The RSPB Community

Marvellous, magical, mysterious Moths!

Hayley Riseborough — Mon, 06 May 2013 08:50:05 GMT

Here are 10 fascinating facts about moths you might not know:

1) There are over 2400 species of moth in the UK alone.

Moths outnumber the amount of butterfly species in the UK by over 40 to one.There are over 2400 species of moth in the UK, compared to 59 butterfly species. Moths species range in size between the size of a pencil tip to as big as bat.

2) Some moths only fly during the day.

The UK boasts almost three times as many day flying moths as there are butterfly species, many of which are as brightly coloured and as beautiful as butterflies. There are about 30 larger (macro) moths that normally fly in the day. You might also see some moths that usually come out at night though if they have been disturbed in their resting places. Day flying moths can range in colour size and shape, from the Six-spot Burnet, to the Silver Y, the Hummingbird Hawksmoth and the Purple-bordered Gold.

3) Many moths don't eat

Some types of adult moths eat nectar from flowers, but most don't eat anything at all. In fact there is even a species of moth called the Luna Moths that has no mouth at all. Their only purpose is to find a mate and reproduce.

4) Moths are important pollinators.

Although many moths don't feed at all, those who do feed on nectar are extremely important pollinators. Moths pick up pollen on their bodies as they are feeding on the nectar of a flower, and carry it on to the next. There are a number of wild flowers in the UK that are moth pollinated. They have evolved to specifically provide nectar for moths, which will in turn cross pollinate their flowers.

As many moths only come out at night, plants have adapted special features to make themselves easier to find. Most moth pollinated plants have pale or white flowers, and produce a strong fragrance which usually becomes stronger in the evening. Some have also adapted long tube like flowers to suit the moths’ long tongues, and to exclude other insects. Some moth pollinated plants include Wild Honeysuckle, Campions and Sweet Williams.

5) Moths are an important food source for lots of different animals.

Because moths are so great in abundance and in the number of types there are in the UK, they area really important part of the food chain. Caterpillars and adult moths are food for many different animals, including other insects, spiders, frogs, toads, lizards, bats, shrews, and birds of course! Adult night flying moths make up a large part of many bats diets, and many garden birds rely heavily on caterpillars for food for their chicks.

6) Moths are an important food source for many societies around the world.

A survey by the UN in 2004 found that in some African countries, over 90 per cent of the population eat moth and butterfly caterpillars. In fact, they contain many vital minerals and are full of protein and healthy fats.

7) Moths are amazing mimics

They are, without doubt, extraordinary mimics. To avoid becoming something's else's dinner, some moths are known to impersonate anything that might be unpalatable to predators, from spiders, wasps, bees, rodents, toads, foxes, even other poisonous moth species . The photo below shows the Atlas Moth impersonating a Cobra!

8) Moths can become invisible.

Bats are a major predator of the moth. They use echolocation to see in the dark, so when a moth crosses their path, the sound waves they put out bounce back, telling the bat exactly where the moth is. In response to this, Tiger moths have developed an ultra sonic ’clicking sound’ which jams the bats sonar, making the moth invisible!

9) A male moth can smell a female more than 7 miles away.

Moths have no noses, but they still have an amazing sense of smell. They use their antennae instead of nostrils to smell odour molecules. The females release hormone that the males can detect. The male silkworm moths can detect a single pheromone molecule released by the female up to 7 miles away.

10) Some moths migrate hundreds of miles

The spectacular Humming-bird Hawk-moth is just one of the UKs migrant species of moth, flying across land and sea to get here all the way from the Mediterranean or sometimes even North Africa!

Small World

Mel O''''Hara — Sat, 04 May 2013 10:59:00 GMT

I started my day at the visitor centre before making my way down to Ellins Tower.

The scenery is breathtaking I never tire of it, I was to spend the day in the tower with Charlotte our Assistant People Engagement Officer, our job was to meet and greet people. We get many visitors many of which are on holiday, others are mainly people who have come specially to see the nesting sea birds.

On approaching the tower the lighthouse comes into view.

Finally I am at the tower,

It is early and our visitors have not yet arrived.

We set up the equipment before Charlotte sets to and cleans the windows!

It is not long before the tower is full of people wanting to take advantage of the views. From here we can see the nesting Guillemot's and Razorbill.

As you can see from the pictures above we had several thousand nesting birds. From lunch time there was not a single Guillemot or Razorbill to be seen on the cliff. We could still see a few on the sea but the majority had gone way out to sea to feed.

I had said in my title that it is a small world. I got talking to the couple in the picture below, it turns out that they had come from Arizona! I always marvel at the way in which visitors find South Stack, these are mainly from within the UK, but to find us all the way from America is another thing altogether. They were quite impressed with our reserve.

Out of the window I noticed a Rock Pipit very close to the tower, when we spot anything worthy of the attention of our visitors we inform them. Unfortunately they were more interested in looking at the puffins on the sea outside of the tower.

I realise that it is not a very good picture, it was taken with my compact camera through glass.

Suddenly I noticed some very special pets in the corner. They were calling out to children just wanting to be cherished. Wildlife needs the children to protect it, they are the future. One of these soft toys is given to a youngster when they become a member of the RSPB.

I read an article in the RSPB magazine 'Birds'. It basically said that our land used to be vast countryside dotted with hamlets and villages with the odd city here and there. Now we have huge sprawling cities and large developments with bits of countryside dotted here and there. If we do not protect our wildlife the developers will completely drive it away. There are many children who live in the cities who have never seen the real countryside and its wildlife.

