Absolutely disgusting weather out here on Islay today, so I took pity on Angharad (our residential volunteer) and unlocked the office door to let her in out of the cold for an hour or so. Long enough to write this splendid account of her time with us so far, anyway...
Islay Blog – Angharad Ward
Winter on the Islay reserves is a busy (and noisy) time of year! Thousands of geese have arrived across the island, a mix of greenland barnacles, greylags, and greenland white-fronted geese being the main species to spot. They make quite a sight flying across the flats at Loch Gruinart. Many of the white-fronted geese have collars for population research purposes and so occasionally I have the job of camping out in one of the hides in the evening, trying to read goose collars as they came in to roost for the night.
Sunrise view of barnacle geese flying out for the day from the south hide at Loch Gruinart.
However, not all my jobs as a volunteer this past month have been as relaxing. After a crash-course on hole digging and fencing from Phill, the Oa warden, we spent many a day building and then painting the fence in the newly extended carpark. Often work would be halted as we stopped to watch the resident pair of golden eagles soar overhead or see a sparrowhawk zip through in pursuit of its lunch; all seen without having to leave the carpark. I had my first sighting of chough on the last guided walk of the season at the Oa; I was well-choughed with it, being only my first day (the blog wouldn’t be complete without a chough pun!). The Oa is also home to a large flock of twite which can be seen swooping across the drive to Kinnabus; a fine greeting in the morning as I arrive for the day’s work. They have also attracted the attention of Jamie Dunning who was here this past week with his team to ring some of the twite, hoping to learn more about their population movements and long term survival. So keep an eye out for black rings with white digits during your birdwatching! The Oa has also provided me with my first sighting of a cackling goose and a great view of red deer stags, very Monarch of the Glen style, appearing over the peatland. The plethora of wildlife and the amazing views make it an ideal work spot, with many pictures being taken on a sunny day, some of which I have added here.
View across the Oa towards the American Monument
Another of my jobs during my time here on Islay is bird surveying. The farmland bird surveys are always enjoyable if not a bit muddy, and often involve a quick hello to the sheep or cows as I traipse through their field. My bird identification and counting skills have really been put to the test on numerous occasions when a moving flock of what appear to be identical little brown birds at first glance turn out to be a large mix of chaffinch, goldfinch, linnet, brambling and twite just to name a few! The WeBS (wetland bird) survey was also an opportunity to learn more about the different waders around Loch Gruinart at this time of year. The 3 hour trek led by Mark, the Loch Gruinart reserve warden, was full of oystercatchers, redshank, curlew, snipe, lapwing, black-tailed and bar-tailed godwits among many others, as well as a flock of over 1600 golden plover. The finale of the survey was watching a peregrine shoot across the loch, flushing up many of the (thankfully already counted) golden plover.
Sunshine during a chough survey at the Oa
Providing the necessary habitats that are home to the large range of birds here on the reserves takes a lot of maintenance. One job is clearing drainage ditches to keep the water levels on the fields low, providing grass for the thousands of geese over the winter. Now is also time to keep on top of the scrub clearing, sometimes for aesthetic reasons, but also to maintain the grassland loved by the marsh fritillary butterflies in the summer. There is path regravelling and sign painting to be done to maintain the trails for any visitors braving the elements at this time of year, and also in preperation for the summer tourist season. Along with the fencing, I have vastly improved my woodworking skills by helping to build gates and a bridge under the guidance of Louise, one of the site managers, with only a few bent nails along the way. The next project I will be working on is continuing the peatland restoration started at the end of Septemeber: a walk along the site (and only two slips into deep water) showed which dams needed reinforcement to stop drainage in an effort to create optimal breeding grounds for species such as curlew in the spring.
Sunrise over Loch Gruinart flats
I have also had the chance to experience Islay outside of my volunteering. The Islay Sessions, a popular traditional music filled weekend, gave me an insight into the strong Gaelic culture present on the island. The music was fantastic, filled with fiddles, guitars, harps and a lot of whooping and toe tapping from the crowd. Another Saturday afternoon was spent tree planting in partnership with the Woodland Trust and Bruichladdich distillery, preparing for the World War 100 commemoration events to take place in the spring. Overall, the island has some of the loveliest views, especially on a nice day, although that is mixed in with a fair share of the rain, wind and hail that is to be expected of the Scottish west coast. However, I am thoroughly enjoying island life so far, and this past month has been a real insight into the world of bird conservation and all that it entails. Only two weeks left until I finish my volunteering stint with the RSPB and I know it will be with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to everyone here, humans and birds both. But for now, I will make the most of my time left, slogging through mud and all!