Three shots from a trip to RSPB Coombes Valley today…
Pied Flycatcher
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Tag Archives: RSPB
GUEST POST: Rallying for Nature by Jack Riggall
Earlier this week I went along to the second sitting of the Rally For Nature in London, an idea of Mark Avery taken up by the RSPB, League Against Cruel Sports and The Wildlife Trusts. If you’re following the plight of the natural world you probably already know that the State of Nature report published last year found 60% of species in the UK to be in decline, and that in 2013 in England no hen harrier chicks were raised at all as a result of intense persecution of raptors & terrestrial carnivores on grouse moors. You may also know that the natural world provides many physical & mental health benefits, and that a lack of it is linked to health inequalities in our society as shown by a report from this year – very important, since an estimated 1 in 4 of us suffer from mental health issues at some stage during our lives (myself included), thus ‘ecotherapy’ may do a lot for relieving the strain on the NHS.
For all these reasons and more, I sat amongst strangers and old friends alike whilst Martin Harper, director of conservation for the RSPB, spoke about the proposed weakening of the EU Directives for Birds & Habitats, cornerstones of UK wildlife protection in the UK, and we could contribute to their defense. Stephen Trotter, of The Wildlife Trusts, spoke about the Nature & Wellbeing Act, an Act to reconnect society with nature for our own sakes and bring about both the recovery of nature & a reversal of habitat fragmentation. Finally, the League Against Cruel Sports CEO Joe Duckworth spoke out against wildlife crime for which the vanishing hen harrier has become an icon. MPs from the Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green & Conservative parties also offered words of encouragement throughout the day, but no word from UKIP, presumably because their party members were hatching another plan to farm elephants.
With all these briefings explained, everybody (including Bob the campaigning red squirrel, a fox and a badger) marched to Westminster and in to the St Stephen’s entrance to the House of Commons to ask for an audience with their representative MP; during this walk I kept trying to sneak into photos with the organisation heads, succeeding once, which I believe is called ‘photobombing’. I appear on Mark Avery’s blog, in the sixth photo down, result!
Disappointingly, my MP was absent from the House of Commons on the day, but I did see the impact that others were making when asking their MPs to defend the natural world, and it did indeed seem to be an effective way of campaigning for change. I’m feeling empowered by the process and I have arranged to meet my MP on the 9th of January. I’ll only have 15 minutes, but this should be enough time to outline the Nature & Wellbeing Act and its benefits to people, as well as the problem of rising wildlife crime – not just for hen harriers, though two of those that I protected this year have already been lost (likely destroyed), but also for increasing illegal badger persecution. The Badger Trust’s 2013 report on badger incidents shows that in 2012 there were 353 incidents, but 657 in 2013, 151 of which were badger baiting. An invite for a walk in the woods where I regularly film wildlife might be an idea, to explain why the priority species that live there need habitat connectivity.
If I get time, I’ll also see if he will put his name to the Marine Charter, already supported by 147 MPs, 44 organisations and 8 million people, which aims to fully implement a strong network of Marine Conservation Zones and Marine Protected Areas so our depleted oceans can properly recover. I may also ask him if he has changed his mind on his support of culling badgers following the 2014 shambles…
After the meeting I’ll post an update about whether he is supportive of these environmental efforts. In the mean time, why not get involved and arrange a meeting with your own MP to stand up for wildlife and our natural heritage? They work for you, after all.
Photos courtesy of Mark Avery, from his blog post on the event.
Hard work and dedication don’t guarantee happy endings…
A few posts ago, I was celebrating the fact that a chick from the first year I helped to protect the Glaslyn osprey nest (2012) had successfully returned to the UK for the first time. It was, for me, a reason to be very happy and proud that I had played a small part in helping this to happen – many others, and the osprey itself of course, can take much more credit!
However, this joy has now been tempered somewhat.
