Visit 2017

An uneventful trip up driving at times through massive downpours eventually resulted in a team of  nine collecting at Tongue. Tongue was busy following a local fete day but we still managed to all congregate in the pub for an evening meal and a chat, oh and a few beers.
Sunday's crossing was uneventful in nice warm sunny weather.

(The picture above is a 'leaving' picture but the 'arrival' view is the same)

 

The sheep were still present giving us a well-cropped camp-site, bonxies were down in number (we think due to increased numbers of Greater Black-backed gulls), but Fulmars were having a good year with a minimum of 46 active nests counted. Snipe were also present in good numbers.

The Barn Owl had been present in the early part of the year - as demonstrated by a collection of aged pellets - but with none found fresh the bird was considered no longer to be on the island. A possible Short-eared owl was seen once. Present on one day, and seen by all, was a Red Kite which hung over The Hag's Hillock, 'gently' scrutinised by the Bonxies.

 

Although we had bouts of wind and rain none of them interrupted ringing and we managed to get four decent nights in. At the end of the session we had ringed 634 new Stormies with 83 retraps. We also caught three Norwegian controls and, as a surprise, two Leach's Petrels about thirty minutes apart.

Scouring the island during the day we only found two Great Skua chicks. One had already been ringed by Stefan's group and so we ringed the other. We also found one dead ringed Greylag Goose. Attempts to capture some of the Rock Pipits on the beach were unsuccessful.

 

A trip was made down The Hag gully to look for juvenile Shag but those found were large and mobile so none were ringed.

 

(This shot shows Hannah and Simon enjoying their trip down the gully).

 

We departed the island a day early, dictated by Jean that was dictated by the weather. If we didn't come off as advised we would have had an enforced stay for another four days.

For some reason we didn't take the usual Team shot before we started the journey back. This is as close as we got (L to R) Hannah, Paul, Ron, Jidda, Tony, Kenny. Missing: Simon, Andy and myself. We're all waiting for Jean on a rising tide - for which we had to move all of our stuff to prevent it getting wet (and Andy said we'd by ok!)

 

Thanks: to Jean who 'as always' goes above and beyond to ensure we have as good a stay as possible; sorted Paul's puncture and Andy's open car-window, took Andy fishing when catching was difficult off the island and is generally there for us if needed.

To John Birch for his unsolicited contribution to ringing costs.