I have now finished my day and make my way back to the Visitor Centre.

Review 'Looking for the Goshawk'

Mel O''''Hara — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:24:00 GMT

This review was posted by Babs (Volunteer at South Stack RSPB reserve)

The book is 'Looking for the GOSHAWK' by Conor Mark Jameson

I found this book an interesting mix of a personal story, with some science and history, one mans jurney looking for the 'Phantom of the Forrest'.

He visits Germany, Scotland and the USA asking why the birds are successful there and yet so rare in his own part of the world. His fascination of wildlife shines through, I love for example his description of forest floors 'Lurid with the tones and textures of fresh moss'. I could almost smell the aromas and feel the atmosphere.

His enthusiasm to learn more about these birds is very evident, but but he is never disappointed when he doesn't see them, but just happy to know he is in their world.

It is one mans journey looking for the ever elusive Goshawk, well worth reading even if you are not a 'birder', but it is not a 'How to find a Goshawk' book it is a good read. At the back of the book there are historic records of goshawk in the British Isles.

Wildflowers at South Stack - Part 3

Hayley Riseborough — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:35:08 GMT

In the third and final blog of our mini-series about the wildflowers of South Stack, we take a look at Sea Campion and Kidney Vetch.

Sea Campion ( Silene vulgaris subsp. maritima)

Sea Campion is a perennial plant, growly mostly on cliff ledges, but it also grows on inland mountains. The campions are members of the carnation family. The narrow, grey-green leaves are arranged in pairs along the stem, and the leaves are fleshy which helps to prevent the plant from drying out in the wind. The flowers have deeply notched petals and it mostkly has one flower per stem. Sea Campion flowers between June and August.

Sea Campion used to be known as Dead Man's Bells or Devil's Hatties. Superstition surrounds the Sea Campion - it was said that because the flower grows on high, dangerous cliff ledges, it was never picked or brought into the house for fear of tempting death when trying to reach it.

Kidney Vetch ( Anthyllis vulneraria)

Kidney Vetch is an unusual member of the pea family, with flowers that vary widely through cream, yellow to a firey orange. Each flowerhead is surrounded at the base by thick, downy sepals which give the plant a wooly appearance. It flowers between June and September and grows in patches on dry grassland on cliff tops and rocky ledges, often on slopes. It prefers chalky soil, especially near the sea.

The flowers provide food for butterfly larvae, bees and beetles. It is a sole food source for the caterpillars of the small blue butterfly.

The latin name 'vulneraria' means 'wound healer'. It's common name is derived from a belief that it could cure kidney diseases, due to the kidney shape of the flowers.

Other names for Kidney Vetch include Ladie's Fingers, Lambs Toes, Butter Fingers, Double Pincushion and Woundwort.

Wild Flowers at South Stack - Part 2

Hayley Riseborough — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 15:13:00 GMT

This time, we take a look at three more beautiful wild flowers at South Stack - Thrift, Sheepsbit Scabious and Spring Squill.

Thrift (Armeria maritima)

Thrift is also known as Sea Thrift, Sea Pink, or 'Pink Pom-poms' as Charlotte at South Stack has re-named it! It flowers between April and August. In summer, it produces long - stalked, bright pink flowerheads which transform the coastal scenery with extensive splashes of colour. The plant is variable in height with taller forms on inland sites. It can grow in dry, sandy, saline conditions, i.e., beaches and salt marshes.

Did you know? - the British threepence coin issued between 1937 and 1952 had a design of Thrift on the reverse.

Sheepsbit Scabious (Jasione montana)

The flowering time for this pretty flower is between July and October. It is often found on heaths and moors at high elevation in rocky areas, coastal cliffs and quarries. It prefers acid soils and grows alongside Thrift and Kidney Vetch. The flowerhead is made up of tiny florets with five narrow petals, usually deep blue, though it can sometimes be pink or white. The flowers are visible under Ultraviolet light making them particulary attractive to pollinating insects.

Other names for the Sheepsbit Scabious include Blue Bonnets, Blue Buttons, the Blue Daisy and Iron Flower.

Spring Squill (Scilla verna)

This is a flowering plant, native to Western Europe, with star - like blue flowers produced during the spring. It is a small perennial plant which usually reaches around 5 - 15cm in height. The flowers are made up of 6 scentless, violet-blue petals which grow in a dense cluster of two to twelve at the top of the upright stem. It is found in short, dry, grassy areas, usually near the sea.

Did you know? - Squill liquid extract is an active ingredient used in tradtional cough medicines!

Another Interesting Day at South Stack 02/04/2013

Mel O''''Hara — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:25:00 GMT

The day began for me by assisting with a guided walk. The tour was led by Hayley our People Engagement Officer. The weather was very cold but very sunny.

I play the role of a sort of sheepdog, i.e. I follow up the rear and lookout for strays. We left the centre and made our way down towards Ellens Tower. The tower was built in 1868 by Lord William Owen Stanley for his wife Ellen.

They apparently used the tower as a sort of retreat where they could observe the wildlife very much as it is used today although they of course had the tower to themselves.

On our way down to Ellins tower we were on the lookout for both Lizards and Adders as we have both of these species on the reserve. Although the weather was very cold it was sunny and the Adders had been seen taking in the morning sun.

We did not see any of the reptiles but below are pictures of what we would have seen.

Above Hayley is pointing out the habitat of the reptiles and various plant life.

Onward down to the tower. One of our group was a climber, he gave me some very interesting information about early climbing in the area and developments that evolved from it. I will share this information with you later.

