Captain Coquet’s Corner: February – March 2012
Sandwich Tern
Winter Residents
The island was inaccessible for several days this January, due to rough seas. On the last visit, there was a flock of thirty twite, two woodcock and a snipe on the main plateau. Purple sandpipers appeared to be increasing in numbers as we watched, and a snow bunting looked rather surprised that people had appeared on his island.
Winter Holidays
Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together! One of our Sandwich terns ringed this year was sighted off the coast of Gambia in December! The bird was weighed and had a small white band added to its leg … with some luck we will see it back and breeding in a couple of years!
Oh, and who was on the team that caught this bird – a warden from the RSPB Reserve at Saltholme, on ‘holiday’ of course!
New Kit/Works
The restoration of the cottages stopped for the winter but resumed in February when the team returned to complete the interior works as well as starting repairs to the lower stonework on the main lighthouse tower. The reserve has also gained its first lawn mower! The sward and ground cover has made it impossible to use one in the past – but all our enthusiastic preparatory strimming and raking has made it possible to mow all the main tern plots. If anyone has some spare golf clubs you now know where to send them ….
Capt’n Coquet
