Wanderlust UK – September 2019

(Axel Boer) #1
wanderlust.co.uk September 2019 101

Hemetmeofftheboat,andfrom
theharbourIcouldseeanother
smallerislandwasjoinedtoStAgnes
byasandyspit.“That’sGugh,”said
Chris,“andwhatlookslikeasandbar
isknownasa‘tombolo’.Doyouwant
totakeawalkoverthere?”
I’dhadhopesofseeingsomeofthe
seabirdsthattherocksaround
StAgnesareknownfor.“Didyousee
anypu‚nsfromtheboat?”Chris
askedaswestrolled.Ishookmyhead
andwebothgazedatthegreysky.
Chrishasbeenattheforefrontof
theisland’sSeabirdRecoveryProject,
whichcompletelyeradicatedrats
fromStAgnesinearly2016.
“Theyfedonboththebirdeggsand
thefledglings,”heexplained.“Weput
downtrapsevery 50 or 100 yards,
whichwecheckeddaily.Wetried
differentthingstotempttheminbut
foundchocolateseemedtowork
particularlywellforours.Wemanaged
toremovetheratsmuchfaster
thananticipated.Fortunately,

‘People come back, year


in, year out, generation


after generation’


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