Once inside Hayley explains the origins of the tower and the uses to which it has been put. It was built as I have said previously in 1868 by Lord Stanley for his wife Ellen. there is a plaque on the outside of the tower where she is called 'Ellin'. She was actually 'Ellen' but apparently 'Ellin' was just a sort of familiar name.

Ellen died in 1876 therefore the tower was built only some eight years before her death. After Ellins death I believe the tower was opened for a while to the public until the death of Lord Stanley several years later.

After Lord Stanley died the tower was left unused and eventually fell into disrepair. During the second world war army personnel were stationed in the tower in order to observe potential German aircraft or shipping.

After the war the tower was abandoned and again gave in to the ravages of time and weather. In 1980 the RSPB got interested and purchased the tower. They in conjunction with the Welsh Office set about the restoration and in 1982 it was again opened to the public. It is still available to the public and offers superb views of the surrounding wildlife. There is much that the RSPB are doing in order to preserve all this for the future generations and should anyone feel that

they could give their support to their cause by way of becoming a member of the RSPB we would make you most welcome.

Any way on with the walk. We leave the tower and follow the coastal path.

Hayley spots something worth pointing out to our party.

We now leave the tower behind us.

The view in front of us is stunning!

By Plas Nico (previously our RSPB offices) Hayley joins up with Denise our Warden and points out something of interest.

From here we make our way back to the Visitor Centre.

I notice the number of cars filling both of our FREE car parks and it is still quite early in the morning.

above is the overflow car park.

The view approaching the Visitor Centre.

The main car park, just enough room to park a bicycle!

Our walk has now ended and we are back at the centre, below is the gentleman I spoke about earlier.

He gave me information about the next Bay along the coast namely 'GOGARTH BAY'. he told me that it is a Mecca for adventurous rock climbers.

The climbing was made famous by 'JOHNNY DAWES' and 'PAUL PRITCHARD' in the 1980's. It is, he told me, still frequented by the best and BOLDEST Rock Climbers based in the UK.

examples are 'JAMES McCAFFIE' and 'PETE ROPINS' (please excuse me if I have misspelled any names). Famous routes include:-

'DREAM OF WHITE HORSES', 'HARD-BACK THESAURUS' and 'ONAN THE LIBRARIAN'.

It never ceases to amaze me the interesting people we meet at South Stack. I would like to offer my most sincere thanks to the gentleman for this information.

Speaking of interesting people! later in the day we were very pleased to welcome none other than Mr Iolo Tudur Williams. He is well known as a television presenter of wild life programmes. In his earlier career he worked in the field for the RSPB as a regional co-ordinator. He later branched out on his own as a leading expert on Welsh bird life. He and his mother called in for coffee at the Cafe. He was a charming gentleman and posed with two of our ladies.

Lastly but by no means least I would like to introduce you to Charlotte our assistant People Engagement Officer. Charlotte has not been with us for very long and I spotted her signing up a new member to the RSPB just prior to my walk.

On this particular day Charlotte was greeting people as they arrived at the visitor centre. We explain to new comers what they are likely to see on the reserve and answer any questions that they may have as she is doing in the next picture.

Well I think that is all for now, It is all happening at South Stack why not come along and see us.

Wildflowers at South Stack - Part 1

Hayley Riseborough — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 14:32:03 GMT

It won't be long until the wildflowers at South Stack are out, but in the meantime, have a read through this blog and find out more about the Lesser Celandine, Blackthorn and Scurvy grass.

Lesser Celandine ( Ranunculus Ficaria)

Flowering between March and May, a true harbinger of Spring, the Celandine is sometimes called the Spring Messenger. It is the first of the buttercups to appear and is easy to recognise with its bright, golden star - like flowers, which have up to 12 petals.It grows in moderately damp, open places and prefers the partial shade of deciduous woodland and hedgerows.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the name Celandine comes from the Latin 'chelidonia' meaning 'swallow'. It was said that the flowers bloomed when the swallows returned and faded when they left.

There are also many references to the humble Celandine in literature. William Wordsworth and Edward Thomas were both inspired to write poems about the flower and it appears in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien and Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence.

Blackthorn ( Prunus Spinosa)

A dense, thicket forming, spiny, deciduous shrub which is ideal for providing safe nesting sites for many birds such as blackbirds, sparrows and finches. Blackthorn is home to about 150 different species of insect. It is a food plant for the caterpillars of many different moth species, such as yellow-tailed moths, and for butterflies including the Black Hairstreak and the Brown Hairstreak.

Blackthorn grows in hedgerows, scrub, wood margins, cliff tops and on shingle beaches. The flowers often appear before the leaves as early as February. The wood from straight Blackthorn stems were traditionally used to make walking sticks because it is so dense and tough.

The fruit of the Blackthorn is the sloe berry. It is similar to a small damson or plum and is suitable for preserves. It is also used to make sloe gin. The expression 'sloe - eyed' used to describe a person with dark eyes comes from the colour of the fruit.

Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia Officinalis)

Scurvy Grass is part of the cabbage family Brassicaceae. It is most commonly found in coastal regions, on cliff tops and salt marshes. It has a high tolerance to salt and this enables it to avoid competiton from larger but less salt - tolerant plants. The four parted white flowers are in tight clusters above the stems that lengthen as the fruit develops.

Scurvy Grass was eaten by sailors suffering from Scurvy after long voyages as the leaves are rich in vitamin C. Scurvy occurs because of vitamin C deficiency and a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet.

