Camille Vallette is a European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteer from France currently working with Reserves Project Officer Chris Archbold. He is spending 10 months volunteering on our wildlife reserves in South West Scotland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went to camp and work on Handa for a week in July. There were four of us – Myself, Chris, the Reserves Project Officer, Eduard & Xavier, who are both also ESC volunteers from Spain.

This island is located in the very North of Scotland, about six hours drive from Castle Douglas, and it was easily the furthest North we had been since arriving in Scotland.

When we arrived, we found an island full of different kinds of birds (mostly arctic skua, great skua, puffins, diving ducks, etc.), but also very beautiful coastlines and cliffs. It was a very different environment from the one we were used to working in.

We also met the seven volunteers who were already working on the island.

As soon as we arrived, we got down to work – even if it was the evening after a long journey!  Over several months, Handa volunteers had undertaken beach cleans and we helped move refuse onto the ferry where it was placed in a skip on the mainland. It took a long time, as there was a lot of rubbish!

Our second big job was to move some of the rubbish that had washed up on Boulder Bay (on one side of the island) to a more accessible beach (on the other side of the island!). From the new location, the ferry could get close enough to the island for loading.  We had to move everything with wheelbarrows from one side of the island to the other, and the power barrow got stuck in the middle of the boardwalk! It’s hard to manoeuvre with the changes in terrain.

We also cut down some dead trees in the small woodland behind the bothy. This wood will be used as firewood in the bothy once it gets cold or wet.

Our most interesting task was the puffin survey we did on our final day. We split into two groups, each of which surveyed a different part of the island. As it was in the evening, we witnessed a beautiful sunset and the first flight of some chicks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think everyone in our group will agree that this week was very enriching. We had the opportunity to discover many new things, to change environments and to learn more about birds. It was also fun to meet volunteers who were around our same age!

Additional photos courtesy of Xavier Jaumejoan, Eduard Roura Risco, and Gill Smart.