Monday 6 August 2012

This week I have mostly been ........

Helping pufflings fledge, at least 5 this week. When they leave their burrows for the first time they head for the sea, usually at night. Sometimes they get stuck behind walls and buildings and we find them in the morning. If we do, then they get taken to the cliff tops and give a helping hand to get away from the island and the predatory gulls. With so many being lost to the poor weather every one we can help might be another than comes back to breed.


Watching the May Princess appear out of the fog like this on Saturday.


Welcoming lots of visitors to the island. We are having the first consistently good spell of weather and so the visitor boats having been bringing plenty of visitors to enjoy the island.


Getting excited when the swallows fledged yesterday from the Castle in Fluke Street. Well 3 of the 4 did, one decided to stay put in the nest. These are the first swallows to fledge on the island for 12 years.


Admiring the garden tiger moths being caught in the moth trap, 3 of these chaps yesterday. 
Looking out for the fulmer chicks on the cliffs. These are the latest of the seabirds to breed and the chicks seem very thin on the ground this year. (Thanks to my daughter, Holly for the photo)


Enjoying the modern art look of the cliffs after a season of the birds doing a Jackson Pollock.


Harvesting the veg garden. The garlic looks especially good and is drying for next season. Other produce has included onions, salad leaves, lots of radishes, rocket and spinach all grown in fish boxes and a fine crop of potatoes from the old lighthouse keepers garden by PK. One day I hope to restore large areas of the lighthouse keepers gardens back to producing veg just as they were when the keepers had to be partially self sufficient. It will need research into what they grew, varieties suitable for the island and then infrastructure but it would look great when done. Any ideas out there ?

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