New Arrivals

 It has been a nice week in terms of weather with much calmer seas and even the sun coming out for prolonged periods of time. All the birds, flowers and ourselves have been making the most of the warmer weather.

Looking North across the East Coast of Ramsey on the 6th May © Alys Perry.

The farmhouse in glorious sunshine on the 8th May © Alys Perry. 

This week saw the arrival of our first volunteers of the season Mick and Elis. Mick is a returning volunteer and is back for another week this season and Elis is undertaking a 2 week placement with us from Liverpool University where he is studying to become a vet. 

Mick and Elis have kept themselves busy with painting the new gates, conducting reptile tile and chough feeding transects, helping to check the Manx Shearwater productivity boxes, rebuilding the cairns along the paths, clearing the paths of encroaching heather and bracken and welcoming visitors to the island. 

 Elis checking one of the reptile tiles on the 7th © Mick Brown.

A Slow worm under the reptile tiles on the 7th © Mick Brown.

A Bank Vole under the reptile tiles on the 7th © Mick Brown.

Weekly Wildlife Round-Up

Nine of our Chough pairs are now incubating and there is even signs that a couple of them might have small chicks!

A check of our Manx Shearwater study plot revealed that there are now 5 shearwaters incubating eggs within the boxes! Fingers crossed there will be plenty more to come.

We also went out at night on the 7th to look for retrap shearwaters within the colony and Elis found a Manxie that was previously ringed as an adult on Ramsey in 2019. This was the first time it was re caught since it was first ringed. 

Nia checking the ring of one of the shearwaters © Mick Brown.

More migrants have turned up this week with the arrival of a Spotted Flycatcher on the 30th of April and a Pied Flycatcher spotted by one of our day visitors Katie on the 6th. A Common Sandpiper was recorded in the harbour on the 6th along with 20 Curlew seen feeding in the Northern Fields. 

 A Pied Flycatcher sitting on a piece of heather on the South Coast 6th May © Katie Ruffle.

 A Female Cuckoo, Whinchat and Ringed Plover also turned up on the 7th.

A female Cuckoo hiding away in a gorse bush near Abermyharan on the 7th May © Alys Perry.

 Two Ringed Plovers feeding in Parc y Ffynon 7th May © Alys Perry.

It has been a really good week for seals too with up to 96 hauling out at Porth Lleuog over the last couple of days.


Until Next Week

Alys Perry

Assistant Warden 


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