What I missed...

[Photo credit: RSPB Images, copyright Ben Hall]

Amazingly I've been back at work for four weeks already - how did that happen so fast? Yet I'm encouraged when I sort out my photos that each and every one brings back such strong memories. I can feel what it was like to be there, taking that photo, viewing that scene. Even thinking about one - at the moment the cotton grass pictures from Slieve Beagh are in my head - it's an almost physical memory of hunkering down in the vegetation, back to the howling wind, waterproofed and snug to take the picture, feeling like a wild animal myself.

Since I've been back another news story broke so I can now reveal that the choughs did indeed breed successfully on Rathlin, this year much to everyone's surprise. The pair (an older female and an inexperienced male) had foxed viewers into thinking they'd failed, by hanging about a lot and not apparently doing an awful lot of nest visiting. The nest entrance was well hidden down a cliff though, and they obviously did something right as the family of four are now flying around the island and feeding together. Success! But not for me...I failed to see them unfortunately. I'll have to go back a take a look now, but it made me think about what other birds I missed on my way around. At one point I was getting quite 'listy', so I should recognise what didn't turn up too...and maybe make an effort to find them over the rest of the summer!

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I didn't see any long-tailed tits. They must have been about, but hard to see when not flocking with the whole family amongst bare branches. Other secretive LBJs (little brown jobs) were garden and reed warblers. I may have heard them I suppose, but my song/call id is just not up to the job any more - these are more common in England where I used to live nine years ago and are about in NI at sites I visited (Portmore for reed warblers, Fermanagh for garden warblers) but I can't say I made any positive ids of these species. Raptors were fairly thin on the ground: no owls despite checking out a known long-eared owl site but I was a bit early to hear/see the vocal chicks; barn owls are a rarity but I'm hoping to see a pair soon as I've been tipped off - will let you know; no merlin or red kite, but I had seen several red kite nests just before I left on the walk and then spent my first Sunday at home out helping to ring the young birds born this year. The triplets in this BBC news story is a photo of mine.

Over the same weekend there were killer whales off Rathlin (people saw them the day after we did) there was also a report of a humpback off Bangor! That would have been pretty impressive but I can't feel jealous after the Rathlin experience. A smaller mammal we do have in NI is a stoat, and although I've had some great encounters with these in the past (in Belvoir Forest, including one of a parent carrying a kit in its mouth) they didn't show up on the walk. But then we found a dead one - well, the dried, inverted remains of one that had been eaten by a red kite when out tagging the youngsters.

Then there were the simply crazy birds - a white stork at the Asda in Downpatrick, a purple heron in Lisburn, rumours of a white-tailed eagle and a snowy owl on the north coast near Binevenagh, and even a bee eater. But then this walk was never about the rarities, blown off course or maybe in the case of the eagle scoping out future territories on a journey between west Ireland and Scotland. I have to say I was thrilled with all the wildlife experiences I did have, and thankfully continue to have as I keep up good resolutions of cycling to work and walking at lunchtimes in Belvoir. Perhaps more about that in another post...

Claire

Secrets!

(Photo: Chris Gomersall, RSPB copyright)
A month or so after the event, I can now reveal the mystery I mentioned at the end of the 'Lost and Found' post back in May, after I arrived at Florencecourt in Fermanagh. Fionnbarr, assistant warden and fieldteacher in Fermanagh for the RSPB, collected me and my tattered waterproofs and whisked me off to the slopes of Cuilcagh mountain for a real treat. It didn't seem like it at the time perhaps, as much as walking with Fionnbarr is entertaining, but we were slogging over soggy bog, avoiding sink holes in the heather-covered limestone and into a strong, gusty wind. Every now and again sleeting showers blew into our faces, forcing another tug on the drawstring of my hood. But the promise of a rare sighting spurred us on...the previous week Fionnbarr and Brad had confirmed that golden plover had once again bred on our Aghatirourke reserve. A few years of intensive management had paid off! But would I get the change to see this distinctive species?