What is spread on roads in the winter to stop ice forming? Salt! That's why Scurvy Grass has colonised many inland areas where it did not formerly occur. The seeds get trapped in car wheels, transported, get washed off, then grow in the salt rich soil at the side of the road where other plants cannot survive!

Book of the Month ('Birdsong' by Madeline Floyd)

Mel O''''Hara — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:04:00 GMT

This review is by Babs O'Hara who is a volunteer at South Stack RSPB reserve.

What a charming little book this is!

Each page has a beautiful illustration of a bird together with its egg, also a written description of the bird, its habitat and nesting preferences, along with its character and call.

Each chapter brings us a variety of birds from different habitats, starting with Garden and Parkland, and ending with Coastal birds.

All in all a book that would enhance any bookshelf, lovely to look at and interesting to read, and now on Special Offer at £5.99 from RSPB shops, a real bargain!

Volunteers Day Out at Lake Vyrnwy

Mel O''''Hara — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:11:00 GMT

On the 22nd February 2013 the South Stack volunteers were treated to a day out at lake Vyrnwy by the staff. Our escorts for the day were Jon our Catering Manager and Hayley our People Engagement Officer.

At the outset the volunteers would like to say a massive 'THANK YOU' to both our management staff from South Stack and to all the staff at the RSPB lake Vyrnwy reserve for devoting their time to making our day so enjoyable.

Lake Vyrnwy Nature Reserve and Estate is an area of land in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales, surrounding the Victorian reservoir of Lake Vyrnwy. Its stone-built dam, built in the 1880s, was the first of its kind in the world

Area: 4.53 km²

Surface elevation: 251 m

Length: 7.64 km

Width: 1.05 km

Mean depth: 44 m

Inflow source: River Vyrnwy

The site layout for lake Vyrnwy.

This was a very cold day, in fact the coldest that I have been all winter. In spite of this it was a smashing day out.

On arriving we were met by Graham, one of the Lake Vyrnwy volunteers, he took us to the RSPB run farm about half a mile from the visitor centre.

We were then given a talk about the farm by Mike, the site manager and Jan, the field teacher who runs lambing live!

Jan Evans explaining to our volunteers the importance of organic farming!

I had been to Lake Vyrnwy previously but until now I had been unaware that there was a working farm on the site.

We were given a tour with corresponding explanations about the various activities. I found the whole thing very interesting.

The farm is operated completely organically.

The animals are used to graze the land.

After the farm visit we were taken back to the visitor centre were we had lunch. After lunch we were taken on a walk around part of the reserve by one of their volunteers.

Although quite cold ('a massive understatement') it was very enjoyable. A short distance from the visitor centre is the Dam which creates the lake.

The water is transferred by gravity to Liverpool, this was the reason for creating the lake in the first place. The original inhabitants were moved

out of the valley and then it was flooded.

Hayley checking her charges.

One that I took earlier of the Dam.

The view looking up the lake from the Dam.

This tower contains strainers. These stop undesirable items getting into the pipework.

I could not resist putting autumn colours into the shot with Photoshop! The white is actually ice.

Anyway 'On with the walk'

Jon our Catering Manager looking pleased.

We saw a pair of Dippers upwards of this little weir.

There were wood sculptures along the walk.

To continue,

The cafe near to the visitor centre, (they make chips I am told).

And finally back to the visitor centre. From here we boarded the minibus and travelled home.

New Years Day 2013

Mel O''''Hara — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 12:36:00 GMT

New Years Day at South Stack was a beautiful sunny day, however it was very windy. Halyley our People Engagement officer led an organised walk.

The route was from the visitor centre down to Ellins Tower along to the bottom car park and crossing the road to the Hut Circles.

We started at the Visitor Centre:

Hayley gathered our group and explained the outline of the walk.

We next made our way down to Ellins tower where we were given an explanation about the sea birds.

Next we entered the tower and Hayley outlined what goes on during the open season, also a brief talk about its history.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE TOWER

it was built in 1868 by Lord William Owen Stanley presumably for his wife Ellin.

It was used primarily as a family retreat for observing wildlife. After Ellins death in 1876

the tower was opened to the public until the death of Lord Stanley.

It lay unused for many years until it was occupied by the armed forces during the second

world war as a lookout post. Soldiers were used for spotting German aircraft or shipping.

During WWII RAF Valley was built. Two squadrons of fighter planes were stationed at the air base.

German bombers would drop their bombs upon Liverpool and then make their way back up

St Georges Channel over to Norway. Once spotted by our observers fighter planes would intercept and shoot them down.

After the war the tower lay again unused and fell into disrepair.

In 1981 the RSPB in collaboration with the Welsh Office set about the restoration of the tower and

in 1982 it was again opened to the public.

We leave the tower behind and head to the bottom car park and stop along the path to admire the scenery.

Our last glimpse of the tower.

We gather at the bottom car park before crossing the road and gaining entrance to the

site of the Hut Circles.

Below Hayley gathers the group and explains the origin of the Hut Circles.

Lord Stanley played a major roll in the excavation of the Hut Circles between 1867 - 1878.

He was very infuential and was involved in many developments on Anglesey.

He represented Anglesey in Parliament and at one point was the Lord lieutenant of the island.

Below we make our way back to the Visitor Centre.

As if by arrangement our star bird the Chough paid us a visit.

We now finish the walk and are served with a bowl of hot soup and a roll. An excellent way to end our walk.

Please feel free to join us in one of our future activities. These can be found by checking our website.

THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AT SOUTH STACK WISH YOU ALL:

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR 2013

Guided Walk: 09/10/2012

Mel O''''Hara — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 14:31:00 GMT

On Tuesday the 9th of October I assisted with a guided walk. Our leader was Sarah one of the South Stack volunteers. The walk started at around 11:00 am, Sarah started by explaining to the group what RSPB South Stack does in order to preserve the local environment.

This is our guide Sarah

Our group at the start of the walk, Sarah is explaining the walk and what we are likely to see. The route is to start as above and make its way down towards Ellins tower.

One of the views seen from our starting point.

We make our way down towards Ellins tower,my job is to act as a rear guard to ensure that all our guests complete the walk safely.

One of the plants seen by the path.

Our view from Ellins tower. Here Sarah explained about the sea birds that visit South stack each year.

They start arriving at the end of March and they have all left by the end of July. This year we had about 8000 Guillemots, 1500 Razorbills a number of Fulmars and Kittiwakes, and of course Puffins.

Here we are ascending the path from the tower up to the top road and the start of our walk over the mountain. We do not actually do any hard walking as our route is fairly gentle (this is how hardened walkers would no doubt describe it).

The view from the top of the path.

We start the second phase of the walk. Sarah once again explaining what we are likely to encounter.

Making our way to the top.

Sarah spots a rock plant akin to an alpine plant.

She describes the plant and names the species. I was impressed by her knowledge as were our guests.

The top of our path.

We have been brought here to see how the sheep help to maintain our reserve by their grazing.

This is Pete our local Shepard. He is engaged each year to use his sheep to graze the land. Denise our reserve warden manages the grazing by liaising with Pete the Shepherd

Pete personally trains all of his dogs. We were all very impressed how his commands were interpreted by his dog who kept the sheep within the confines to which he was controlling.

The above picture shows the distance over which the sheepdog was used to manage the flock.

We watch the Shepherd giving his commands. Sarah explains exactly how the sheep help to manage the reserve.

We make our way onwards.

We arrive at a small lake. When the lighthouse was first commissioned in February 1809 there were two families living on the island. These were the lighthouse keeper and his family and his assistant and family.

The lighthouse keeper and his wife raised seven children on the island, his assistant and his wife raised five. The reason for explaining this is the fact that there was no running water on the island. This must have been extremely hard for the women.

A canvas hose was run from a small lake part way up the mountain into a slate tank situated on the mainland side of the island. Water was carried manually over a rope bridge from this slate tank and poured into a second slate tank on the island. It was from here that all water used on the island was obtained. I often wonder if the small lake in the above picture was in fact the lake from which the canvas hose was run.

Skirting the lake and journeying onwards.

The end is now in sight as we approach the RSPB centre.

A few people lag behind observing a pair of chough.

Here we are back at the centre were we will be served with a well earned bowl of soup and coffee.

We all enjoyed the walk and now knowing the layout of our reserve in more detail maybe our guests will return in the future.

Bye for now Mel.

Denises Orphaned House Martins

Mel O''''Hara — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:24:00 GMT

RSPB South Stack Reserve

Meet Denise our very own Warden and guardian angel to three House Martin chicks. On the 24 of August this year she was presented with three very sick House martin chicks. They were left in a dog bowl covered by a leaf on Plas Nico doorstep. below is Denise's account of the rescue.

Above Denise's cottage.

"They were found by our resident volunteers Laura and Mary and they brought them straight to me. They were very cold and damp and weren’t looking very lively, to be honest I thought they weren’t going to make it. I wrapped them in a towel and used a hairdryer to warm them up and dry them, within minutes they were coming around and fluffing up, it was then I realised they were house martins – initially I thought they were swallows. They each had a tiny bit of dog food that night which I had to gently force them to eat. The next morning all 3 were gaping and begging for food and so from dawn til dusk I fed them regularly. Once I had my system set up they were easy to look after, I made them a nest in a bowl and they would reverse up the side and poop over the edge – just as they would do in the wild. I kept them on top of my boiler so they had some constant heat. Unfortunately, one died 3 days later and I lost another one last Friday, they were both feeding fine so not sure what happened. I ordered some live mealworms, which arrived promptly in the post! And the remaining one at the time of writing is close to fledging. Last Saturday I relocated the remaining chap to a window sill and made a shelf with perches which is blocked from the inside with a curtain, so when the time is right I can open the window and it can venture out and hopefully learn the skills it needs to survive, I’ll leave the window open so it can come back for a feed if it needs to. I’m worried about releasing it I just hope it hooks up with other martins and swallows and makes it back to Africa."

Above the remaining chick. Well done Denise, all three would have perished had it not been for your skills. This is the window that she will leave open hoping that the chick will fledge.

I was fortunate enough to see the above chick and I feel all credit goes to Denise for her professional skills.

I feel privileged to have seen first hand the RSPB protecting nature. The RSPB is a charity (which exactly describes this rescue) that relies upon donations from the public. There are numerous projects ongoing around the world for which the RSPB needs funding. You can help with this by becoming a member, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are directly contributing to the protection of wildlife.

P.S. Saturday the 8th September Denise released the remaining chick, after a practice flight it fledged successfully.

BBQ Sept 2012

Mel O''''Hara — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:07:00 GMT

We stole one of the rare sunny days to have a barbecue. By the evening it was not quite as warm has it had been earlier in the day. My wife and I are volunteers at South Stack and find that the people that we work with are like an extended family. Having said that we have a number of 'Black Sheep'.

They graze the mountain helping to manage the vegetation. However back to the barbecue.

Let us start with the main man, THE COOK. This is MO's husband he usually does the cooking for us.

