The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience...

[theMusicMan]

Hi All

IanC_UK mentioned in post 557 of the Skomer thread today that he was searching the net for information regarding staying on Skomer, and that he subsequently found and read an article I wrote a year or so ago about my personal experiences of staying on Skomer in August 2008. Ian suggested that some here may like to read it... hence this post.

I should explain that it was originally written for and posted on the Oly forums - where I am an Admin, so please excuse the non-neutrality of the writing. I don't really want to re-write the article, so I will post it here, in installments (13 in all), as I did on the Oly forums. Hopefully it will make those about to embark on their Skomer adventure a little bit more excited than they probably are already...

I hope you enjoy what I write - but please remember I'm no author, nor am I a wit! I will just try to present what I feel is an interesting experience of the 'Overnighters stay on Skomer Island', and if I arouse curiosity enough within anyone who reads it to make their own enquiries about visiting or staying on Skomer Island - then I will be a happy chappy.

I didn't get the chance to take as many shots as I would have liked during that trip - mainly due to the wet Welsh weather conditions, but I did get a few keepers... so I hope I won't let anyone down. Part one in a little while.

Enjoy.... first installment coming up....

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 1

Up at 05:30 on the dot and almost ready to get started on the 2:40 hour drive to Martins Haven, Pembrokeshire for the 10:00 boat crossing to the wonderful Skomer Island. Just a few items remaining to pack into the rucksack; several refrigerated items for my snacks, toothbrush of course, and not to forget the spare set of BLM1 batteries for my E-3 that I placed on charge earlier yesterday evening. My hearts sinks slightly as a quick look out of the bedroom window confirms, unfortunately, that in his forecast for West Wales - the weatherman got it spot on – it’s absolutely lashing down outside!

*Makes mental note to call Dale Sailing at 08:15 wherever I am én route - to check that there are in fact going to be boat journeys going across to Skomer Island today…!! Fingers crossed...!!

Still, chin up… a little rain never hurt anyone ☺

The rain continued to pour down on the journey through South Wales, and when on the M4 doing just 50mph as I was passing through Brigend, I felt the road surface become treacherously slippery with masses of surface water present (and still I see cars whizzing past me!!) I thought I’d call my mate Jacob... the Traffic Announcer on BBC Radio Wales (s’ok… the English language version) to inform him of the awful driving conditions so as to warn drivers approaching of the hazard. They read out traffic and weather reports every 15-20 minutes on Radio Wales and I soon heard a ‘Thanks to John who called in a few minutes ago, we’d like to warn you all’”… etc etc etc. However, despite my calling in and Jacob mentioning this warning, during his very next announcement just 15 mins later, Jacob informed listeners of two accidents on the M4, one on East bound and one on West bound – just through Brigend at the exact point I had advised of the treacherous driving conditions!! I sincerely hope no-one was seriously hurt, and I didn’t quite know how to feel to be honest – was a weird one that.

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 2

Good news!

I called Dale Sailing (01646 603123), and they advised me that the boat would indeed be running - wohooooooo - despite the weather conditions. Apparently, it is only when the wind blows North to North East when the boats don’t sail to Skomer. In these weather conditions, the cove of Martins Haven takes the brunt of the North swell, and it then becomes dangerous to get passengers aboard the boat that takes visitors to Skomer… the Dale Princess. Here she is in all her glory - from one of my earlier trips to Skomer.

The Dale Princess, from the Jetty at Martins Haven

So, having dropped my rucksack and hide off in the loos of the Marine Wildlife Center on the walk down to the jetty, I drove back up to West Hook Farmhouse where I had booked overnight parking for my car (at £5.00 for the night), I walked the ½ mile back to Martins Haven and arrived at the small dock around 09:15.

It was still raining!

At last, the boat started making its way into the jetty and we all thought that we'd be on the Island within 20 mins... alas I was wrong. As the boat neared the jetty, one of the chaps shouted across to us that the warden had advised there was too much swell at the landing dock on Skomer, and so they would see what the conditions were like in 30 minutes time.

30 minutes later, the Dale Princess again made her way towards the jetty and yet again the chap on the boat shouted across to us that though conditions were a little better, it was high tide and they felt they should wait another 30 minutes. All this time, my jeans were getting even more soaked!

1 hour and 45 minutes after I arrived at Martins Haven, I at last found myself boarding the Dale Princess… sailings had been postponed due to the high tide, which causes a swell where the boat moors on Skomer Island and in anything greater than a 3’ swell the cap’n won’t let passengers off. Safety first I guess!