As we reached the site the wind seemed to pick up, and we could see the next squall heading our way. Fionnbarr heard it first, a shrill piping above the wind hassling our ears, and I spotted the silhouette on the skyline - amazing! We edged closer and fought to erect the telescope tripod in the wind - it wasn't worth it, with the wind whipping tears from our eyes and shaking the 'scope to blur the field of vision. We wanted to confirm by sight that chicks were present, but the elements were against us and we didn't want to invade the lone male's territory too much. He was already piping his calls of concern to warn his mate and chicks to take cover. The photo I took of Fionnbarr battling with the 'scope shows a tiny speck, no more than a couple of pixels amongst the vegetation against the sky, but I know it was there.

If there could be more excitement from that sighting, it is that the success of that lone pair proves that management works. If we can work with partners on the site (Fermanagh District Council, DARD, NIEA and Forest Service), then we can bring back even more of these birds for a more sustainable future. Let's hope so.

More photos

I've finally organised some more of my photos, so pictures from the north coast onwards (including Rathlin and the Glens) are now up on Flickr.

Geoff was quick to entitle the one featured here 'Irish chariot racing'! Taken on Rathlin after a lovely walk.

Claire

Finished!

Finished! The walk, and not me thankfully :)  I've arrived in one piece, home in time for tea, with only a little saddlesoreness and tight quadriceps to add to my list of injuries.

It was a little strange, cycling into Belfast today, especially at the moment I popped under the motorway bridge near the main Post Office and saw the infamous Belfast fish statue and the Harland and Wolff cranes, suddenly propelled into the centre of the city and only a couple of miles from home. In a sense it wasn't new, as circumstances had forced me to spend some days at home already, but I hadn't ranged far from my house and it still felt quietly momentous for me. No fanfare or cheering crowds, just a extremely satisfied feeling, and a determination to keep looking for that wildlife to the end of the 'walk'. A black guillemot came to the rescue, alert and swimming in little circles between the bridges. The built developments along Laganside may provoke mixed feelings, and maybe some raised eyebrows or sighs of despair, but whatever your view it is always a pleasure to have a waterway in the heart of a city. It provides space, for air and light, the opportunity for the eye to focus at a distance not just close to on buildings and people, somewhere to feel alive and free no matter how much you enjoy the hustle and bustle of a (pleasantly compact) city like Belfast.

It started this morning 40 miles away (by my rather circuitous route - more like 20 or so as the crow flies) in Glenwherry, views of Slemish in the clear skies to the north, and an open valley patchworked with fields, copse and rush pasture. A grey squirrel scampered across the lane as I set off, attuning myself to the new pace. I wondered how my observations would differ on bike rather than on foot, covering the distance in half the time of walking. I wasn't planning a race though, and took a leisurely pace so I could admire the views and stop periodicallly to take photos (will be uploaded to Flickr - I'm a bit behind in updating, sorry). Still, it was harder to identify the finches that bounced past, or the hedgerow flowers. It seemed quiet though, much more a typical summer day of full green, blue skies, warm air and fluffy clouds, where the business of rearing young has put a temporary end to midday bird song and overzealous safety measures have resulted in a shearing of verges. More fields had been cut and slurry spread, but swallows still swooped around every farmstead I came to.

Clouds were mushrooming in the distance, but several times when I expected a grey covering to blanket the sun they parted miraculously in the (yes you guessed it head-) wind. I found little routes I had never been on before: it would have been a lovely walk on quiet roads if my leg had been up to it, but I enjoyed the change. A few ups and downs led to some unexpected views, like coming around a corner to see Ballylumford power station through some trees. I caught sight of the sea soon after I left northern facing views to the basalt scarps behind Larne, then passed through pretty Glenoe with its wooded valley sides, and a hitherto unknown glen cutting steeply into the side of the descent to Magheramorne.

I had almost missed out Magheramorne, tempted to stick to the high road down to Carrickfergus, but I had no view of the tern islands that the RSPB manages in Larne Lough from there so was forced to scoot downhill. As well as discovering the shady glen, scented almost antiseptic from laurel (I presume) and with ferns enjoying the shadowed banks, I met Sharon near the ruins of the Magheramorne cement works. She had thoughtfully brought a flask of earl grey tea with grapes and chocolate biscuits, and we sheltered in her car as the first shower passed overhead. Terns seemed to be doing their thing out on Blue Circle island which we could see, Swan Island being hidden from view.