On one protection shift this year, I took along a friend, Jack (fellow wildlife enthusiast, womble tsar, long range cyclist, unstoppable camera-trapper and very poor whisky drinker), to show him what we do. He seemed to enjoy himself and hopefully will come along again next year.
Over the course of the summer, Jack got a job with the RSPB on their (now award-winning) Skydancer project doing the same role that the volunteers undertake at Glaslyn, but for hen harriers rather than ospreys. Based in the Forest of Bowland in north Lancashire, Jack spent many nights watching over a hen harrier nest from within a hide. Whilst there, Jack got some great views of wildlife in general as well as the hen harriers themselves. Unfortunately not all of the locals were friendly and many a night was spent fending off the unwanted advances of overly insistent midges (an experience I know all too well!).
In England, hen harriers are even rarer than their fish-eating cousin raptors and no pairs successfully bred in the country at all last year. So it was with some relief that three nests managed to fledge chicks this summer (two nests in Bowland and one in the Lakes). However, it was with great sadness and extreme anger that I heard today that two chicks from the Bowland nests have disappeared. They were fitted with trackers, which have both now fallen silent. The trackers are very reliable and it is highly unlikely that one of them, let alone both, will have failed whilst the birds were still alive. The most likely explanation is that both birds have been killed and probably at the hands of man. Whether this can be blamed on their nemesis, the gamekeeper, we may never know, but if I were a betting man…
It just goes to show that the collective will of many does not always overcome the selfishness of a few. It also shows that the hard work of species protection teams is still of importance in the fight against our fellow humans who will not let a little thing like legal protection get in the way of their destructive hobbies.
I don’t often see hen harriers (obviously, I suppose) but when I do, it’s usually pretty memorable. No other sighting I’ve had, however, can beat seeing a male harrier mobbing a wolf; and I even got a snap! In the photo above, the wolf is in the centre, on the track, while the light-coloured spot above and to the left is the harrier (it is, honest – they were at least a mile away after all!)
Friends of Ramsey Island
One of my first tasks after returning home has been to become a ‘Friend of Ramsey Island’. Whilst I’m already a member of the RSPB, becoming a ‘Friend’ is a way to provide further, financial, support specifically to the Island itself. Whilst volunteering on the island may seem like work to some people, to me it is both a joy and privilege and I feel quite guilty that I get to spend two weeks on the island for free. So this is a way for me to ‘pay’ for my lodgings.
If any of my blog posts on Ramsey Island have sparked an interest in the island, maybe you would like to become a ‘Friend of Ramsey Island’ too or just make a one-off donation?
‘Friends of Ramsey Island’ webpage
The Essence of Ramsey Island
I’m home now after (nearly) two weeks on Ramsey Island and it’s always a wrench to leave the place behind – especially yesterday as it was bathed in warm sunshine when I left.
At the beginning of each of my previous stays on Ramsey, I have thought that my next stint of residential volunteering should be on a different RSPB reserve. During the course of each stay, this usually changes to deciding to return to Ramsey, but only for one week, and eventually deciding to return the next year for another whole two weeks. This again happened this time and on the long five hour journey home, I started to think about exactly what it is about the place that draws me back each time. There are so many things that make Ramsey Island so special:
The People – The only place I can start is with the Ramsey Island staff – Greg, Lisa and Amy; they couldn’t be more friendly, welcoming, helpful, informative, understanding and patient. They all have a real passion for the island and its wildlife and this is passed on to the volunteers. Without them, the island, and volunteering there, wouldn’t be the same.
Volunteering on the island also wouldn’t be the same without the other volunteers. I have made some true friends during my stays and I’m sure I will make more during future visits.
I also have to mention Dewi, the island’s border collie – perhaps the best dog in the world!
Community – For a brief one or two week period, volunteers are part of a real, thriving and vibrant community, and not just on the island itself. Ramsey is just a small part of the wider community that also includes the boat crews and staff, scientists, locals, visitors and, of course, Derek, the local farmer who does so much to support the management of the island. However, while physically part of the community for only a brief period, with the island’s Twitter and blog posts it is now possible to be part of the ‘virtual’ community all year round.