A further 20 minutes later, with the sea a little fuller having generously received one of the passengers stomach contents during the trip (it wasn't that bad, honestly!! well not for me anyhow) we arrived on Skomer Island. On the short trip over to the island I spotted several Gannets, some Kittiwake on the cliffs, the ever present Lesser and Greater Black Backed gulls over the water, as well as a few Cormorants flying by. There's also the resident LBBGull who takes food from the hands of the Captain during the crossing... so make sure you get your cameras ready for this, mine was tucked in my bag!!!

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 3

Greeted by Dave, one of the Assistance Wardens on Skomer, and a really smashing chap by the name of Luke who was one of the volunteer wardens for the week, all my bags were taken and loaded on to the back of a tractor, and off they went on their route to the accommodation. The other visitors and myself, on the other hand, after the introductory and obligatory talk, were left to walk the ¾ mile to the farmhouse… and yes... it was still raining!

Some facts I gleaned from the talk given by the Warden:

• Skomer has over 125,000 breeding pairs of Manx Shearwaters
• No foxes are present on the island and so rabbits are abundant
• Advised not to tread more than a meter from the pathways due to the tunnels
• 99% of the Puffins have left!

Despite this, I spotted several Puffins in North Haven (where the boat lets you off) but had already been advised as mentioned by the wardens, that 99% of the islands Puffins had already left, and there were only a few remaining – those with late chicks. So, my apologies to Mr Zuiko et al… no Puffin pics this time I’m afraid!

On the walk up to the farmhouse is when it hits you… the sheer magic of Skomer Island. I love the place; who cares about the weather when you’re in a place like this? I guess there’s a slight feeling of claustrophobia that hits you as you hit the top of the island, and as you see the Dale Princess sailing back into the mist, surf and spray, knowing you’re not going to leave this place for at least 24 hrs. It’s going to get dark, very dark… there’s no sunshine at all today therefore there will be no electricity, and it will be pitch black - adding to the claustrophobia… but who cares… you’re on Skomer Island.

By the way… it was still raining!

As you approach the top of the island from the boat you venture into the mist and fog, but you can still hear the Meadow Pipits and Skylarks singing their heads off. You can still see the greater Black Backed Gulls, the Lesser Black Backed Gulls, the Kittiwakes, Ravens and Choughs all around you – it really is a wonderful place and I thoroughly recommend anyone who hasn’t been there to try to get across. Even at this time of year without its trademark Puffins, Skomer Island is magical.

Up at the accommodation we were greeted by Tansy, the Islands Visitor Liaison Officer, who showed us around, to the kitchen and toilet/showers, and of course to our rooms - which I have to say are very spacious and comfortable. £3.5M has been spent over the last 3 years on the accommodation block, a small visitor center and the warden’s accommodation – and it certainly shows. The island is now well equipped to accommodate up to around 20 people each night – though still relies on solar electricity generation with backup generator (that we discovered later in the evening the islands staff prefer not to use!).

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 4

After a quick cup of tea, an introductory chat to my fellow 'overnighters', a dry off, a change of clothes into my camo gear (*note to self – denim jeans are most certainly not good to wear to Skomer Island in the rain) it was time to venture out to the first place I wanted to spend some time in – an 800 yard walk to the public hide situated just off the South path that takes you from the farmhouse to ‘the Wick’ (the Wick is where there are the greatest concentration of Puffins on Skomer, during April through July).

Here's a shot of the Wick from one of my earlier trips:

The Wick

Weather update: it had stopped raining, at last. It was very misty and foggy, with only a gentle wetness in the air, and it even looked as though the clouds were thinning.

There are two public hides on Skomer, and they are both solid and very well built, they are dry, with slats that drop down or pop-up, and with plenty of space and seating for several people to sit comfortably. I arrived at the south public hide - which overlooks a small pond – in the hope of spotting some of the soon to arrive passage waders, or maybe the elusive Little Owl.

Here’s a view from the inside of the hide – collated as a pano from 3 images taken with the Sigma 50-500mm, each at 50mm.

View from inside the Moor Hide


Link to larger image

It was quite an earie experience, as the mist and fog you see in this image came and went every 20 minutes or so, but overall visibility around the hide for birds and animals itself was good.

I spent around 3 hours in the hide, during which time met a smashing chap by the name of Dave, a retired Police Officer from Kent, and who was there overnight like myself, with his wife and two children. We saw some super sights – one of the highlights was an incredibly fast fly-past by a Wood Pigeon being chased by a Peregrine Falcon. Despite having the E-3 ready with the Sigma 50-500mm lens attached, I literally had no time to even pick the camera up and point it at the chase… it happened that fast – you could even hear the ‘wooosh’ of the birds as they flew past only feet from the hide; first the Wood Pigeon followed quickly by the Peregrine… just feet from me! I gather that the Pigeon dived into a bush and the Peregrine flew over without its prey… lucky break for the Woody I guess. The Peregrine then flew back around to the front of the hide to the right of the image above, and then off over the valley to the left - out of sight not to be seen again, but it was a wonderful highlight to some time in spent this hide.

