Lighthouse attraction

Last night migrating birds were dazzled and caught up in the Bardsey lighthouse beam. This can happen around the new moon in spring and autumn, when birds (mainly warblers, thrushes & finches), but also the resident Manx Shearwaters, set off on nocturnal migration. However, if it becomes either overcast or rains as they travel then they can mistake the Bardsey light for the moon. In which case they get confused and mill around in light’s five beams and fatally crash in to the building. In the past, many hundreds of Redwing had been killed on these occasions.

However, the Observatory staff had a cunning plan to stop this happening. When they see birds flying in the beams of the light, they take themselves down to the lighthouse on the southern tip of the island. In order to lessen the devastation the migrating birds find themselves in, the Obs staff set up temporary lights, outside the lighthouse compound, to help the birds land safely. Some stunned birds are collected up, roosted until dawn and then ringed. Jim was out until 4:00 am and then up again by 7.30am to ring and release them on their way. This gives ringers the chance to handle birds that they would not normally ring like this handsome Woodcock, which was probably migrating to warmer climes from Scandinavia. Also ringed were c30 Blackbirds & Redwings, and three Blackcaps.

Jim

Pickles

Since we arrived on the island, we have been busy unpacking essentials and settling into Plas Lloft. Our new home is cosy, we have no electricity but the gas fire and gas light, etc. are quite adequate and once the night draws in it is very snug.
The weather has changed since we arrived, the wind is now quite strong, fortunately from the south and west, but summer has certainly moved on and autumn has announced itself with a bang.
Jim has been busy discussing the various conservation tasks we hope to undertake over the winter with the Observatory staff; we hope to make a start next week. I, on the other hand, have been focused more on the indoor preparations for winter and have been pickling onions and shallots and also making bramble jelly from the islands’ blackberries. Emma and I made a few precious jewel like jars.

Elaine

Finally a calm day . . . .

At last it was calm enough to open the mist nets and do some ringing at Nant in the withies at the north end of Bardsey. About 20 birds were caught, which was mix of the resident Wrens & Dunnocks, and some migrant thrushes. However, the star bird was a Firecrest that was retrapped from a few days previously.

Jim

Well, we finally made it to Bardsey

A long day spent doing last minute shopping and sorting, packing the land rover and trailer, meant that we finally left home in the early hours of Saturday morning and drove through the night to arrive at the beach at Porth Meudwy by midday. The tide was about to turn so it was a hasty transfer onto Benlli 3 and we were on our way. The Sound was the calmest we have ever seen and the seals popped their heads out of the sea to watch us pass.

By lunchtime we had landed and everything was transferred to the tractor and trailer and then deposited at our new home for the next couple of weeks, Plas Lloft.

Our 40+ numbered boxes and 10 barrels of food and supplies, computer stuff, ringing equipment, tools and everything else we felt we could not leave home without took up a lot of the space in our one up, one down accommodation. But, just look at the view!