Uncategorized mike on 04 Jul 2008
My visit to “Skomer Island” Pembrokshire
My visit to “Skomer Island” Pembrokshire
As a small child I can well remember the Puffins on Worms head Gower along with the Hare,
That was way back in the early 1950’s I think that they always stayed in my mind as the way they came out of their burrows and took of, it reminded me and my twin that they were like aeroplanes taking off and of course the fabulous stripes on their bills
Alas there are no puffins on Worms head or even in the whole of Gower these days,
So a visit to Skomer was a must,
Life is full of ups and downs and I have not been able to get over there, since a small child,
But as an adult you find that you have much more interest in nature, so I guess the timing was just about right
Again one must take in account of the weather as regards to the crossing, bearing in mind that the “Skomer” boat does not cross on Mondays, the sailings are Tues to Sunday 10am 11am and 12 am
I would advise any one to get there early as possible, as to leave it till the later sailings they could end up being disappointed
June 7th 2008 I left Neath along with my grandson Richard who did all the driving and headed West at 7. 30 am as we wanted to catch the early crossing
The morning was super, it was warm with blue skies, just the right weather for a visit to Skomer
We hit Carmathen only to find ourselves driving for many miles through thick fog so you can see how fast the weather can change, a little worried at that moment in time as if the weather would worsen or open up,
Luckily for us a few miles down the road the sun broke through, it was indeed a glorious day
The boat itself leaves from Martin’s Haven, which is reached by a very narrow lane from Marloes. Drive straight through Marloes, and you’ll see the directions for the boat. At the end of the lane is a National Trust car park, the fee is £3.00. That often fills up quite quickly, but there is an overspill car park on a nearby farm
We arrived at the boat pick up jetty at 8.45 and already there was a good crowd in front of us,
The sea was calm and as blue as the sky it sure was a grand day, they decided that been as they weather was good to sail every 30 mins we finally stepped aboard at 10.30am and behind us there were many queuing so again get there early not to be disappointed
Once having sailed with witch the crossing takes aprox 20 mins the warden, or one of his men, will give you a chat about what to do and what not to do. The main thing is to keep strictly to the paths, as the island is absolutely riddled with rabbit holes, and dare I say, more importantly, nesting
A word of caution
you’ll need to take everything you need to eat and drink. And lots of sun cream! There are no trees, so no shade. It is quite common to see some very sunburnt people on the return trip. The only added convenience is that there are toilets at the farm in the centre of the island
The puffins will be there in April, but they tend to be out at sea quite a lot then, but later on, especially June, July time when they have young, are the best time to see them. For photography, it’s hard to miss them; they are totally unafraid and seem quite happy to walk amongst the visitor, popping in and out of their burrows. And we were not disappointed they are a wonderful little bird I mention little as when I saw them on Gower they seemed to be a lot bigger then I suppose I was seeing them as a child but now an adult the world seems smaller
June, July is the best time to photograph them with beaks full of sand eels, although you have to be quick, as the blacked gulls are waiting to mug them and steal their catch, so they seem to land and shoot straight into their burrows.
I was, and always wanted to all my life get a shot of one with her catch of “sand eels”
One landed by my side with a full catch my heart was racing with excitement and thought that this was the most wonderful feeling and sight I have ever seen
Apparently it is the female with her catch witch feeds the young,
Sand eels are in decline due to global warming and may well endanger the Puffin
The clown of the seas with their striped beak and eye liner, the waddle and stand with their wings behind their backs and chat to each other all the time, but how can one call them “the clown of the seas” when they come back with a beak full of sand eels all neatly carried
There is a record of one Puffing being recorded as carrying 80 in her beak
Amazing when one thinks of it
Skomer is an island of sheltered bays, exposed headlands, offshore rocks and shaded inlets, all painted with the graduated colours of lichen. The best location is The Wick; a sheer cliff carved with ledges that are ideally suited to nesting seabirds and easily viewed from the opposite cliff.
In the centre of the island is the ruined farm. An education room and interpretation centre can be found here as well as a newly built bunkhouse that can sleep up to 15 people in 5 rooms. If you stay overnight, you can witness one of the most remarkable natural events in the UK, the Manx Shearwaters returning to their burrows under the cover of darkness. The noise they make is really spooky. (so they tell me) perhaps one day I may well just go and do that,
Visit in May to see carpets of bluebells and pink campion.
What to see:
- Puffins (6,000 pairs)
- Manx Shearwaters (120,000 pairs)
- Guillimots (10,000 pairs)
- Razorbills
- Choughs
- Short Eared Owls
- Skomer Voles
- Grey Seals
How to get there:
Boats leave from Martins Haven at 10am, 11am and 12am. Sailings may be disrupted by the weather - check by calling Lockley Lodge (01646 636234), Dale Sailing (01646 603123) or the Dale Princess (07831 659623).
There is a maximum daily quota for landing visitors. If you arrive too late, you may have to resort to a round island boat trip. At weekends between May and early July, queue’s can be lengthy. As well as the boat fare of £9 for adults and £7 for children, there’s a landing charge of £6 for adults and £3 for children (2008 charges). Which all go toward the National Trust
If one is a meber of the trust you can get discounts,
There are no refreshments available on the island, but there is a toilet at the old farm
Prices my vary at the time of writing,
But Skomer is well worth a visit, we had a wonderful day that I will always remember