The End of the Adventure. Farewell to Rum

Upon returning home, this is what greeted me...

 And so it comes to an end, my Rum adventure is over and I'm back on the mainland. It has taken me a wee while to come up with what I'd like to say on leaving. I must admit that I miss it quite a good deal, especially as I'm now in the middle of the Edinburgh festival surrounded by teeming millions of people. I've never noticed it as much before, but cities stink. From peaceful surroundings on Rum I'm now amongst noise and traffic, fighting my way through crowds, where before all I had to fight was more difficult heather thickets.

Evening light on Kilmory Bay

 I'd like to thank Martyn Baker very much for the training, experience and opportunity (as well as the beer, whisky, roast dinners and movies!). I learned a great deal out there, from postmortem procedures to correct neck alignment in recumbent animals. It was amazing to get out and explore the study area as well as get to know its inhabitants. 

Nice sunset in the closing days.

The BBC arrived just after a large storm blew over raining lightning down all over the place! They were here to film a piece about wildlife crime, interviewing the previous field assistant about her encounter with an egg thief. They finished the interview and began to discuss a re-enactment of the incident and so I was judged to be the best look-a-like for the thief. As a result I may be appearing on television as some point, always knew the moustashe would make me famous...

Kilmory with Askival and Hallival in the background and Helleborine05 in the foreground.

 In the final weeks, we got on with a good bit of maintenance as well as preparation for darting in the final week when Gudrun returned with Karla as her assistant. Martyn and I darted 2 hinds in the preceding week, including the rarer visitor Billabong and the troublesome Swallowtail 11.  We had drugs ready and were set for the week to go but of course, the weather didn't exactly want to agree with us when Gudrun arrived.

Hellboy! (Helleborine05)

 The darting week commenced and we began to realise that we were not having much success in the daytime and that evening seemed to be our best window of opportunity, especially as on one day almost half of the entire population seemed to be holding a meeting on the point at the far end of the bay!

Helleborine05 recumbent.

 Our tally of successful darting increased over the week, despite the entire Papillion family seeming to be armoured to the point of dart proof! In the closing days we decided to dart Helleborine05 (Hellboy) a stag, as it used up more drug as well as would hopefully make him less of a target in the cull. He is habituated to an incredible degree so will tolerate people walking to almost 10 metres away. We were concerned for the antlers as they are still growing in velvet, but he took the darting very well and went down with much fuss. We processed him efficiently and he recovered fine with his shiny new collar and ear flashes! What effect his new gear will have on the Rut is yet to be seen.

Martyn and Gudrun with Hellboy

The pastry art is misleading, the pie is actually chicken and bacon!

 On leaving the island, the ferry took a quick jaunt to Canna where we encountered a very habituated seal. It seems like it understands the ferry and waits for it to kick up the sea bed as it enters the harbour. Once home finally I had a quick day to turn around my kit and pack for Edinburgh and the Tattoo! I'll admit there was a little bit of culture shock with the noise and bustle of people, but I soon settled into city life, although the drunks of the Grassmarket do tend to wake me.

The Canna harbour seal.

I'll be back to Rum I'm sure. The swimming on Kilmory beach, catching sea trout at the burn, walking over Sgaorishal in search of antlers and the brilliant population of deer will draw me back before long. I haven't even explored half the island yet either, or been into the castle, or climbed the Rum Cuillins!
The Rum Red Deer Research Project is incredible, the sheer volume of data, work and information back across the years is staggering and I am very thankful to have been involved in even just a small part of the work.
Thanks for reading my entries.

Farewell Rum, I'll be back