Local Heroes - community garden efforts

[brianw]

Great show. Seems I should go back there one day. Odd what threads like this remind you of.

NB stands out in my life for the greatest bird experience ever, walking among the nesting Gannets on the Bass Rock. Is this still allowed? The boat was called Sula I think too. (Gannet = Sula bassana) in the 1970's sometime, and a great impromtu meal of Crab in an old pub/restuarant late on a Saturday night when enroute from Edinburgh to Newcastle, escorting a Canadian work colleague, in the late 1980's.

[Alan_b]

... walking among the nesting Gannets on the Bass Rock. Is this still allowed?

Allowed but very expensive, it would seem.  See trip No.5. http://www.seabird.org/book/boat-trips/16/54

For a similar Gannet experience I can recommend île Bonaventure http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonaventure_Island off the coast from Percé in Quebec.  If you want something closer and you'll settle for Guillemots, Puffins and Razorbills try a trip to the Farne Islands.

[brianw]

Allowed but very expensive, it would seem.  See trip No.5. http://www.seabird.org/book/boat-trips/16/54

For a similar Gannet experience I can recommend île Bonaventure http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonaventure_Island off the coast from Percé in Quebec.  If you want something closer and you'll settle for Guillemots, Puffins and Razorbills try a trip to the Farne Islands.

Doubt we would have paid more than a pound or 2 back then for the Bass Rock. Been to The Farnes Islands and been attacked by the Terns. Skomer in Pembroke is quite impressive too. Back in my bird ringing days before I discovered Jack Drake and Alpines.
Not been to the Gaspe, although Quebec itself several times. On my first trip took my hire car to see the Snow geese at Cap Tormente
http://www.ec.gc.ca/ap-pa/default.asp?lang=En&n=0533BC0A-1
As you queue with all the other cars to get into the reserve, hunters are alongside you shooting them in the fields and the car gets the shot fallout. Not a good impression for my first visit. I stayed in northern Quebec for 3 months then, plant hunting in my spare time before the snow covered everything. Identifying plants you have never seen before by the leaves, and roots sometimes, is quite an experience, and 95% of the guide books in the library were in French.

[Maggi Young]

NBiB have won a Gold Medal and won  the Coastal Town category at the Beautiful Scotland awards in Dundee 

A richly deserved award - well done to all the NBiB team.