Dydd Iau Ebrill 26fed

(This is the first of an occasional entry in welsh)
Mi oedd o braidd yn ddigalon bore 'ma gorfod dweud 'farwel' i'n gwestion neis ofnadwy. Mae pobol yn dwad a mynd yma a mae'n cymryd amser dod i arfer a hwn. Ti'n dod i'w nabod pobol am ychydig o ddiwrnodau a wedyn mae nhw'n mynd. Dweud hynny, does neb yn aros bant o Enlli am rhy hir - mae 'na wastad pethau newydd i'w darganfod yma!

Monday 23rd April

Today the weather turned windier and wetter. The fog-horn has been sounding for about 24 hours. It is about 40 metres from my bedroom window so sleep is difficult. The sound even penetrates through my earplugs! This is the downside to lighthouse residence. I get up early and walk over to the Observatory for some respite.

Saturday 21st April

Today our new batch of guests and volunteers arrived at the Observatory. Time really seems to be flying by. It is hard to remember the day of the week here. The concept of a working week followed by a weekend does not apply. Every day is dictated by the arrival of boats with visitors or supplies. Weather and tides govern the working day.

Friday 20th April

Today there are 203 oystercatchers on the island. Oh joy, what a lovely peaceful summer I am going to have!

Wednesday 18th April

A quiet day on the bird front. As often happens the winds are in the wrong direction. I spend some of the day trying to explore my new digital camera. I discover that I can get some pretty good shots combining my optical zoom and my binoculars. This gives me 24x magnification! Maybe Steve will have a rival in the island photography stakes?

Monday 16th April

Today Iolo Williams and a BBC Wales film crew arrive to film an episode of 'Iolo's Welsh Safari' on Enlli. They are a bit of a crazy bunch, but a good laugh. A helicopter zooms around the island for much of the day. They are staying overnight and find the Observatory much more comfortable than they expect. We are out until midnight filming Manx Shearwaters on the mountain. Most of them proved very co-operative and the shots were soon 'in the can'.

Tuesday April 10th

550 Willow Warblers arrive on the island overnight - there are loads around the lighthouse garden. I am awoken by one singing on the cottage guttering - a long way from any willow. Each bush is populated with a few small flitting birds, restlessly feeding up after their long journeys from France or Spain.
The first Manx Shearwater had found it's way to the bottom of the lighthouse. He looks very cute as I pick him up, but he immediately unleashes his beak on my fingertips. We ring him and release him at dusk.

Friday April 6th

I have a smooth crossing by boat to the island, an enjoyable 20 minute journey. The boat lands and I help to unload. Everywhere seems very familiar, it is as if I have never been away.
The Observatory has had a new kitchen installed in the past week - hard efforts were put in by Steve (the Warden) and our trusty volunteers the 2 Bevans and Neil.
Funny how you forget how to start a lawnmower after just a few months away, and how small everything looks when you get back!

Introduction

Hello, my name is David Wright. I am Assistant Warden at the Bird & Field Observatory on Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island). This is my second year in the job and I thought you might like to hear about it. I am in the enviable position of living in the most south westerly house in Gwynedd - namely the lighthouse cottage on the southern tip of the island. Over the next 7 to 8 months I shall be helping with the work of the Observatory - for more information have a look at the Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory website. We house up to 12 visitors and also monitor all of the wildlife of the island, which is a national nature reserve.