WITH projects cancelled due to weather and holidays, there was quite a gap since there had been a full turnout for the Conservation volunteers.
This, however, was rectified on Saturday, October 18, with a group of 11 tackling various problem at the bird hide overlooking the Quien loch.
Over the years, since the hide was built around 2010, a tree had grown up beside the hide and was now swaying against the turf roof.
This was endangering the structure and had to be removed.
Several of the boards on the raised boardwalk leading to the hide had rotted, as had a number of the posts supporting the rope bannister.
Finally, a wooden screen shielding the loch from birdwatchers approaching the hide was falling and had to be removed.
The wooden screen was the first to go as this was impeding access to the problem tree.
With this out of the way, Billy Shields, wielding his power saw, tackled the tree, starting from the roof of the hide and soon the danger was removed.
Meanwhile, the rotting sections of the walkway were replaced along with the missing posts.
A nearby willow supplied a number of withies, which were planted along the line of the missing wooden screen and it is hoped that within a few years there will be a spreading screen of willow trees.
All-in-all, it was a successful morning for the volunteer team who were thankful to get all the work completed before the forecasted dire weather.