The Work – Volunteering on an island and spending most days working on a range of tasks may seem like an odd way to spend annual leave to many people but beach holidays just aren’t for me. The work volunteers are given is so varied that few days are the same, with tasks ranging from helping with the boats and serving in the small island shop, to wildlife surveys, building maintenance, through to bracken bashing and talking to visitors (or is that bashing visitors and talking to bracken?). I have to say that the surveys and physical land management tasks may be where my real interest lies at the moment but I also really enjoy the other tasks and I find something very inspiring and energising about talking to visitors about the wildlife, the island and volunteering.
Wildlife – Well, we all volunteer on Ramsey for the wildlife and it’s a pretty special place where nature is concerned. However, it’s not just the obvious elements of the natural world, the birds and mammals, that make Ramsey an interesting location to spend some time. Through volunteering there my appreciation of the commonly overlooked aspects of the natural world has increased – from collecting dung beetles to being enthusiastically shown tiny spiders. During this stay the wild flowers also came into full bloom, transforming large parts of the island, with swathes of bluebells around the Bungalow and the base of Carn Llundain.
The Island – Finally, there’s the island itself, which seems to draw me further under its spell with every visit. I have to honestly say that I’m hooked and it has had quite a profound effect on me. It’s difficult to put my finger on it but it certainly has something, an essence, that I’ve found nowhere else. The fact that so many volunteers return year after year, shows that others have the same, or even stronger, feelings for the place.
Maybe that essence is the scenery. The island is truly beautiful and I never get tired of the views; I love sitting on the bungalow doorstep each morning (weather permitting) and staring out over the sheep fields and Ramsey Sound, towards Whitesands Bay and Carn Llidi. However, the island’s scenery changes as you walk around it and also through the seasons and different weather conditions – it is a stunningly beautiful place and I don’t think I could ever get tired of gazing across it.
Maybe the essence is related to the feeling of isolation, perhaps made stronger by the fact that the mainland and ‘civilisation’ are within sight and almost within touching distance. When on the island, the outside world seems so far away, yet it can be heard on the wind, when it’s in the right direction.
Maybe the essence is some mystical power the island holds; it certainly has a long spiritual history and many people have visited the island over the centuries for religious and spiritual reasons.
Maybe the essence is everything above all wrapped up together – the people, the community, the work, the wildlife and the island itself. In some ways, I hope I never work it out; I think it may be best left unexplained – helping to ensure I keep being drawn back!
Last Day on Ramsey Island
Well, that’s nearly it…I’ve just finished my last full day on Ramsey Island and I nearly blogged every day (doing much better than I thought I would).
The past (nearly) two weeks has flown by, as they usually do on the island, especially when there are boats to help with.
Today, as well as helping with the boat arrivals and departures, I finished doing a wheatear survey around the north and centre of the island, took some photos of the wildflowers and went on a boat trip around the island and out to the Bishops and Clarks.
The boat trip was with Thousand Islands Expeditions, the same company that runs the boat across to the Ramsey Island, and it’s well worth the price (a couple of flapjacks in my case!).
Ramsey Island Running Champion!
After my run around part of the island a few days ago, I was told of the Ramsey Island Three Peaks Challenge. This ‘competition’ was set by a previous volunteer, Glyn Holt, in 2008, and involves running the tourist track, starting and finishing at the gateway to the Bungalow and taking in all three of Ramsey Island’s huge peaks (the towering Carn Ysgubor – 101 metres, the enormous Carn Llundain – 136 metres and the mighty Foel Fawr – 72 metres). The route is approximately 3.5 miles long and Glyn set the benchmark for the challenge with a time of 46 minutes. In 2011, Tom Pinches broke the record, setting a time of 42 minutes and that stood until this afternoon.
