier

This was the Week that was

Steve phoned today with news of events on the island over the last week.

Easter Sunday - an Easter Egg Hunt was organised for the youngsters on the island AND a female House Sparrow was trapped and ringed - a rare bird.

Wednesday 15th April - Connor celebrated his 7th birthday. He had 23 island people to his Pizza Party and Competition - the winner was Richard Brown with his Chocolate and Apple-topped Pudding PIZZA. The judge gave him the prize for taste and originality - absolutely delicious everyone said. Oh! and during the day they had the first TREE PIPIT of the year, about 350 Willow Warblers and 60 Greenland Wheatears. AND Trinity House has a NEW Ship which was moored close inshore that night and lit up the sky like Blackpool Tower with all its lights on. (Was that especially for Connor's benefit?)

Thursday/Friday 16/17 April night - A Lighthouse Attraction - 6 Grasshopper Warblers, 12 Wheatears, 1 Ringed Plover, 30 Manxies picked up and a Short-Eared Owl attracted.

Friday 17 April - About 30 Grasshopper Warblers, 150 Willow Warblers, 70 Wheatears.

Saturday 18 April - 1 male Sup-Alpine Warbler netted and ringed.

TODAY, Sunday 19 April - 2 Black Redstarts, Orange Tip Butterfly (10th record for island).

And the week finished with the volunteers finishing Connor's birthday present - a brand new Bedroom of his own - courtesy Mum and Dad, Bardsey Trust, BBFO, and volunteers, Bev, Neil and Michael.

Saturday 18 April

At 3pm this afternoon, a male Sub-Alpine Warbler was found on the island.

Ring Ouzel and Garden Warbler

Ring Ouzel and Garden Warbler seen today. Three volunteers arrived yesterday, Bev and his brother Neil, plus Michael - they will be carrying out several voluntary jobs during the next week and maybe beyond - improving the Warden's accommodation and some work on the Obs. building too.

Vice Pres. and Bardsey Crier Bev not able to "supervise" this time and sorry chaps - you'll have to do your own washing up. I am needed at home in Staffordshire to count Heronries, get the allotment up and running, and monitor birds and bats on a proposed windfarm site. Never a dull moment! But I will be thinking of you and waiting for those phone calls telling me of the rare birds you have seen (between sawing and hammering!).

FIRST SANDWICH TERNS OF THE YEAR

Today about 20 Chiffchaffs were seen on the island and the first Sandwich Terns of the year - the earliest ever recorded on the island.

Weekend Birding on Bardsey

SATURDAY

2 Jack Snipe (1 trapped) - 5 Black Redstarts - 20 Chiffchaffs - 12 Wheatears

SUNDAY

3 Black Redstarts - 15 Wheatears

And finally, the British Naturalists' Association (BNA) are holding a very interesting National Conference in Epping Forest on 9 May. Log on to: http://www.bna-naturalists.org for details.

Book your week on the island NOW

A glorious sunny warm day on the island today. Steve reports:

12 Sand Martins - 1 Willow Warbler (the earliest ever recorded - by one day) - 5 Black Redstarts - 1 Swallow - 1 HOOPOE - 1 first winter Iceland Gull (7th record) - 2 Coal Tits.

Oh! and 30 Bottle-nosed Dolphins on a flat sea. Don't you wish you were there?

Island Alive Again - population doubled

After a couple of delays due to strong winds, Steve, Emma, and their son Connor, plus the two Richards and Liz James arrived on the Island and walked back up to the Observatory last Sunday. In fact, these six have taken the island population to 11 which has more than doubled it. The other five are Emyr at Nant and Steve and his family at the farm.

Our gang are all working hard to get the Observatory ready for our first visitors in about 3 weeks time. Lots to do - mainly cleaning and decorating and hoping for sun and warmth to help dry everything out. It has helped enormously having Steve Porter and his family checking up on the Obs over the winter and putting the generator on occasionally to try and keep the Obs dry. But we do have one or two wet walls that need attention from our landlord which we hope is in hand.

The lads have been popping out birding and report the following today:

4 BLACK REDSTARTS - 6 WHEATEARS - THE FIRST SAND MARTIN OF THE YEAR - 1 WHITE WAGTAIL - c300 MEADOW PIPITS - 1 MISTLE THRUSH - 6 CHIFFCHAFFS.
Oh! and Steve turned his trousers into shorts on Solfach today I am told - a site for sore eyes! Next we'll hear he's donning a pair of swim trunks.

Wardens hopefully back on Island today

Weather has delayed the return of our Wardens to the island and the Observatory but the latest forecast and message from Steve is that they are hoping Ernest can take them over today. It certainly is a bright and sunny morning here in the Midlands. If you go to the home page of our website you will see I have added a new Weather LIVE from Abersoch which will give you a better idea of weather on the end of the Lleyn.

