During the last two Springs I’ve volunteered with the RSPB at their Glaslyn site, near Porthmadog in north Wales, protecting an osprey nest. Last September, the charity handed over the project to Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, a Community Interest Company.
Today they launched their new website: http://www.glaslynwildlife.co.uk
Well, after running out of my Old Pulteney 12, I thought I’d try something a little older.
The 12 has to be in the top three of my collection and that got an 85/100 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. The 17 has got a brilliant 95/100 – I’ll report back!
Every other Sunday I work with a local group, the Crewe & Nantwich Conservation Volunteers, who undertake practical conservation tasks for a number of sites for a range of organisations. Today, we were removing (cutting down and burning) rhododendron from Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Blakenhall Moss reserve.
The reserve was bought by the Trust last year and they have been working hard to improve the site. The Moss is a sunken mire, essentially a bog that has formed in a large depression. Over the years, the Moss had become overgrown with trees and the site was completely covered in woodland. The Trust’s plan is to return the Moss to its former glory, through clearing the woodland and re-wetting the site. Over the past few weeks, the Trust has employed a contractor to remove the trees from most of the site, leaving a narrow ring of woodland around the outside. The photo below shows how the centre of the Moss has been cleared.
From the photo below, you can see how the Trust’s work, alongside the recent rainfall, has already had an incredible effect.
I have been doing bird surveys for the Trust and while I was at the Moss today I did the second survey for the site. My job wasn’t made easy by the raised water level and if it rises any more, I’ll have to do the survey from outside of the site or by boat!
Doing the survey was a great way to spend a couple of hours; with the birds singing, the bluebell shoots poking through and the sun starting to gain strength, Spring seems just around the corner. The badgers have also been more active at the site, with freshly dug spoil around their sets and plant bulbs dug up. I’ve been given permission to go back to the site and set up my camera trap to catch a few shots of these guys – can’t wait!
I’ve been quoted in this year’s RSPB Residential Volunteering brochure. It’s good to think that a few words from me might encourage more people to support the RSPB with their time.
Over the past two and a half years I’ve spent a total of 13 weeks residential volunteering on four of the RSPB’s reserves or projects including Forsinard (northern Scotland), Loch Gruinart (Islay), the Glaslyn Osprey Project (north Wales) and Ramsey Island (off the coast of Pembrokeshire).
I have to admit I’ve fallen in love with Ramsey Island, having volunteered there three times so far, with another two weeks planned this year – I’m sure I’ll post more about the place in future.
The picture above was taken on Ramsey, from the top of Carn Ysgubor, at sunset looking towards Carn Llidi on the Pembrokeshire mainland.
The quote in the brochure isn’t quite what I said and I think the real version says what I really feel:
“I think it would be difficult to better this stay on Ramsey but I would like to try! The Ramsey team couldn’t have made this stay more enjoyable. It was an absolute joy and privilege to spend another fortnight on the island with them. I couldn’t recommend the experience more.”
The brochure can be found at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/Images/do_something_different_tcm9-362161.pdf
Ever since I first read about the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in The Netherlands, I have had a growing interest in the rewilding movement. A few weeks ago I came across an opportunity to contribute to the early stages of a UK rewilding project and donated to a crowd-funding appeal for the Cambrian Wildwood.
…looking very pink as I walked past on the way to work yesterday morning
A photo taken on the walk from my office to the station. I work in the centre of Manchester, which gives me some great subjects for photography – I just need to take advantage of them more often rather than rushing for the train
Daft Mumblings 