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 5

As to be expected, things were a little quieter in the period following the exciting Peregrine v’s Pigeon chase, but I did have some further success, as well both a ‘first’ on my list of birds… more on that LBB (little brown birds) later, AND a 'first' bird report this year for Skomer... more on that one later too ☺

I spent about 3 hours in total in this hide, and it’s where I was presented with the most opportunities for decent shots, and thus where most of my better shots were taken. The fog came and went several times, as did the rain, but at least the ever present Lesser Black Backed and Greater Black Backed gulls offered a little more consistency to the proceedings.

The Greater Black Backed Gulls are the most prolific predators on the island, and will not only feed on any carrion they find, but they will also hunt down and feed on the hapless Manx Shearwaters as these mainly over-sea based birds come in to feed their chick at night. There were dozens and dozens of Manx carcasses dotted on the paths all over the island, but apparently these are an important part of the islands eco-system and we were advised not to touch or interfere with any of them.

A grusome sight I appreciate, but nonetheless an important part of the experience.

Carcass of Manx Shearwater predated by Greater Black Backed Gulls

They don't leave much do they...?

There are of course other predatory birds on Skomer Island including Peregrine, Merlin, Little Owl, Short Eared Owl, Buzzards and this year, a hobby has also been seen… just the once though. But it is the Greater Black Backed Gulls who take the most prey. Personally… I like them, and find them extremely graceful in flight, yet totally the opposite when stationary and perched i.e. stern and abrupt. Here’s a few shots of GBBG’s that were taken from the South Moor Hide…

Greater Black Backed Gull

Honestly... I didn't Photoshop-in the red around the eye of this next Greater Black, it was exactly like this. I find them quite stunning birds, and they are massive, I mean really big.

There seemed to me to be far more Greater Black Backed Gulls than Lesser Black Backed Gulls, but I managed to get a shot of the Lesser for comparison... quite easy to identify the Lessers from the Greaters really yeah

Lesser Black Backed Gull

I am not too familiar with the juvenile markings of either these birds, and cannot easily distinguish between the two species, but grabbed a few shots of these for library purposes (I like library shots as you may have gathered!!)

Juvenile Lesser/Greater Black Backed Gull

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 6

By this time I had been in the South Moor Hide for just over an hour or so, but I really wanted to try to get a glimpse of some passage waders - as we had been told by the wardens that now [August] is about the time of year when they start to make an appearance on Skomer én route to wherever they are én route to! However, looking at the weather – wet one minute foggy the next, I wasn’t confident that I’d see anything more than the Greater and Lesser Black Backed Gulls I had already seen around the pond; squawking and fighting as they vie for the best spot on which to roost.

Once again though, Skomer got the better of me and proved me so very wrong.

Some on here may have seen some of the many Wagtail shots I have taken and posted recently, well I couldn’t not post one could I...? I couldn't have a trip to Skomer without at least one Wagtail shot eh, so here goes. I only saw several Pied Wagtails, but the hide did its job very well and presented me with an opportunity to get some relative close ups of this flighty bird. As I have posted many Wagtail shots these last few months, I will keep this Skomer series to just the one… the obligatory one!

Pied Wagtail

There were three Pied Wagtails I spotted in total, and they were all there at the same time, but only this one decided to keep still long enough to make a useful pose and smile for the camera. Nice birds… I like ‘em anyway… ☺

The weather hadn’t really changed; one minute there was very little fog or mist, but the next minute it could be seen rolling over the valley as the wind picked up and brought with it drizzle in waves. Often it was down to less than what I considered was approx 30/40 yards visibility – and with this the rain pelted down intermittently too; but being safely tucked up in this wonderful waterproof hide, I was actually in Skomer heaven!

At this time, which was mid-to-late afternoon, I was still hoping for even one wader, just the one, which would have made my day. Eventually Skomer delivered and I got just that and spotted one… just the one mind you, and as it happens it also turned out to be a ‘first’ this year (2008) for Skomer Island – so this was a double whammy for me and I was delighted later that evening when, at the Bird Sighting Discussion with the Warden and the RSPB staff, I informed them I had seen (and photographed) a wonderful Green Sandpiper. He/she was a little way off for a decent shot at first, but then came a lot closer as he scurried along the waters edge looking for shrimp or larvae/insects etc. He came close enough for me to get a half decent ‘grab’ shot (but not really a ‘printer’ shot) which, with the E-3 + Sigma 50-500mm I could crop and come away with a decent enough image for my photo library. Actually, come to think of it… I may have a pop at printing this one myself on my crappy Epson printer. If it turns out OK I may send it off to Photobox for another of the wall mounted prints I have on my conservatory wall. Oh yes... I guess now is the time I should explain my conservatory.

