Well, it is absolutely perfect out there today, just right to join in with the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch. Can’t believe how warm it is an it sounds like spring with all the birds singing out there. All you have to do is watch the birds for one hour on 28th or 29th January, enter what you see on the results sheet provided on the web site link above then submit your results by 17th February.
Big Garden Bird Watch
The RSPB are having their annual ‘BIG GARDEN BIRD WATCH’ on 28th and 29th January, why not take part. Click on this link for information: http://www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch/
Spectacular Seas
Here’s a blog report from Ramsey IslandsRSPB warden Lisa Morgan
The New Year began where 2011 left off, wet and wild! Winds of over 70 mph screeched along the coast last night and late this evening it is still blowing a Force 10. It makes life quite difficult at times; simply putting one foot in front of the other can be a huge physical effort for humans and is almost impossible for our chickens. It really has been quite brutal over the last 24 hours and that’s not a word I often use in association with the island. I did manage to get a few photographs today of the monstrous sea off the island’s west coast. It was breaking right over the top of many of the small islets to the south of Ramsey with the salt spray funnelling up and over the interior of the island. By crawling on my stomach and hiding the camera under my hood I managed to hold still and dry long enough to get a few shots. The camera is now recovering on the AGA and I’m warming nicely in front of the fire. Here’s to a cold, crisp and calm spell in the near future. Happy New Year.
Follow Ramsey Islands RSPB wardens Greg and Lisa Morgan on: http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/ramseyisland/b/ramseyisland-blog/default.aspx
Close of another visitor season on Ramsey Island
Ramsey Island closed on 31st October after another lovely visitor season. This is a blogg report by Lisa Morgan, Warden on Ramsey Island.
“ And so after 214 days, 49 volunteers, 155 lambs, 22 chough fledglings and 4,500 day visitors, the 2011 season spluttered to a close. We saw our last visitors of the year on Friday with this weekend too rough for any landings. And today’s scary Hallowe’en gale was the final nail in the coffin.
Things are quieter with just Greg, Dewi and I on the island and the wildlife is already taking advantage. Moulted seal pups are using the concrete harbour wall and steps to gain some respite from the spring tide swells. One has been in the same sleeping position on the metal grill leading down to the low tide landing for three days, a good fifteen feet out of the water.
The younger pups on the Aber Felin and harbour beaches are also enjoying the solitude, although they are totally unfazed by the comings and goings of the Gower Ranger and our visitors when we are open.
Pup numbers are decreasing quite rapidly now as we would expect by the end of October. There were only a dozen pups under three weeks old on the big Aber Mawr rookery yesterday. However, we had a definite flush of newborns again last week on the east coast beaches and several large, pregnant cows are hauled out in readiness of their imminent pups.
We were still hearing Manx shearwater calling over the house on Saturday night, which was very dark with the new moon. Fulmars have reclaimed their ledges on the island’s cliffs after a period of absence. They always disappear out to sea after the breeding season, where they complete their annual moult. It is great to see them soaring effortlessly around our bays again, filling the void left by our other seabirds during the winter months.
The island has a really autumnal feel all of a sudden, with dull days and dark nights and a decent amount of rain. We seem to have seen the last of the late Swallows and Wheatears, but birds of prey are takings advantage of a glut of moving skylarks, pipits and starlings with Hen Harrier quartering over the heath and Merlin, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Peregrine all out hunting. ”
Take a look at Greg and Lisas RSPB blog page RSPB blog page
September and October on Ramsey Island
Wildlife and Bird Watching records on Ramsey Island by Wardens Greg and Lisa
Sea watching is to the fore in autumn and this year was a good one by Ramsey standards thanks to several favourable weather
systems. Bird highlights for Sept and Oct were: Sabine’s gull 7 (4 ads and 3 juvs), sooty shearwater 12, Balearic shearwater 12, Leach’s petrel 1, Pomarine skua 5, Arctic skua 60, Bonxie 51, Common Scoter 107, Med gull 2, GN diver 3, Sandwich tern 158 and ‘commic’ tern 200+.
Away from the sea, highlights were black redstart (4/9), GS woodpecker (29/9-1/10), hen harrier (5/9 and 27/10), house sparrow (16 in total), red kite (15/9), ring ouzel (14/10), bullfinch (20/10 and 26/10), snow bunting (28/10), wryneck (4/9-13/9), whinchat (2 on 4/9) and tree pipit (15/9).
The first redwing and fieldfare of the year were both recorded on 14/10. Movement of skylarks totalled 400+ west by end of October, with 15k+ swallows in same period (with late birds still moving on 28/10). Manx shearwaters were heard over the farmhouse on the night of 29/10 (around the new moon) and fulmars were back on ledges after their post season moult on 30/10.
The warm weather at the beginning of October saw the appearance of two hummingbird hawkmoths and other migrant moths, Vestal
and L-album Wainscot were trapped. Risso’s dolphin were logged on both the 6 and 7/10
Lots of visitors on Ramsey Island RSPB Nature Reserve today
Yes, we had a break in the weather in Pembrokeshire and everyone wanted to take a boat trip over to explore Ramsey Island RSPB Nature Reserve. There was a lot of bird activity on the island and as normal the island was stunning, there were a lot of Atlantic Grey Seals in the bays around Ramsey Island, harbour porpoise popping up all over Ramsey Sound and a Rissos Dolphin in Ramsey Sound. Back in St. Davids we were busy in the booking office and gift shop, so many people want boat trips this week but the weather is going to get windy again.
3rd September – Colouring Competition.
At the County show this year we held a colouring competition “Paint or draw what you would see on a boat trip with Thousand Island”. Below are our two winners and my scanner doesn’t do these pictures justice so we have put both pictures up on display in our booking office in the centre of St. Davids.
Charlotte Chambers, Age 7, from Wootton, Northampton
Jessica Balfour, Age 10, from Clynderwen, Pembrokeshire
Both young ladies have won a tripfor themselves and their families to land on Ramsey Island for the day. Well done girls the pictures are fabulous.
30th August – Ramsey Island great for photography
One of our visitors to Ramsey Island emailed me the following comment and photograph:
“My family and I recently embarked on one of your boats trip. I just wanted to write to commend all the staff both on the boat and on the island for making it such a fantastic day! I have lived in Pembrokeshire for many years and can’t believe I have taken the trip sooner. Many thanks, Jennifer Bland.
We were luck to catch a glimps of the local residents.” Photograph by: Jennifer Bland. Thanks Jennifer.
25th August – Gower Ranger around Ramsey Island
Really good view of the Peregrines on the West side of Ramsey, the Red Deer in clear view on the edge of the cliff and lots of seals popping up around us.
21st August – Geology day
“The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park displays a greater variety of geological features and associated landforms than any equivalent area of the same size in the British Isles. The coastal scenery was the prime reason for the National Park’s designation.” Geologist Sid Howells spent the day with the South Wales Geologists Association on aboat trip around Ramsey and on the Island to study the geology of the area and a great day was had by all.
