Sunset on Calf Island

I am fantastically lucky. Really. There are updates in the pipeline, I swear. The only thing I’m lacking
on my 30-acre paradise is non-phone-based internet.

I can live with that.

The Osprey at Calf Island

One of our first tasks upon arriving on Calf was to seek out the nests of any resident Osprey and mark them with a GPS for further observation. As best as I can tell there are at least three (and possibly four) mated pairs of Osprey with nests on or near the island. Two or three of the pairs have nests on nest boxes constructed specifically for their benefit on the water and the last pair has taken up residence in a dead tree on the restricted side of the island.

One of the pair that has their nest on the island itself.

Since we walk past it nearly every day (giving the soon-to-be parents as wide a berth as we can) we’re looking forward to watching any chicks that pair produces grow up.The other pairs are a bit out of our range, but the pavillion I live in faces the sea, and the area’s Osprey fly overhead nearly constantly.

The other in the pair, with a little something in tow.

Welcome to Calf Island.

I arrived on Calf Island last Tuesday. A more detailed post will follow, but after months of waiting and a few weeks of training, I’m finally here. Doing the work I love.

The island itself is shaped like a dog-bone. The northern half is open to the public, and contains the pavillion I’ll be living on for the next 3 months. The southern half is closed to the public. The forest is incredibly dense there, and difficult to navigate. In between the two halves there’s a closed salt marsh and an open sandy beach (see the picture above). Visitors are few and far between, but those that we’ve entertained so far have seemed enthusiastic about what we’re doing here.

All is well.