The next pictures are shots of the gang.

Above centre is Jon our Catering Manager, front is Denise our Warden and right is my better half.

This is Babs my wife with Emily Jane's daughter.

This is Hayley on the left our People Engagement officer, the others I have already introduced.

There is not a lot to say about a barbecue we all had a good time and it was a good opportunity for us all to get together.

Because I have not a lot to say I have padded out the blog with a few pictures. I hope that you like them.

All for now.

It's Off To Sunny Spain (for Laura)

Mel O''''Hara — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:21:00 GMT

Laura was a young Spanish Senorita who spent several weeks at RSPB South Stack reserve as a volunteer. Her intention is to start up guided nature tours in Spain on her return. The birds in Spain are remarkable, I usually go myself to southern Spain each year on holiday. We hope that her time spent with us at our reserve will help her with her ambition.

Below are some pictures to remind her of her time with us.

Above is Ellin's tower where Laura spent much of her time, she would chat to our visitors and I must say that her english was extremely good.

below Laura and Tricia, Tricia being one of our full time officers.

Two of the volunteers took her to Llandudno and then on to the Conwy RSPB reserve so that she could see more of the area.

Unfortunately Punch and Judy were not performing.

Which way now?

To the Pier I think.

It was a pity about the weather.

And on to Conwy.

Laura capturing views to take back to Spain.

A few of her colleagues share an evening drink with her.

Bye Laura maybe you will return, we wish you every success with your venture.

Come a Roving

Mel O''''Hara — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 14:33:00 GMT

Hello again. on Saturday the 25th of September after spending most of the day in Ellins Tower I went a roving. Whenever I am at the South Stack reserve I always carry my small digital camera in my pocket. You never know when something interesting is going to happen. I am usually ready for anything and take lots and lots of pictures, they are useful for my blogs. Saturday afternoon whilst in the tower minding my own business, Dave one of the resident volunteers, incidentally who had only been with us a matter of hours, spotted 10 Dolphins passing very close to Ellins tower. We frequently get porpoise but Dolphins especially so close to the tower are a real treat.

I acted quickly, used my radio to call the centre and asked them to inform our visitors of the opportunity to see these wonderful creatures. I then, like everyone else was glued to the window watching this fabulous spectacle. I was so absorbed that I committed a cardinal sin! I forgot to take a picture! I am still hurting from this, however, on with the roving.

I left the visitor centre not really knowing where my walk would take me. I decided to take the route over the mountain and started up the path that begins just below the visitor centre.

It wasn't such a bad afternoon, the morning had not been as good. I soon caught up with four people also enjoying a walk. The young lady in the group was stalking a Chough hoping to get a good close picture. The Chough are surprisingly not too shy as long as you do not crowd them and move reasonably slowly.

The young man in the group told me that earlier in their walk they had come across a common newt! This was a good find.

I left them looking at the wild flowers and soon came to the next gate. I did the obvious thing to open it but found that in spite of my efforts I could not move the gate. I put away my camera in order to be able to use two hands on the brute.

It turned out that the gate did me a favour. As I looked up not very far from me sat on a rock was a female Peregrine Falcon. Had the gate opened at my first attempt I would probably not have seen the bird and disturbed it. After watching it for some considerable time it eventually flew off. I then continued towards the mountain.

I always look back the way that I have come often we miss out on the best views by not doing so. In front of me I got a wonderful view of the gorgeous heather.

I travelled on towards the mountain.

My next encounter was with two lovely Labradors and their owners. We had quite a good chat they came from the south of Birmingham and were on holiday.

I met these two nice people later on the path down to Ellins tower where I showed them how to spot the Lizards. I then carried on and headed towards North Stack.

I looked for a path that would take me back which was closer to the sea but there was no path visible and once off the main route the ground was quite wet.

I then decided to make my way back to the visitor centre. The staff at South Stack including the volunteers carry radio communication. I was quite a long way from the centre and was surprised to hear on my receiver a conversation between two of the staff. This is very reassuring to know that they operate at this distance.

I next encountered several wild flowers some of which I took pictures of. I am not too good at identifying them but I feel sure that Mo will help me out.

At last base is in sight.

This view and that of Ellins tower have been gazed upon countless times, some of the people quite distinguished. Queen Victoria went down to the lighthouse at least twice. She would visit on her way back from Ireland. When you travel up the road to South Stack you are tracing history. The road that you travel is in fact the original road (minus of course the tar macadam).

And here I am home again.

Thank's for the company: mel

COLLECTING FOR ALBATROSSES

Mel O''''Hara — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 13:48:00 GMT

Hi everyone, I am making this post on behalf of Lynne Harrison one of our volunteers at the South Stack Reserve.

She wants to raise the awareness and importance of saving postage stamps.

Below is the message from Lynne.

Please support the RSPB's Save the Albatross Campaign by bringing your used postage stamps to the reserve.

Please leave 5mm/ a quarter of an inch of the envelope around the stamp.The appeal has raised over £100,000 since it began in 2004 helping to buy essential equipment for the Albatross Task Force.

Heres hoping that you all respond: mel.

PS, sorry for the alignment, I have spent too long trying to correct it!

We say good by to Dani and Rachael

Mel O''''Hara — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:40:00 GMT

On the 5th of July the gang at South Stack said good by to to two of our resident volunteer's. Dani and Rachael, they had been with us for about twelve weeks and during this time we all got to know them pretty well. In my case it will seem odd as I and my wife volunteer on a Tuesday and not to see at least one of them there will be strange.

