On 5 December 2025, Bára, our daughter Štěpánka and I set off for Velký Tisý to have a bit of a tidy-up at our ČSO bird station – just as we had done a year earlier. And there was certainly plenty to do! Autumn leaves don’t hold back, and they couldn’t care less whether you feel like raking them up or not.
As we do every year, we set about raking up the leaves all around the station. You might think that a few trees couldn’t possibly make such a mess, but then you pick up a rake and quickly change your mind. On top of that, we cleared the gutters and downpipes, tidied up around the outhouse, and finally got round to the shed with the boathouse. In short, nothing too complicated, but more than enough work.
There wasn’t much time left for any long birdwatching sessions this time, but we hadn’t counted on that anyway. Sometimes you just need to put the binoculars aside, pick up a rake or a broom, and do something for the place you love coming back to. And when we get stuck in together, it all goes a bit more smoothly. Although I must admit that with some of the tasks, one could perhaps debate who actually did the most work and who was mainly just checking that we were doing it properly.
I’m glad the three of us set off to do this. It’s not just about the tidying up itself, but also about the time spent together in a place I love. You do work up a bit of a sweat, and you might feel it in the evening, but that feeling when you turn round and see the work you’ve done is well worth it.
So, this year’s autumn tidy-up at Velký Tisý is behind us. The leaves have been raked up, the gutters cleaned, the shed and boathouse tidied, and the station is once again a little better prepared for future visitors. And next time, I hope to go back mainly for the reason I love going there most – the birds. Although you never know what else might need sorting out.
