THE passing of Steve Wing, (67) the wildlife officer at the Cape Clear Bird Observatory, has been described as ‘a very strange time on Cape’.
‘He was a comforting presence in a very small community,’ said islander Séamus O Drisceoil. ‘He had a particular presence that you don’t notice until it’s not there.
‘Much has been written about him already; and everything that has been said about him is true. He was a very affable person and was extremely well-liked,’ he added. Steve, who was from Lundy in North Devon, took up the role of warden in 1998. He was also a very accomplished builder and craftsman and did the reconstruction of the bird observatory himself.
He was also an extremely accomplished chef. When his partner Mary was alive, they operated a very popular Thai restaurant on the island.
Niall Hatch of Birdwatch Ireland said: ‘Steve was the perfect person for the job. He was a much-loved and respected colleague and friend to all of us. He was such a lovely man. He was with us for a very long time and he was the heart and soul of the island, which is a well-known spot for bird watchers. He was, in short, intrinsic to everything there and we are absolutely devastated by his death. It is still very shocking and raw for us,’ said Niall.
Part of Steve’s legacy is The Natural History of Cape Clear 1959 to 2019 – which he published in 2020. The island, Steve explained, is the first landfall for birds flying from North America to South America who get blown across the Atlantic.
