Part of the ethos of Island Life is getting involved. For a number of years, DH and I have taken part in the annual goose census – counting the numbers of (predominantly) Greylag geese on Sanday. The count happens on two days; one in November and the other a month later in December and is organised by the island’s Countryside Ranger, Roderick Thorne, on behalf of the RSPB and other bodies..

So last Saturday I put aside my spinning wheel and fleece and set off to count the geese.This year I was on my own doing ‘our’ part of the Island. DH was down in London and Beth was unfortunately elsewhere, introducing new hens to her established ones.

Not always as easy as it may sound

The idea was to drive around my designated bit of Sanday and every time I saw a field of geese, stop and count them, preferably without disturbing them as they’re easier to count on the ground.  Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Well, I discovered that it’s not quite as simple when you’re on your own as when there are two of you, as in addition to doing the driving, I was also looking from side to side, and checking in the rear view mirror that I wasn’t holding anyone up! Luckily Sanday’s roads are very quiet.

It was a beautiful day for it – low winter sunshine, with the threat of showers, but not too much wind. Off I set, with my Thermos, binoculars and telescope (note the order of importance)  - with Tan, our sheepdog, in the back of the car.

In the morning session, covering the Burness area of Sanday, I saw just over 1,300 geese, with about 60 of those being the more unusual (for this time of year) Pink-footed geese. Also seen was a short-eared owl and a kestrel, both sitings being worthy of noting down.

The came the highlight of the day – lunch provided by Rod the Ranger’s wife Sylvia. Warm soup, homemade rolls, sausages, cheese… the table was groaning!

Having recharged my batteries I set off up the North end of the Island to do my other bit – and wondered what had happened to all the geese! Having seen well over a thousand in the morning, I was very disappointed to only see 150 in the afternoon. But it all adds to the Orkney-wide total for the RSPB.

All in all  a very un-sheepy day, but an absorbing one.

…and now, to resume normal service — back to the spinning wheel!

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