the trip of 2010

Due to circumstances only a small team was available this year and, with only one driver, this was reduced to a single vehicle of four. Departure was Sat 17th June - a week earlier than previous years - but the weather was fine and the trip pleasant. The weather in Scotland was questionable with regard to a Sunday morning crossing but a late phone call ensured that all was scheduled to go to plan.
Landing on the island we moved to pitch tents before hauling luggage to the extent that we were all set up and ready to go active by eleven thirty. Testing the weather against our resources we decided on a first night trip to the slabs, a breeding colony, where we set one 60 foot net with a small sound system. Starting with a first bird caught at 23.15hrs we continued catching until first light achieving a total of:115 new, including one Norwegian control, and 42 retraps.
During the following Monday we ringed 8 Great Skua chicks and a brood of four Pied Wagtails found nesting in one of the walls.
Monday night we moved to the gully, another breeding colony, where we set a sixty and a forty foot net and started the night by catching a 3J Wheatear. Ringing until rain stopped play we caught 214 new birds, again with one Norwegian control, and 61 retraps. During the day we ringed another five skuas.
Tuesday night through to Wednesday morning we were back on the slabs, this time with two sixty foot nets, for a night that was damp with sea mist /low cloud and outbreaks of drizzle. A 3J Rock pipit was our first capture followed by 79 new birds, two Norwegain controls and 16 retraps. The following day we used our last ring of the size and ringed another skua.
Due to rising winds no further ringing was undertaken - we became more concerned with actually getting off the island the following day.

Although only a team of four - Liz, Jed, Bob and Tony - with low cloud through to heavy rain, overcast conditions to outright sunshine and one lost night and another cut short we managed a commendable 408 new birds, and 119 retraps including four Norwegain controls. In addition we ringed 14 Great Skua, four Pied Wagtails, one Wheatear and one Rock Pipit. It was a very enjoyable trip - we also did some fishing (a load of Pollack).