Back in September we updated you on the arrival of three rangers that joined our team to help people understand more about the plight of the winter birds on the Solent. Well that time has flown by … and now, sadly, the have rangers too.
Amy will be working for the RSPB as a tern warden at a Nature Reserve in Cumbria. She says that the opportunity to take part in more monitoring of vulnerable bird species and engaging with the public are the things that she is looking forward to most. This way Amy will continue to protect seabirds whilst inspiring people about our amazing coastal wildlife! The role involves protecting the nesting terns from predator disturbance and monitoring the colony’s productivity over the breeding season.
Sarah is heading to the Highlands where she is joining the National Trust as Seabird and Marine Ranger to monitor breeding seabirds. She is going to be based on some remote Scottish islands which host over a million birds, so she is going to be kept busy! Sarah won’t forget the Solent in a hurry though as the familiar faces of snipe and oystercatcher spend time on the islands as they are a perfect stopover for them.
Ruth has started as a Special Protection Area (SPA) Warden for a similar mitigation Partnership. Ruth says, ‘Like being a Ranger for Bird Aware, I get to meet lots of people every day who are out enjoying the area.’ She now raises awareness of three fantastic ground nesting birds – Woodlark, Dartford Warbler & Nightjar over an area that covers 8200 hectares. Ruth explains, ‘Many people don’t realise these lovely rare birds are here, so we let them know about the exciting wildlife in the hope that they will want to look after it.’
All the Rangers agreed that they will miss the folk of the Solent and being part of Bird Aware. As Ruth explains, ‘It was more than just a job for me, I care about the people I meet & I care about the wildlife too. I know that, together, we can all make a positive difference, both to the wildlife & to each other.’
Bird Aware Solent can’t have as big an impact without the seasonal Rangers support and this year we have had an amazing team to spread our message. Thank you for all your hard work, we wish you the best of luck with all your new challenges and endeavours!
