night watch

So yeah, I have remembered, was gonna tell u all about night watches,
You head to the hide when it gets dark, armed with a high powered torch, radio, mobile phone, reading materials, and goodies, then you sit around all night, getting cold, looking out for baddies who like to steal eggs! (None so far) if you see any u shime the torch at them, if that fails, u light a flare and run away!

All very technical lol! I usually manage till about 6, then its back to the lighthouse to warm up! So far on night watches I have done 90% of my nvq work that I can do uptodate, read a book, I'm half way through my last book now, and staring out the hide takes up a lot of time too! I wish it could all be done from somewhere warm!

arrrgghhhh!!!! im sooo tired

I have come to the conclusion that I am not a fan of night shifts! I have done 7 now with 8 more to go before the 15th when my contract ends, I am gonna need some time to recover after that I think!
Its soo cold here I am sat with hold on,..... 5 layers on! And still chilly! The cold has got into my ankle and that Is now throbbing! :(

Its that cold I have forgotten what I was gonna write! Oh well.

and so it starts!

Censuses are well underway now, the 1st eider census threw up 302 nest, and the BH gull census had 3028 nests! That's a lot of sqwarking s**ting birds!

And the night watches have started to! I have done 3 so far, and so far so good! I am able to sleep during the day after all! Which has to be a bonus! Got 3 weeks of them! Well another 15 nights to do! And I'm counting them down! I love it here, but I am missing family and friends! I'm gonna have to make a trip home at somepoint to see you all! And to get lots of hugs! :)

One week done!

Well as it says, I have been on the island for a week, I have already had my ups and downs, mainly, the lack of sleep caused by a few things, noise of birds and excesses of wine are the most probable reasons!

So far I have done a night watch (and am on one as I type) an eider census which we found 260 active and hatched nests! We've put out monitoring enclosures for lauras phd, and tommorow we have the black headed gull census!

The one thing about this place is the fact that u can't step outside without getting covered in poo! :( but I have got 2 shit jackets! So I'm ok! Photos are coming on well, lots of good ones that just need a bit of touching up. Then u may get to see them! :) ttfn people, back to watching the stars!

puffins

have been watching the puffins this morning, aswell as doing a poor mountain goat impression on the rocks round the island! lots of fun! but also a bit scary for somebdy who doesnt really like heights! and for somebody with an iffy ankle! but it was well worth it for the views and photos that i have got!

The bird list is growing! added a rock pipit to the rosiete, sandwich, arcic and common terns. and a wren that has chicks, eider, peragrine, kittywakes, fulmar, and lots of gulls! and a possible garden warbler!

WoW!

What an island! I'm in luv already! Got my own hut! Very cosy! Think I will enjoy this place!

packing!

Had my last day for a while at rspb saltholme yesterday :( but I'm on to new exciting opportunites! The thing now, is packing! So much to fit into boxes! I have 4 boxes of stuff now! And a bag full of coats!

Here is hoping for an easy journey tommorow

the end of an era!

My B&Q life has come to an end, 1 week before my 3rd aniversary! No tears, but I will miss the people! The main thing now, sterna dougallii! (Rosiete terns) my new masters! Not long to go now, but I have the slightly harder goodbye on thursday! The saltholme crew, who are like a family to me!

woohoo!

I've had such a good few days! I spent the day in whitby on sunday! Such a great time with great company :o) and I bought a new scalf! I think I may need it!

And then today I got my contract through from HQ! :o) so it is oficially oficial!

getting there!

Well shopping has been a bit more productive! I did my last saturday at b&q! :) and i have managed to get 4 regatta quick dry T-shirts, a pair of craghopper trekkin trousers and a new sleeping bag! Its snug and really cosy! And most important! WARM! ;o).

Am off for a day out tommorow, not sure where yet, but am gonna be with good company, so anywhere will be fab! I'm gonna try to get some stuff packed today! Less to do next week!

one week to go!

To be honest, I'm getting a bit nervous! I have just had a letter with an invitation to attend an interview to work with peragrines in malham cove! Typical, just like buses aren't they! Well the coquet thing is agreed, so sorry peragrine :(

Its such a hard job to decide what to pack too!

shopping

well the quesstion is, what does one take when one is going to live on an island? i have been told to bring everything! so i thought, why not go out and buy lots of new clothes.

i walked right round sunderland, and bought some johnsons baby wipes! then right round dalton park, and bought a £5 jumper! never mind, gonna try again at go outdoors tommorow, then middlesbrough on monday!

the leaving date is fast upon me thought! so i need to get my act together!