Hello, and welcome to my first post on the Inner Hebrides community blog. I’ll be posting as often as I can, hoping to give everyone up-to-date news and information about what I’m up to on Islay in my role as the RSPB Community Information & Tourism Officer. That’s a mouthful and a real tongue twister to start with, so the job is often referred to as ‘CITO’. I’m part of a dedicated team that manage our farms and reserves on the island and, whereas I consider them to be the brains behind our operations, I have made it my mission to be the ‘mouth. Should you visit the reserves, particularly the Visitor Centre at Loch Gruinart, or even better, join one of the many guided walks I have planned over the next 7 months, you’ll be left in no doubt that I take that responsibility seriously!
I also go by the name ‘Botswana Dave’. This is because there are a quite a few of us named “David” on Islay so with all the usual abbreviations and nicknames already allocated, and because I have spent a considerable part of my adult life in Botswana, it made everyone’s life simpler to give me that ‘call-sign’. I use ‘Botswana Dave’ as my Profile Name on Facebook and Twitter (@IslayRangerDave), should you wish to ‘follow’ me there.
Ok, having got that out of the way, what can I tell you about 2017? Of course, with tourism being such an important part of Islay’s economy, everybody is looking forward to a bumper season. I hope to contribute to that, and provide a quality experience for visitors who wish to enjoy the diverse range of wildlife and habitats, as well as provide a greater insight into the rich heritage, history and archaeology that can be discovered on the reserves. I’m also very keen to encourage the local community to enjoy them as well and I look forward to establishing closer ties with everyone on Islay and will keep everyone posted.
So what’s happened, what’s on and what’s new in 2017? At RSPB Loch Gruinart, Mark, the new warden, has arrived and we have also welcomed Joan, in the role of Visitor Experience volunteer. At the beginning of April, the RSPB hosted various walks on both its reserves, Loch Gruinart and The Oa, for Walk Islay week. It was good to see some familiar faces from last year, all the way from USA, and the walks were well attended.
In an exciting development regarding community engagement, we are looking forward to working with the First Islay Scout Group (www.facebook.com/islayscouts/) as part of the larger partnership between RSPB Scotland and Scouting Scotland. Something else to watch out for is a developing partnership between The Botanist Foundation, Bruichladdich Distillery (responsible for The Botanist gin (www.thebotanist.com) and the RSPB. RSPB Islay will be introducing some evening walks later this year which will focus on sustainable foraging, and the opportunity to meet Mark (www.gallowaywildfoods.com/) the man who puts the ‘botany’ into The Botanist gin!
The weather hasn’t been at its best over the last few weeks, although this last weekend made up for that with some decent hours of sunshine, ideal for walking and seeing the seasonal changes to the wildlife around the reserves. The barnacle geese and white-fronted geese have all but gone, and I’m sure in a few days time, the remaining few hundred will have left for their Greenland breeding grounds. I was going to say that the island will be quieter without them - I have got used to hearing them when they fly overhead - but as is so often the case in nature, there is always a new sound on the ‘block’. On Sunday, as I walked down to the South Hide at RSPB Loch Gruinart, I heard a corncrake. Unmistakable. I’ve been getting reports for the last 3 weeks of folk hearing corncrake and I’m now getting reports of sightings as well (last year I was able to get multiple sightings myself, often late in the season, of mum corncrake with offspring in tow) .
Confirming the arrival of these summer visitors is good news for me. In May, starting on 8th May, I do guided walks every Monday evening, from the Visitors Centre at RSPB Loch Gruinart, focussing on corncrake. Last year, the first bird arrived on the reserve the night prior to my first walk.... I was going blue from holding my breath! This year, I can breathe a sigh of relief as I’m not under the same pressure. In the entertainment world there is a saying you shouldn’t work with animals or children......Well, it can be a little stressful for a CITO, as well!
Getting back to the point I was making about the island being quieter, it simply isn’t the case. Wherever I go, the sound of the island has changed. The yapping and honking of the geese has given way to the trills of skylark and meadow pipits displaying above the heather, woodlands are alive with the multitude of chirps, whistles and buzzes from woodland birds including willow warblers, and the wetlands are resonating with the ‘peewit’ cry of displaying lapwing and the noisy alarm of redshank, the ‘guardians of the marsh’. Wherever I walk, I make a point of stopping and just listening.......
On Islay, RSPB Scotland ‘Farms for Wildlife’ – the reserves are also working farms, and the guided walks on the reserves will provide an insight into why RSPB Islay farming methods are so important for giving nature a home! With that in mind, Sunday 7th May is a date to diarise – it’s the annual Farm Open Day on Aoradh at RSPB Loch Gruinart! Lambs, calves, ponies, farm machinery on display as well as refreshments make for a great day out! Free for everyone and a complimentary guided walk along the woodland trail!
Lots more info coming your way over the coming weeks, so keep an eye open for CITO Dave! Cheers!