It's been another week of unsettled weather, with many of the boat landings being canceled to the Island. It looks like we are due for another week of wild weather too.
A break in the weather for an evening shearwater watch on the 18th © Alys Perry.
As the weather has been so changeable this week, myself and Nia have spent a lot of our time doing odd jobs around the farmhouse. Like painting the office, clearing out rubbish, and sorting through the boat shed amongst other rainy-day jobs.
Despite the bad weather the volunteers did manage to make it over to the island even if it was delayed. We had Sue with us from the 9th-13th of July. Sue was great at engaging with our visitors, helping out with guided walks, painting plastic puffins, undertaking chough feeding transects, and habitat management. Thank you for all your hard work Sue, we hope you enjoyed your first volunteering stint on Ramsey.
The weather was terrible the weekend of the 15th with high winds and big swells so Tabitha and Alisha our next set of volunteers didn't make it across to the island until the 17th. Tabitha and Alisha were great help with our visitors, monitoring chough, doing moth traps, monitoring the reptile tiles, helping with maintenance work, and assisting on guided walks amongst many other things. We have really enjoyed having you both on the island and loved your infectious enthusiasm for the marine life and moths!! We can't wait to see you both again in the not-too-distant future.
Alisha just before departing the island today. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get one of Tabitha before she left but there is always next time! © Alys Perry.
We welcomed the last of the Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi School group to the island on the 20th. The children were incredibly excited to be here after having many of their previous trips canceled. Thank you so much to all the staff at the school and Pad at Thousand Islands for making it possible. It is wonderful when the children come back after their walk and tell us about all the wildlife they have seen.
Weekly Wildlife Round-Up
Our second seal pup of the season was spotted on the East Coast on the 17th. Thank you so much to the local boat operators for reporting this to us!
© Alys Perry.
More migrants have started to drop in again this week with pairs of Whitethroat being spotted.
Whitethroat on the East Coast © Alys Perry.
Several Chiffchaff and Willow Warblers were recorded in the willows by the farmhouse over the last couple of days.
A couple of Robins have been spotted along the South Coast and at the farmhouse.
Flocks of 40+ Curlew have been recorded coming into roost on the Central and Northern fields at night.
Fluffy Fulmar chicks are starting to appear on the cliffs now.
A fulmar chick being incubated by the adult © Alys Perry.
A clearly very tired Fulmar chick having a quick yawn! © Alys Perry.
Most of the Guillemots and Razorbills have now left with only a few still waiting for their chicks to fledge.
Now that the Heather is starting to come into full bloom the number of pollinators visiting the island has skyrocketed!
Brown-footed Leafcutter Bee © Tabitha Gibbons.
Large numbers of butterflies have been recorded on the island over the last week. With Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Large White, Peacock, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, and Grayling all being recorded. Including an unusual sighting of a Speckled Wood down at the harbour.
Hummingbird Hawkmoths are also a regular sighting along the South East Coast and around the farmhouse.
We had a nice selection of moths caught during some moth trapping on the 17th and 19th. I have included a selection of photos of some of the highlights.
Scalloped Oak © Alys Perry.
Lychnis © Alys Perry.
Early Thorn © Alys Perry.
True Lovers Knot © Alys Perry.
We also caught a parasitic wasp while moth trapping and believe it to be Ophion luteus. A species sometimes attracted to the light of the moth trap and parasitises hart and dart moth caterpillars.
A couple of Slow Worms were recorded under the reptile tiles.
Some of our Shags have got very large and demanding chicks. This family were spotted on one of the round island boat trips by Nia.
Until next week!
Alys Perry
Assistant Warden
Assistant Warden Ramsey & Grassholm Island