Much to my amazement, particularly considering my age disadvantage (with at least 10 years on the previous contenders), I set a time of 38 minutes 56 seconds. I think I may have taken a slight shortcut but if the others have gone the longer route, this would only add around a minute to their time.
My record may not last very long, however, as Tom is returning next week for another stint of volunteering.
We had some departures and arrivals today with volunteers Nicola and Steve leaving and Harriet arriving. We also had quite a few visitors with 17 on the 10:00 boat and 25 on the 12:00. I spent the day helping with the visitors and then tried to do a wheatear survey but didn’t get very far after talking to a visitor about a possible peregrine nest and trying to find chough for another group of visitors.
The weather today was spectacular with almost wall-to-wall sunshine. There was a cool north-westerly breeze at the beginning of the day but this lessened as the day progressed – I’m amazed I haven’t been sunburnt yet!
Visitors!!!
For the first time in eight days, Ramsey Island had more than six people on its shores. Ever since my arrival, last Sunday, the winds have been too strong for the Gower Ranger to sail from St. Justinian on the mainland to Ramsey harbour. Over the course of my four stays on Ramsey, that was by far the longest the island has been without visitors and I almost forgot that looking after them is the main part of the volunteers’ job.
The boat brought two loads of visitors across today, with six on the 10:00 sailing and four on the 12:00, and they were in for a real treat. Ramsey was at its best, with a warm sun, brilliant blue skies and a (comparatively) light wind. I’m writing this with a slight glow about me – generated either by the Sun or the wine I’ve just been drinking (but probably both).
The volunteers again spent the day doing different tasks, in addition to helping with the boat arrivals and departures, and serving in the island’s shop. I did a chough watch in the morning, observing the comings and goings around a nest site, and in the afternoon I did a wheatear survey, walking around the eastern part of the island noting the wheatears spotted and their behaviour.
While my favourite time of day on Ramsey is first thing in the morning, I also love the hour or so just before the visitors leave, when they are all waiting around the farmhouse for the boat to take them off at 16:00. This is often a time to have a good chat to them and talk about what they have seen and what a great place Ramsey is – especially as a volunteer!
The Bungalow is warm tonight, probably the warmest it’s been since I arrived, helped by the sun and the wood burning stove in the main room (and maybe a wee dram or two)
Weather Forecasting – the Ramsey Way
The weather has a huge influence on everything that happens on Ramsey Island and all the staff and volunteers keep a close eye on the forecasts. The internet is the usual source of weather information but when the connection fails we have to rely on the ‘Forecasting Stone’, which is usually very accurate but it does require a trip down to the farm buildings to check.
With strong winds still blowing across the island, following yesterday’s gale, there were no visitor boats again today. When we volunteers went down to the farmhouse this morning for today’s instructions, there was a long list of tasks to be done. While Steve chopped kindling and then did some maintenance around the Bungalow, Nicola made some insect homes from clay pipes and heather and did some painting. I went down to the south of the island and cleared heather which was starting to encroach on the path.
I had lunch down in the amphitheatre-like bowl of Aber Myharan, sitting amongst the bluebells on the cliff top in the bright sunshine, watching the gannets fly past above Ramsey Sound – a pretty perfect spot.
There were some interesting patterns in the clouds in the afternoon as I finished off cutting back the heather…
Ships in the Bay
Ramsey Island sits at the northern end of St Brides Bay, with the other Pembrokeshire islands of Skomer and Skokholm at the southern end of the bay’s large arc. To the south of the bay lie the ports of Milford Haven and Pembroke, with a constant stream of ships entering and leaving each day.
From Ramsey, ships can usually be seen lying at anchor in St. Brides Bay waiting to go into the ports. This morning there were four sat out in the bay including Arctic Breeze (pictured below above the Ramsey farm buildings), Bro Developer, Sten Skagen and Bro Deliverer.
Having a bit of a liking for ships, I keep an eye on those anchored in the bay and others that pass the island with this website.
Daft Mumblings 