Two Brac Trust members, Hugh O’Gara and Wallace Platts performed this survey, and followed a technique they previously used to check the West End Woods, a buffer zone running north and south, on a line parallel to Saltwater Pond Trail and 600 feet west of that trail. In this case The Bight Road is the equivalent boundary and provides easy access to the length of the long, rectangular piece, hereby called Parrot Reserve SouthWest.  The method was to select a compass bearing to cut across the land and then strike into the bush on such predetermined straight lines, and come back out the same way. Along the way, trees, plants, rock forms and creatures were noted quickly in a notepad, and typed up later at home. We could see about 10 feet both right and left from our course. Only a hand compass and hand nippers were used since trails through the bush are not desirable. (Trails make it too easy for cats other predators to disturb native life.) Besides a couple of field guides, the other main tool was a digital camera so species could be checked with others.

The researchers made seven visits to the area: Their field notes are still available but will not be kept forever. Here is a summary: Feb. 1, 2010 One surveyor checked the north boundary, part way across; Feb. 8 Two together hiked Bight Road South noting the land types on our west, then struck west at the south bluff edge, reaching most of the way; Feb. 11 Found the SW corner marker form the south shore road, using binoculars; Feb. 16 JWP hiked the south bluff edge again, to the SW marker; Feb. 18 2 researchers found the NW marker, then struck south and did a new line through rough terrain and deep bush on a ridge; Feb. 22:  3 researchers (including Bruce Boyer) walked “the grass piece”, an abandoned provision ground. We walked through the ground and found the western boundary of the 17 acre rectangular NT land; March 1 The same three hikers walked across the south bluff edge again, and this time struck a diagonal bearing (40 degrees) along the southern ridge. This is an E-W ridge, which corresponds with an E-W ridge on the north edge of the property; this bearing took us out to a new place on the Bight Road.
jwp