30-Apr-2023
Yesterday we revisited the Ayres Nature Reserve on the far northern tip of the Island.
Fabulous colours
This whole area is renowned as a haven for birds, so at the moment the top of the beach and some of the land next to the beach are roped off to protect the nests
Nice to see an oyster catcher, though
And gannets, which we know primarily from New Zealand, are always impressive
We have no pictures of the skylarks, who accompanied us for much of our route, ethereal as always.
Today we went back to the Ballaugh Curragh. And this time we saw those famous wallabies...
Since a few of the animals broke out of the Wildlife Park in the 1960s, their population is said to have increased to over 100. And, of course, they are a non-native species, although the jury seems to still be out on whether they're causing damage.
Whatever the bigger picture, we were delighted to see them. Bizarre, really. Having spotted none the other day, we were almost falling over them today. OK, I'm exaggerating. They're shy creatures, and definitely keep their distance. But I was surprised how close they let us come. Sometimes the first you'd know would be the soft thud-thud-thud of their little paws as they bounded away. Other times, we'd spot them down the track, and pause, and they'd largely carry on with what they were doing.
Surreal, in these boggy Manx landscapes, to be seeing marsupials...
Close Sartfield Nature Reserve, on the edge of the Ballaugh Curraghs...
...which, aside from wallabies, is also very pretty...
...especially after rain
Somehow, this felt like a very good end to the month...