It was so lovely to have another meeting, bringing to mind the network of wonderfully friendly and supportive people who have helped me on the way. I've spoken on the blog alot about wildlife and landscapes, but the people have made it all possible - not just the walk, but all the people I've met have enjoyed their natural surroundings and in most cases have volunteered considerable effort and energy to safeguard them for the sake of biodiversity and long term sustainability. It seemed appropriate that today is Bloomsday. I know I have a couple of dedicated James Joyce fans (PhD students no less) reading this blog, and I think I finally have the inspiration to start reading Ulysses after a few years of playing devil's advocate to their theses (sorry folks). The daily lives of the people I have met make them Homerian (or Joycian) hero/in/es. I could write a whole post about these great souls - thank you all.

After the shower I set off again, cycling through invisible patches of hot humid air, smelling of rain on tarmac and the nearby salt marsh. I crossed the narrow neck of Larne Lough, another hugely important estuary in winter for visiting birds and with corresponding protection, at Ballystrudder, and headed for Whitehead. Two bullfinches flew across in front of me, delightful as always. In a sense that colourful seafront and village with grand Victorian mansions was off route, but I've always like the promenade to Blackhead Lighthouse (not done today). It was one of the first places I worked when volunteering with Conservation Volunteers NI (CVNI), and we used to wander off at lunchtime with the binoculars to try to spot the peregrines on the cliffs above the railway line. A steep hill and downhill along the main road to Carrickfergus and I was in very familiar territory. It was high tide so not much bird life along the shore, but views to Copeland and Holywood - how long ago those first few days! Fortification of carrot cake and icecream at the new cafe in Jordanstown (thanks Cara!) made up for the puncture that was duly repaired, and I very slowly persuaded my thighs to do the last few miles along the Sustrans cycleway to Belfast, ox-eye daisies lining the path and nodding at my progress (or so I imagined).

Crossing the Albert Bridge I know hosts a colony of 30,000 starlings in winter all I saw was a lone starling and a pair of magpies. Daredevil pigeons, or more accurately just oblivious to the danger of approaching vehicles, sauntered in the street as I made my final approach home. I had one eye to the green Castlereagh Hills and promised myself to take a walk up Cregagh Glen soon so I don't slip too easily back into the same old same old - more walks, more yoga, more wild food foraging, more time for people and wildlife. I've sung this mantra before - how many times do I need to repeat the lesson and work it all out from first principles before I actually manage it?! Maybe this time...

The last bird before entering the house? Starlings nesting below our bathroom and a house sparrow on the wire. Home at last, odyssey complete but not forgotten, and work possibly only just begun!

Thank you for reading, I hope you've enjoyed it. This though is not the end! The posts will be less regular, but I will write more about next steps with the whole LoveNatureWalkNI project - the story telling, the fund raising, the international projects - so check in now and again.

Very many thanks for all your support,
Claire

At Belfast Harbour with Priory Integrated College

Another 'day off' that still involved sabbatical fun - but at least no walking!

It was a privilege to meet up with pupils from Priory Integrated College eco-club at the RSPB Belfast Harbour Reserve. There were a few reasons behind this, not least because it was scheduled to be my final stop at the end of the long walk - that may not have come to pass, but was a good excuse for me to go and see the reserve in full swing. At the start of the walk, the lagoon was dry, totally emptied of water by the long hot month of April. Now it is watery and wild, full of nesting common and arctic terns and black-headed gulls, with a few teenage waders who've decided to stay here for the summer instead of fly back to northern climes to breed.

By the time I arrived, the students had already been studying, ready to give short presentations. I learned about black-tailed godwits, one of the species that visits the reserve in huge numbers in winter. I've seen them through the observatory windows, right up close, bills probing the ground as fast as a sewing machine needle, rust chest and heads bowed. Apparently they stay in pairs, with male and female arriving on the breeding grounds within three days and hooking up again. But woe betide a late arrival - "divorce may occur"!

