PLEASE NOTE! THERE WILL BE A SECOND CHANCE TO ATTEND THE OPTICS DAY ON THE 2nd and 3rd OF JUNE 2012.
24th April. (My reptile walk)
Tuesday was a beautiful day at South Stack and during my break I decided to go down to Ellins tower. There were no sea birds on the cliff’s but I did find Mark Baldwin on the main path to the bottom car park also having his lunch break. This was a good find as I have been wanting to see some lizards and possibly an Adder. Mark is an expert on reptiles and I asked him if he could show me some. One of our young lady volunteers had captured a picture of an Adder on her mobile phone, it was a smashing picture and I wish that I had taken a copy of it to post on the blog.
We set off towards the car park spotting. I feel sure that Mark plants the lizards so that he knows exactly where to look, anyhow it looks that way. It was not long before he pointed out a lizard. He pointed to it and asked what I thought, I could not see it, I strained my eyes and still no luck. He made a shadow with his finger and pointed it out, still no luck and then all of a sudden it came into view. How I missed seeing this I don't know.
We carried on to the car park and back along the cliff path seeing many lizards but unfortunately no Adders.
We saw the Chough, Stone Chat amongst other things but alas no Adders. I did see some more flowers in their splendor brightening up an already fabulous walk.
April 29th (Optics Day)
Back to the optics day. On Sunday the 29th Mark our retail manager and his mainstay Jane held an optics day. If there were prizes for selecting the weather we failed. At the end of April anyone would expect if not an amazing day, at least a fine one with little or no wind. It had been intended to hold the event out doors, there was to be a small marquee. The wind put paid to this idea and so it was held inside.
There were binoculars and spotting scopes to suit all tastes and pockets. With binoculars starting from as little as about £50.00 and for the more discerning £700.00. Mark has in stock a super spotting scope the design of which has been specified by the RSPB.
There was such a wide range that you could not fail to find one to suit you particular taste and price. Mark was on hand personally to attend to you and your requirements, he being able to explain exactly which type was most suitable.
I made a real good find! This gentleman the year before last fitted the remote camera which we use to find the puffins on the cliff’s. We can scan the cliff face remotely from Ellins tower using this camera, most of our visitors want to see a puffin.
I was lucky enough to see one in the visitors centre, see below!
It wasn’t a real puffin, it was Danni one of our resident volunteers.