Toby Hogbin, Corinna Goeckritz, Ellie Burt and Jimmy Huis (NTS volunteers) departed on Thursday 14th December and Gareth Marshall (NTS volunteer) departed on Saturday 16th December.
Continued monitoring at the "summer reported rat sighting areas", on Sanday and other parts of the long-term monitoring line has shown no rat sign or activity. Trap boxes along the pier and part of Beach Road where checked. No rats were caught or detected. Although no rats have been detected on the monitoring lines, there has been lots of evidence of mice. The map below shows mouse distribution as detected by the monitoring work undertaken between October and December 2006.
Bait and monitoring stations from Lamasgor were removed. As the stations are removed from areas, they are packed into bulk bags (50 per bag) and the wires (holding wires, crow clips and bait wires) are straightened and packed into bundles of 50’s. A set of wires are added to each bulk bag before storage. All this equipment is stored in the loft in the main shed.
Establishment of the long-term monitoring line has been completed. It has been established on Sanday and on Canna around the entire island. This line has been mapped and numbered (in individual sections; Beach Road (including Canna House), Coroghon, Tarbert, Nunnery, Iolasgor, Bresgor, West End, Dead Cow, Langanes, Geugasgor and Lamasgor). Maps and other monitoring requirements have been given to Geoff Soe-Paing (who will be undertaken the long-term monitoring programme for NTS). Further copies and reference material have been stored in the loft of the main shed.
Quarantine and contingency requirements have been developed. Details have been left on the notice-board in the office on the island and in the monitoring box in the loft of the main shed. Rodent motels have been put in buildings on Canna and Sanday for the long-term monitoring.
The Steering Group meeting occurred on Wednesday 13th December. All aspects of the project were discussed and the Quarantine and Contingency plan was finalised.
Weather has been good, with no days lost to bad conditions.
The WMIL team and Martin Carty (NTS volunteer) departed on Tuesday 19th December.
WMIL would like to thank all those volunteers, NTS staff (particularly Richard Luxmoore and Abbie Patterson), Bob Swann (Project Administrator) and residents of Canna for all their support and assistance during this first phase (eradication of brown rats) of the Canna Seabird Recovery Project. We look forward to returning to see all the seabirds.
Biz Bell, Dave Boyle and Paul Garner-Richards – WMIL,Tuesday 19 December 2006
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