Julian Smith moved to Mey in 1988. A graphic designer, he started work on the reserve a year after settling in his house at the edge of the loch. “I wanted to have something beautiful to look at when I lifted my head up from work”, he said.
One of the best small bird sanctuaries in Europe
Part-financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community, this one-man-dream has since become a stunning nature reserve, considered one of the best small bird sanctuaries in Europe by the Sunday Times.
I stumbled across it by accident a few months ago when I was passing by Mey but to my disappointment, it was closed. So, on this cool and bright summer morning, I was determined not to miss out and eager to make the most of my visit. Walking up to the path leading to the reserve, I was welcomed by the founder, Julian Smith himself.
The birth of the bird sanctuary
“It started out as a project to enjoy myself, but it has now turned into something I take pride in showing other people, other bird lovers. I have become passionate about making this spot a haven for breeding”, he tells me. Even though he has had many rare bird sightings at Saint John’s Pond, he says his favourite bird is the arctic tern.
These birds are particularly at risk with many threats including human disturbance and exploitation of the northern areas, other predators, and extreme weather. It makes him happy to have provided these birds with a safe place to rest and breed. The site has been made both otter- and fox-proof, both animals representing a danger to these birds.
Inside the bird watching hides
I walk down the path to the hides by the loch. Wildflowers nod their heads in the early morning breeze, and the wings of butterflies and insects glint in the bright sunlight. The birdwatching hides are simple but clean, well-located at the edge of the water, and the walls are covered with interesting facts. There are even crayons and drawing paper on a little table to keep small children busy while their parents birdwatch.
Arctic terns, the greatest traveler birds
I learn that arctic terns are the world’s greatest travellers; they clock up more kilometers than any other recorded species on Earth. Living up to 30 years, they can travel up to the equivalent of three trips to the moon in their lifetime, a mindblowing 1.5 million miles.
Watching the birds on Saint John’s Loch
For a while, I sit there watching a hawk soar overhead, calling out plaintively. Ducks – of a kind I cannot identify – gather in a corner, chatting, like mothers outside a school after having dropped their children off. Swallows swoop daintily and sandwich terns fly into the brightness of the sun. Gulls, wood pigeons, and crows – or maybe ravens? – glide around busy in their quest for food but their ordinariness makes me focus on them less.
Life is busy in this remote wilderness, only I sit there quietly at the edge of the hustle and bustle, a silent observer, yet also very much a part of the ecosystem around me.
Julian Smith, an inspiration for bird protection efforts
I did not stay long at Saint John’s Loch as I had a busy day ahead of me. Yet that short interlude was deeply inspiring, reminding me of what one person can achieve when they put their mind to it. Julian Smith has doubtlessly contributed to protecting many varieties of birds that would be in peril of extinction without a refuge such as the one he created.
All it took was a damp bit of land and one man’s desire to protect his part of our beautiful world.