We all wish them both every success with their future careers and hope that they will from time to time drop in at South Stack to pay us a visit. Below are a few pictures that I took on the night.

Here is Hayley our People Engagement Officer giving them both something with which to remember us by. Dani on left of the picture, Rachael on the right.

Evelyn Bill and Mo

The gang

The other half of my volunteering on the far left, and between Dani and Rachael Tricia.

"IT'S GOOD BY FROM HER, AND IT'S GOOD BY FROM HER!"

Puffins galore!

Tricia Gardner — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 09:52:00 GMT

Your last chance to see our puffins is rapidly approaching, as they will soon be disappearing back out to sea . It is also the best time to come and visit, as up to 15 puffins have been spotted at one time on the ledges where they breed. These lovable 'clowns of the sea' as the Italian translation puts it , can be seen even from near the top of the lighthouse steps, on patrol outside their burrows. Its a sight not to be missed!

Our guillemot and razorbill chicks are growing rapidly and look like miniature versions of their parents. Still well hidden and guarded from predators these heroic youngsters are already taking that leap of faith onto the water. Our razorbill chick on the webcam went onto the water on Monday 25th June late in the evening. It was seen pacing up and down the ledge as both parents had seemingly deserted it. This would have been the first time the chick had been left on its own as both parents encouraged it to jump! Eventually after a flap of wings it vanished from sight and hopefully made it safely off the ledge. This spectacle is being repeated all over the cliffs at this time, mainly in the evenings under the cover of twilight. Why not come and see it for yourself?

Chough fledglings chill out on cliff tops!

Tricia Gardner — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 10:20:00 GMT

Several Chough family groups from around the reserve have been seen along the cliff edges having fledged the nests recently. It seems that our Mousetrap pair have only managed to rear one juvenile successfully this year. Despite having 4 healthy chicks in the nest , only one has been observed with the parents over the last few days. Other families have been more successful and we have seen one family with 2 juveniles and one with 3. The young birds have been witnessed begging for food from the parents on the coastal path along by Ellins tower, which is an amazing sight. The mousetrap pair have brought their youngster to feed on the field opposite the visitor centre, encouraging it to feed for itself. It wont be long now before the young birds leave their parents and start to fly round in groups. All the birds are doing well to cope with the unseasonal weather and strong winds that we have been experiencing lately. All around the heathland there are families of smaller birds too. Its lovely to see young stonechats with their feathers all fluffed out!

The seabird colony is at the height of the breeding season now. Many of the guillemots and razorbills have one chick which they are jealously guarding from predators. The parents take it in turns to stay with the chick keeping it safely hidden under their wing, while the other goes off to find sandeels. There is constant activity on the cliff face and on the water as the parents fly off to bring in food supplies. Our razorbill family on the webcam are doing very well. The chick is 17 days old and is growing fast. It has black and white feathers now and has almost lost all of its downy chick fluff! We are expecting the chick to leave the ledge and go into the water during the next few days. The male bird will then stay with the chick and feed it on the water over the next six weeks.

The puffins are nesting on the ledges and burrows on the other side of the main cliff and can be seen most days. Yesterday we were surprised to see two or three puffins on the grassy area near the top of the main cliff, where we could see them clearly from Ellins tower. This is the first time we have been able to see them from the tower, much to everyone's delight! Hopefully they will continue to do this ! So if you want to see a puffin, now is a good time!

The Floral Wonders Of South Stack

Mel O''''Hara — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 15:06:00 GMT

I have been taking pictures again of the South Stack flower show. June has produced some new blooms. Most of these I can't identify myself even after consulting Collins flower guide. The flowers that I have taken pictures of are by no means exhaustive of the blooms at South Stack at the moment. The pictures just give a flavour of this beautiful reserve. I suppose our hidden gem is the Spotted Rock Rose. Collins flower guide says "Very rare, Anglesey,Lleyn Peninsula,W Ireland,Channel S,(SW Eurpoe,Mediteranian.) Fls May - Aug". On this basis I would say that we are very lucky to have this flower at South Stack. I spent quite a long tome searching for it but when I eventually caught up with it , the search was certainly worth while.

Spotted Rock Rose

Waiting to open and show itself to us.

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I must confess that I was shown this flower whilst on a guided walk with Denise our site Warden. I also found this lovely Orchid.

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Following are the remainder of my lucky finds.

I believe this above is the wild Carrot.

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Below, the Marsh Orchid.

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Honeysuckle

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Red Campion

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I also found the Burnet Moth flitting about.

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That is all for now; mel

Sheep Shearing Day

Mel O''''Hara — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:01:00 GMT

On Sunday the 10th of June RSPB South Stack held a special event. The day was staged and managed by Hayley our People Engagement officer and centred around the shearing of sheep and the production of garments from the wool. A large marquee was erected to host the event. These sheep help to manage the reserve, as they are used to graze. Pete the Shepard is employed at various time of year to manage his flock.

First came the preparations.

First and most important. THE LUNCH!

Prepared by Jon our catering manager and his staff. It was a wonderful Hotpot, made using Anglesey Lamb, what else would it be!

Jon cooking the accompaniment

Denise our Warden preparing the coral.

Dani setting up one of the stalls.

Emily giving a hand.

Hayley, Pete the Shepard and Denise, preparing for cricket?

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There was a demonstration on the herding of sheep given by Pete our local Shepard. Pete trains sheep dogs for eventual sale. The dog that he used whilst I was watching was Bet. I found it amazing how just one dog managed to round up a group of sheep all by herself. I am sure that all the other observers found it to be the same. The pictures below give some idea just how clever Bet was, and of course the skill involved in training her to this level. What impressed me the most that Pete used mostly whistles and at very low volume

Spectators watching Bet do her stuff.

