Warming up.........slightly

Its chough breeding season so it's time to survey our local breeding choughs on the island. Each year we try and identify each pair of choughs that breed in various locations around bardsey, but how do we identify each bird as an individual you may ask.......

Each bird has its own unique color ring combination consisting of four rings, two on each leg. Three are colored and one is a standard metal BTO ring, using a scope or binoculars these rings are readable in the field. Having these on the legs of the local breeding choughs means we can keep track of who each bird is, where they have been and who they are partnered with, it also means we can identify the birds that are not residents of bardsey, providing useful information about their movements.

An example of some of the color rings, there are solid colors as well as stripes.

Guests and day visitors are also starting to pick up this time of year so Emma is hard at work putting the shop and its stock back together.

Keeping and eye on the proceedings.

Unbelievably its finally starting to warm up now, still quiet on the birding side of things but enjoying the warmth.

Another resident who is enjoying some of the warm spells.

One cake to rule them all

The time had come for Connor's birthday, so once again Emma pulls off some crazy cake skills to craft this master piece.

Bilbo and Gandalf kicking back in the Shire at Bag End

Cake destroyed, but it tasted fantastic

 Enjoying the cake, company and the sun

Not birthday related but was fantastic watching a male wren carrying fresh moss to line his nest. The male wren will construct up to three nest, the female will then choose one of them to rear their young.

Long time no post

Apologies for the lack of blog posts in the last few weeks, hopefully this mega post can make up the the silence. The past few weeks have see us getting the observatory up and running and ready for when the first guests arrive. A lot of painting to freshen up the place, net ride clearance and nets to go up and general maintenance of the buildings.

Quiet on the bird front, not on the painting front!

Some major floor paint scraping getting it ready for a nice new coat

I couldn't cover up the builders bum going on there (sorry Steve) anyway concentrate on the new coat of paint going down

 A floor clean enough to eat off

Water rails have been heard through the withy's in recent weeks so it was time to give it ago at trying to catch these elusive birds. Using a couple of cage traps and some old smelly fish as bait we're hoping we  can lure the rails into the back of the trap where they will trip a mechanism which in turn closes a door behind them, trapping them inside.

Traps and bait ready to be put out

Traps set, fingers crossed, all we can do now is wait patiently and check the traps every 2-3 hours

In other news, more jack snipes have been sighted around the island so it was time to try and catch another one! We have successfully caught 4 so far this season, all of them being new birds and no re-traps, makes you wonder just how many there are on the island when you assume your flushing the same birds. The record number caught and ringed so far in one season on Bardsey is 5, only a couple more to go!!!

Jack snipe number 4 being ringed by Peter

Stunning plumage, this picture does not do it justice

The usual "photo op" after ringing

Many thanks too volunteers Liz, Ian and Sian we've had so far this year, thanks for all the hard work, it really makes a difference.