Week 7, according to the weather forecast, looked very good indeed for late November in the Hebrides. With Monday being perhaps the best of all, I was tasked with a livestock count of both cattle and sheep across the RSPB reserve. The importance of this was to make sure that all compartments were being grazed (or not) at the correct time of year. Some compartments had no restrictions and were essentially open, though many had specifics as set out by RSPB. These controlled not only the timing of grazing but also the number of animals, hence the count.
I used the Polaris ATV to cover the 40~ish compartments on the reserve, many of which were relatively inaccessible, the total reserve area covering 1075 hectares. Being such a calm and sunny day meant it was also a great opportunity to look out for bird species across the reserve. At one point in the morning I was counting sheep in a compartment at Arileod when a small Goose amongst a flock of Greylags caught my attention. Further inspection confirmed it to be a solitary Pink-Footed Goose!
I continued my livestock count in the compartments above Loch Breachacha and other than sheep, I was able to spot a good number of both male and female Red-Breasted Merganser and a few Great Northern Diver on the loch. It was only when I was driving directly past that I once again noticed the pale-bellied Brent Goose we’d spotted previously. Seems we now have two species of solitary Goose on the reserve! I also spent a good ten minutes watching a large group of Common Seals lounge about on the rocky foreshore of a small bay looking out towards the Island of Soa.
The afternoon weather was absolutely glorious and I had a simply stunning view out over Feall Bay as I concluded the count. Whilst scanning with the binoculars I notated Lapwing, Greylags and Golden Plover on the reserve, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover and a Redshank on the beach and Common Gull and Shag on the waters of Feall. I also spotted five birds bobbing about in the shallows, which I was able to confirm as the first Long-Tailed Ducks of the year, great news.
Second job for the week was to begin creation of a number of swamp bridges. These would provide ATV access to remote part of the reserve. Unfortunately a number of burns run through the compartment and it was already heavily waterlogged, even prior to impending winter storms! In order for the bridges to take shape, David and I collected ten recently discarded telegraph poles from Gortan, using the tractor and trailer. We then continued onto Loch Breachacha and loaded up a selection of wooden rails in storage. It was then just a case of stripping the telegraph poles of all detritus, in principle a simple job, in practice very time consuming!
Wednesday was devoted to flailing an early cover Corncrake area at Arileod. It had a decent selection of ‘reed canary grass’ though was a lengthy compartment and was going to take some cutting. It was dense and matted but luckily we didn’t find a single rock! I did, however, find a lot of plastic. Regrettably I quickly had an issue as the engine’s belt tensioner seized and quickly snapped both belts (again!) This of course meant a return to HQ to repair it once more. As this was the second belt replacement, it was a whole lot quicker this time round! The day was an absolute stunner, and as we returned to the compartment I really could not have asked for better weather.
Having previously collected all the materials, we were ready to start construction of a ‘swamp bridge’ during the latter part of the week. The compartment we needed access to had unfortunately been very well trodden by the local cows and as a result the ground was a quagmire. This quickly caused issues in the Polaris, which became stuck in no time, even in 4WD. The mud was just too dense, too deep. David even had a couple of issues in the Quad, though this was due more to the telegraph poles being pulled along behind it! Once we’d utilised the services of the tractor, we were back on route, albeit an alternative route! David and I had previously walked the compartment, checking the areas that would need bridging, though the day plan was only to complete the first boggy section. The three of us set the two telegraph poles in place, digging them in at either end and then strategically nailed the pre-cut sleepers at right angles to the poles. It took a bit of fiddling but the resulting 4m section was superbly strong, as tested by myself as guinea pig!
James Duncan - Coll Residential Volunteer Warden