I think it’s a reoccurring theme in all the TCV Natural Communities blogs, that everyone feels like time is flying past… Just looking at the things I have been doing since my last blog, the list is too long to even try and fill you in on it all! So here are some of the highlights for me over the past few weeks…
As you may remember, I am placed with BTO Scotland and working on the ‘What’s Up?’ project. I am concentrating mainly on engaging with hillwalkers and climbers throughout Scotland to encourage them to get more involved in submitting sightings of upland birds. As part of promoting the project, I gave my first solo ‘public’ talk to Duncanrig Ramblers as part of the club’s programme of speakers. This was followed by a short talk at the Tayside Recorder’s Day a few weeks later and then more recently a solo talk on both days of the Scottish Bird Fair at Hopetoun House, to a standing room only audience!
Enjoying the sun at the Scottish Bird Fair
Going solo at the Birdfair (Ben was struck down by manflu…)
In addition to giving talks at events, I have also helped out other BTO staff at events such as joining the Angus and Dundee Bird Club on a trip into Glen Clova and providing bird identification training for beginners at the Falkirk Wheel. A few weeks ago we also ran a course for some of the staff from Outward Bound Trust at their Loch Eil centre, near Fort William. This course had a more ‘train the trainer’ type focus, helping the staff to increase their knowledge and skills of upland birds and encouraging them to get their course participants involved in the ‘What’s Up?’ project.
Out with Angus & Dundee Bird Club
Under the North Face of Ben Nevis with Outward Bound Trust staff
I have also been to a couple of personal development training days, including refreshing my Outdoor First Aid in Drymen with BASP. This was unfortunately on possibly the wettest weekend possible – although it did make the outdoor scenarios more realistic. I also attended a course in Peebles, run by BTO, on the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), bird ID skills and BBS survey techniques. I have volunteered to take on a BBS square and to take part in the survey. I did my first of two survey visits last week, early in the morning and my square was alive with activity! In total I had 28 different bird species and a Roe Deer. I have also seen a fox previously whilst carrying out my habitat survey, but unfortunately he was too quick for a photo and wasn’t around last week.
So I have made it sound like I spend all of my time around the country but I do actually spend time in the office! At least enough time to work on the re-design of the survey paperwork for this season’s Mountain Transect Survey (part of the ‘What’s Up?’ project), write a few articles for various outdoor related publications including for the Mountain Bothy Association (MBA), Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) and the Gairloch & District Times and set up hillwalker training days in locations across Scotland. This in itself has been a challenge but by working in partnership with other organisations, we will now be able to provide a range of hillwalker training dates throughout Scotland – fingers crossed for the weather now!
As well as spending time in the office, today I got to spend time ‘on’ the office, helping to ring Oystercatcher chicks on the roof of the university buildings. The adults nest on top of the buildings and there are currently 3 pairs on eggs/rearing young. The chicks are just the most adorable little bundles of fluff!!!! 😀
Ringing Oystercatcher chicks on the University roof
As I said at the beginning this is only a small part of all the things I have been involved in recently and it continues like this for the foreseeable future, beginning with a trip to Fort William then over to Glenshee this weekend – the first of the hillwalker training days.
Thanks for reading! Until next time…