AFTER a night of heavy rain, the sun shone kindly on the last day of September as the Bute Conservation Volunteers set about two more tasks around the island.
The first team headed to the Ettrick Bay bird hide, the first of five hides built around Bute under the auspices of the Discover Bute Land Partnership Scheme. The others can be found overlooking the Kirk Dam, Greenan Loch and Loch Ascog, with another on the shore at Mount Stuart.
The Ettrick Bay hide was opened in 2010 on a sunny Saturday morning, with several from the RSPB in attendance.
When originally built, the hide had a turf roof, but the heavy rainfall experienced on Bute proved too much for the ‘eco’ roof and it was soon replaced with timber and felt.
More recently, it was reported that several of the timber slats on the walkway had broken, while others were beginning to rot and needed replacing.
Last week, a team of Conservation Volunteers got to work, removing the broken and rotten timbers and replacing them with new slats. They also renewed the anti-slip netting, helping to make the walkway safer for visitors.
At the same time, another team headed to the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Garden overlooking Ettrick Bay. They cut the grass and strimmed around the trees, hopefully for the final time this year.
Sadly, some of the trees planted in the Memorial Garden have not taken, and a full survey will be carried out to establish how many have died.
The broken walkway at the bird hide was reported by a member of the public visiting the site, highlighting the important role that visitors play in helping the Conservation Trust identify problems around the island.
The Conservation Trust relies heavily on feedback from the public when issues are encountered. Anyone who spots a problem is encouraged to report it to a member of the trust or leave a note on the Conservation Trust website where they will then take action as quickly as possible.
