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!