We have heard that Wheatear has returned to the island - I am sure the two Richards will be out and about as soon as they land so expect more reports in the coming days.

Reporting from Criccieth LIVE

I am sitting here in the hotel at Criccieth two and half hours into our Council Meeting. 19 Council Members have come together here today for the first of our three meetings this year. Steve Stansfield, our Warden, and his wife Emma are also present, as is our President and one of our Vice Presidents.

We have been discussing the work of the Observatory and particularly receiving reports and making decisions for the coming season so that the Observatory will run smoothly. Our work will continue, including, of course, continuing to provide accommodation for visitors who stay and help us record and study the wildlife of the island.

In case you think I am not paying intention at the meeting, I would add that it is now lunch time and I am enjoying a bowl of soup.

Finally, there was an apology from one of our Vice Presdients (no names no packdrill as they say) and I thought you would be interested in his reason for not being here today. It appears his son persuaded him to take him to the Test Match in Barbados! No comment from a fellow Vice President :-))

January BIRD news from our man on Bardsey, finishing with a good one!

Our man on Bardsey - Ben Porter - reports as follows:-

Brambling reported by Ben on his bird table at Ty Pellaf early in the month.
Wigeon in early January.
One or two Coal Tits.

Lots (up to 200 which are record numbers) Golden Plovers early in the month together with up to 40 Lapwings

AND ON THE 26TH JANUARY - 1 LITTLE EGRET
AND FINALLY, TODAY, the 30th, in Henllyn - A GREY PHALAROPE.

Bevan

George and Simon - Memories.

Don't forget to check the comments that are being submitted. Simon Hughes has reminded us that George and his family stayed on the island for the 1970 season and Sheamus has reminded us of Simon and Gwydion's (and Kim's) friendly brewing competitions and his generosity to visiting birders to the Obs. Simon also draws our attention to George's copperplate log entries. (Can our current warden, Steve, perhaps arrange for a page to be scanned for the web please).

Please keep reminding us all of any memories of either of them that you may have.

Bevan

Goodbye Simon - we won't forget you

I journeyed down to Bromyard last Saturday to attend the Funeral Service of Simon Walker in St. Peters Church. The church was full with his family, his friends and his colleagues. They came from all over the UK as during his 52 years life he had travelled far and collected many friends and colleagues on the way.

His colleagues from English Nature (now Natural England) were there, his colleagues from the old days at Severn Trent were there, his BTO ringing friends from the midlands, his friends from the Worcestershire Trust, his friends who had accompanied him on his regular trips over the years to ring the seabirds of the Treshnish Isles off Mull, and of course the Bardsey Observatory and Trust and the island were represented by myself, Dick Loxton, and Gwydion Morley and Kim Atkinson (who have remained his good friends since they both left the island some years ago).

I think all people present learned a lot more about Simon and his devotion to wildlife conservation, as they listened to his brother and his colleagues talk of his skills, committment and humour that we all knew he possessed.

Jan, his wife, appealed to us all to keep in touch and to relate to Angus, their son, any memories we have of his father so that he will have these in the future to remind him of his wonderful dad.
I am sure those of you who had the pleasure and privilige of meeting, working and just being around Simon will do that small thing for them.

Jan and the family gave Simon a private Green Funeral in the morning - he was put in the ground in a wicker coffin, decorated by Jan, as he requested - a conservationist to the end.

I certainly am proud to have known him - you are invited to please post any memories you have of Simon on this BLOG.

Bevan

Simon Walker - Funeral Arrangements

Simon's wife Jan has given me the following information.

There will be a private green burial service for Simon on the morning of Saturday, 17th January. On the same day, in the afternoon at 2pm, at St. Peters Church, Bromyard, there will be a service to celebrate and give thanks for the life of Simon, to which everyone who would like to attend is invited.

Funeral directors dealing with Simon's funeral are: Victoria Allen Funeral Services, Church View, 8 Charlton Rise, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1ND - Tel: 01584 879035. No flowers please but if you are wanting to make a donation in lieu of flowers, their chosen charity would be Noah's Ark, a local Herefordshire charity which works and supports children who have been bereaved. Details from the funeral directors.

George Evans - Observatory Warden 1964-69

We have only just heard this news, but another past warden of the Observatory, George Evans, died last June. The records show that George was our warden from 1964-69. He was probably there in 1970 too as we were closed for the next three years. The systematic list shows his records but there is no mention of whether we had a warden for those next three years.

Midland birdwatchers of my era will remember George as a meticulous Bird Recorder and extremely competent ornithologist who was well respected by all his colleagues and friends. It is indeed sad to hear of his death. I was hoping to see him in September last when 6 of his friends had a 50th re-union at Cley. Unfortunately, one of the 8 had already died, but we hadn't been able to contact George - little knowing that he was then no longer with us.

Bevan

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i bawb.

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i bawb. A Happy New Year to you all.

Bevan
Bardsey Crier & Webmaster