Pete giving Bet commands.

Look at the tight circle Bet has penned the sheep, this group was directly behind the shepherd.

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Next came the sheep shearing.

Our guests eager for a hair cut!

The men shear the sheep.

Spectators and children look on.

The product of their labour!

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Next came the preparation of the wool for spinning.

The picture below shows a lady putting the wool through a hand operated Carding machine. This turns the raw wool into a sort of thick rope made of wool.

Next two examples of woollen items made by a sort of pegging process. Please forgive me if I get some of this wrong, it was a lot to take in.

Next came the spinning.

This picture shows one of our volunteers having a go at the spinning process, with a little help from her instructor.

These are the woollen yarns produced,all dyed with natural colouring!

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The weaving followed on from the spinning, this is where Hayley had a hands on experience.

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All of this took place in the marquee. There were other exhibits as well, there was an environmental stand with an expert available to answer any questions. Haley had an exhibition showing the benefits of becoming a member of the RSPB. This is especially important for children as they are our environmentalists of the future!

Two ladies that I surprised, I had been talking to them previously whilst they were looking at the sea birds from Ellins tower.

RSPB Display.

We also had a tom-bola for the children.

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The day would not be complete for me without a mention of Ellins Tower. This is the best vantage point to see the many thousands of sea birds that come to the reserve each year between March and July to breed.

As I walk from the lower car park I take in the beautiful scenery.

Dani and Emily preparing for our visitors and members of the RSPB.

Below the children's corner where each day there is a fresh wall picture to colour.

Above is a model of the buttress where the sea birds nest. This model allows the children to stick images of the different birds they see from the tower.

Below the magnificent view from the tower.

Our first visitors of the day, this is my Dentist and her children. At first I thought that I had missed my appointment then realised she was only here to show the children the sea birds.

Below Ellins Tower, we have a lot to thank Ellin Stanley for. She gave us this magnificent window into nature!

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Lastly but certainly not least I joined onto a nature walk with Denise our site warden as the guide. Denise pointed out many wild species of flowers. I will not include these as the blog is getting rather long and I want to post a separate blog of these and other flowers.

Denise showing us one of the flowers identified.

We are now off to the mountain

We come across North Stack shrouded in sea mist.

It is amazing what you can find on the mountain.

Bye for now, Mel.

News Flash! Chough Chick Fledges!

Tricia Gardner — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:36:59 GMT

Breaking news this morning as our first chough leaves the nest at 8.30am today. The parent chough was seen preening the chick leading up to the moment when it spread its wings and was off. Our staff are on the look out to see if the young bird made it safely out of the cave. Will keep you informed of developments.

Spotted Rock Rose Paradise!

Tricia Gardner — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:16:03 GMT

We are being treated to a very rare spectacle here at South Stack with the spotted rock rose in flower and looking stunning! This is the county flower of Anglesey and truly a flower to be proud of. June is a good month to see the flower but you need to be here in the mornings otherwise you will miss it! This is because the petals fall off around mid day and can be seen around the base of the plants looking like yellow confetti! The new buds start to unfurl later in the afternoon and are then fully open by the next morning. There are over 2000 plants here on the reserve which can be seen along the coastal path towards North Stack. The plants are quite small and can easily be missed . The flower has 5 yellow petals each with a red spot at the base of the petal. So if you want to see something special come along down to South Stack.

Razorbill webcam

Tricia Gardner — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 09:36:32 GMT

After the storms of last week we are now back to normal weather conditions for June. Lovely sunshine and warm days at the moment here at South Stack. Unfortunately our Razorbill cam was moved slightly by the gales over last weekend and is now not quite central on the Razorbill ledge. Because of the proximity of the camera to the breeding colony we are unable to correct this at the moment , as we don't want to disturb the birds. There is still a good view of the razorbill pair and the chick so please keep watching! The chick is growing fast!

Razorbill Egg Hatches!

Hayley Riseborough — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:41:30 GMT

The team here at South Stack are very excited to announce that the egg from Razorbill cam has hatched!!! Yesterday afternoon, at about 5pm we witnessed the first cracks starting to appear in the egg and this morning we arrived to see a fluffy little addition to the family! Mum (or dad!) started doing a lot of shuffling about and chattering and seemed to be checking the eggs progress often, as those first cracks started to appear.

The egg was laid on 2^nd May and was incubated for 34 days. Mum and dad razorbill have worked really hard already and continue to do so now the chick has hatched bringing in sand eels today of which the chick ate 4 a few hours ago!! Where do they put it all?

Razorbills start heading back to South Stack Cliffs at the end of March to check out the nesting grounds and start laying late April, early May. Eggs are incubated for 30-36 days and the chick will spend 17-23 days with the parents at the nest site before heading out to sea with dad.

So, for the next 18 days or so we will have the pleasure of watching our little Razorbill chick as it feeds, grows and starts to explore its surroundings until it finally leaves the nest under dads watchful gaze. As I write this, little chick is tucked safely under a parent’s wing keeping warm. For the first couple of days it will spend most of its time there.

To keep a check on its progress, log on to our website at www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/southstackcliffs/ and see the live webcam link!

Before you go!! Help us choose a name for our Razorbill chick by sending your suggestions in to our blog, facebook or twitter pages at;

www.facebook.com/RSPBsouthstack

twitter.com/RSPBSouthStack