Two students had been manouevring the remote camera on one of the man-made tern rafts to learn about the breeding birds there - they taught me to distinguish terns just sitting from those incubating eggs - it's all in the angle of the tail feathers. The terns this year were late to settle (maybe due to the drought?) and so the black-headed gulls who are usually ousted had established nests and refused to budge. Gull chicks were already hatching, growing rapidly from cute pom-poms to gangly fledglings. Other pupils had recorded a list of all the species on site, "two herons" being their first exclamation to me, and shelduck abundant on the shallow water, dabbling for food or squabbling with arched downturned necks and raised wings.

Soon two guests arrived, teachers from Ghana who are on a twinning programme with a school in Antrim. The common terns that nest here spend their winters on the west African coast and the schools were working jointly on environmental projects, mostly related to use and protection of coastal wetlands. The story collecting aspect of LoveNatureWalkNI just expanded - now there'll be Ghanain stories in the mix too. They told me already about plants whispering to night-time hunters - sounds intriguing, it'll be great to hear more!

Then another international link. We heard about wildlife in Bulgaria from RSPB volunteer Eleanor, and saw pictures of a similarly port-bound reserve called Poda in Bourgas on the Black Sea coast, managed by one of LoveNatureWalkNI's charities, BSPB. There pygmy cormorants replace our breeding terns, and migrants are vultures and eagles instead of wintering ducks and waders. I hope that we can establish a link between Priory Integrated College and a school that has adopted Poda in Bulgaria, and share experiences.

And so home for some more rest, ready for the final push!

Claire

Shark success at Stormont

Well done to everyone who came to Stormont today, to give a ride to the life-size basking shark that made it up the mile to the steps of Parliament Building! There's some press on this already on the BBC and it will be featured on TV tonight too.

Two hundred children turned up from various schools across NI to show their support - it was great to hear some enthusiastic chants for the Environment Minister, Alex Atwood: What do we want? A Marine Bill! When do we want it? Now!

There were umbrella jellyfish, starfish tabards, colourful banners and wonderful hats all designed and made by children who've been learning about the importance of our marine environment. Minister Atwood responded with good news about the Bill, which we hope to see coming to the Assembly really soon.

The sun shone, the views over Belfast were spectacular, the leg (mine) held out for the mile walk, and it was lovely to see friends, colleagues and some of the pupils I met right at the start of LoveNatureWalkNI. The killer whales off Rathlin, the seabird colonies around our coast, residents and visitors enjoying our beaches, and these children's future - this is why we do it!

As for finishing the big trek - I've a short trip to Belfast Harbour Reserve tomorrow with pupils from Priory College to hook up by text with people in Bulgaria, and then I hope to walk or cycle the last bit (only 40 miles to go) on Thursday/Friday, depending on the weather and legs....

Claire

Pause

Decision made - a slightly swollen leg on waking up this morning, no further relieved by lounging in bed listening to the willow warbler outside near the vegetable patch, and then a dragging foot when I hobbled to the bathroom. Oh dear. I'm taking an enforced break for a few days and practicing RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation for the uninitiated) on the sofa at home.

At least I can admire the overblown garden through the back windows, meadow high with sorrel, dog roses rampant, parsley heading to seed, last year's leeks about to flower. I can't hear birdsong over Bach that's curing Geoff and Cara's hangovers but I'll forgive them!

I'll be writing again on Tuesday after doing the mile walk up to Stormont with children from schools over NI to hand in their petition for marine legislation to the Environment Minister - come along at 11.30am in sea creature fancy dress if you wish!

I still aim to finish this by hook or by crook, only a few miles to go. If the leg's not better for walking by Thursday I might pedal the last bit from Glenwherry to Magheramorne, Carrickfergus and back to Belfast, in the hope that using different muscles might do the trick. 

Still smiling,

Claire

Location : 206-220 Cregagh Rd, Castlereagh, BT6 9,