Eddie, Rich, Lucy, Bee and Sash heading out to Skokholm and Skomer to check things out |
Our first couple of weeks on the mainland were filled with the hugely exciting tasks of reading through health and safety manuals, risk assessments and going on first aid courses. We have also now employed three assistants for the 2013 season. Nia Stevens will be Assistant Warden, Nia has previously worked on Skomer and Ramsey and will be a huge asset on the island. Will Whittington worked as Warden on Skokholm last year and will be Hostel Warden on Skomer this year. Richard Kipling will be doing his third year as Field Assistant. Filling all of these posts required making some extremely hard decisions and we extend our best wishes to all of the competent people who were unsuccessful.
On Friday the 15th we headed out to the islands with Sash and Lucy (far right and middle) to check for any damage caused by winter storms and generally get a feel for how the buildings had survived the winter. Thankfully they were in tip top condition and there were no major problems to worry about. It was a gorgeous day and the seals and birds were obviously enjoying basking in the spring like weather but were possibly a little surprised to see people again.
The Wick, with hundreds of Guillemots already on station |
We are sorry that it has taken three weeks to post on the blog but we have been very busy preparing for our coming move out to the island and the season ahead. Hopefully we will be more regular in our island updates from now on. Weather dependent we should be moving over on the weekend and signs are good at the moment. Four of us will be moving out initially, those being Chris Taylor, Nia, Bee and Eddie.
More pictures from our island recce:
The famous Skokholm landing |
The first glimpse of our new home |
Welcome to Skomer and the best of luck.
ReplyDeleteDerek Moore , Chairman, Welsh Ornithological Society
Wishing you all the best in your new jobs. Andy
ReplyDelete