My conservatory is my haven, my sanctuary; away from the TV, the sounds and noises of kids and a busy family life, where I can doodle at will until I am doodled-out on my synths, I can twiddle until I am all twiddled-out with the knobs in Lightroom and Photoshop, and generally hide away from all that’s going on around me. The thing is… everyone [the kids that is] knows where it is, and I can’t seem to hide in there anymore!! Hmmm... maybe there's another use for my pop-up hide eh

OK OK I know... back to the Green Sandpiper ☺

Though not a rare species, Green Sandpiper turn up on Skomer around August / September time, and wohoooo… I bagged the first reported one on Skomer for 2008. Differentiated from the Common Sandpiper in the main by being a little smaller, overall darker in plumage and having no white patches across the wings so more easy to ID in flight. Nothing spectacular to look at in all honesty, but here she is feeding along the waters edge;

Green Sandpiper

Nothing else new appeared on the water for some time, but I heard a commotion alongside the hide and opened up the viewing slats on the side of the hide to see what was going on. The side of the hide looks out onto the side of the hill leading back up the path to the farmhouse and accommodation. One can’t see the accommodation from the hide as it is well hidden in a small valley, well down from the top of the brow of the small hill that leads back to the farmhouse. So, looking out over the sedge, thistle and bracken I spotted many small LBB’s, but they were a tad too far away to accurately identify. As one does, I kept looking, and as they say, patience is a virtue, I was rewarded with some super close ups of another ‘first’ for me, the Sedge Warbler.

Literally only several feet from where my Sigma 50-500mm was perched, hanging out of the hide over the egde, two Sedge Warblers appeared scurrying around in the bushes back and forth. Only at one point did one of them see the opportunity for immortality and decided to pose in that classic Warbler photo pose… and to think, they did this just for me, how kind of them!

Here’s a selection of images.

Sedge Warbler

After I had taken the Sedge Warbler shots, I felt the hide had delivered to me all it was going to deliver at that time, vowed to come back before I left the following morning, and decided to pack up and make way back to the farmhouse for some grub.

Hmmm… grub for me was going to be two sandwiches of Coronation Chicken, a sausage roll and a raisin cake bar, all washed down with a nice cuppa. Glorious.

Weather update: the skies had actually started to clear a little and I managed to bag myself the first view of the Irish Sea since jumping off the Dale Princess several hours earlier. Not being able to see the sea, on such a small island, just goes to show how poor the weather was. Ho hum….

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 7

So, went back to the accommodation and made myself those few Coronation Chicken sandwiches – which were lovely I must admit. I also spent some time chatting to some of the other over-nighters staying in the farmhouse accommodation. There was the chap I have already mentioned from Kent - Dave, his wife and two children (12 and 14); a smashing couple from Powys – together with a Mum (don’t know which one the Mum belonged to though!), then there was the 'Smith family' from somewhere close to Ilkeston, with their 15 year old daughter. Meeting these people sort of made me feel a little disappointed, as my daughter Heather had said to me the previous evening that she would love to have come along with me for the night. I did mention the trip to her several weeks ago and she said she would like to come along with me, but when I called Welsh Wildlife to see if there were any spaces available soon, I was told that yes there was, but there was only the one place – and so Heather was disappointed.

How I was disappointed was in two ways;

• I was told but obviously misunderstood, that ‘one’ meant one room, not one space! Heather could have come with me after all (we’ve already discussed the possibility of another trip this year – wohooooo!!)
• There were several other young ladies staying overnight who Heather, being the shy, introvert young lass she is - would have loved to have spent time with. (Those who attended the Caerleon e-group meet up will know what Heather is really like ☺)

Ah well… a little too late now for Heather to have been there eh, maybe next time!

Next came what I considered some wonderful news – for me anyway.

Tansy, the islands Visitor Liaison Officer, knocked on my room door and asked jokingly if I had brought along enough supplies for a two-night stay! With a puzzled look on my face I said sure, I could cope, and asked why. I was advised that she had been on the radio to the Dale Princess’ captain in the last few minutes who had advised her, due to adverse weather forecasts, that there may well be no sailings to and from Skomer tomorrow… wohoooooo the possibility of an additional free night!!! I was delighted, though the couple and their daughter from Ilkeston were not as pleased as they had a prior engagement that they needed to get back home for.

Me… well this was the best news I had received all day…☺ and I would be informed if this was going to be the case at 08:30 the following morning. I called Jen (my wife) and told her to prepare for the worst… she sounded as pleased about this news as I did… hmmmm!?

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 8

Having had a little time by then to consider my wife’s reaction to my possibly having to remain stranded on Skomer (sounds like a punishment eh!) for another night, I decided to prepare for my early evening stroll. Several of my fellow ‘overnighters’ asked if they could accompany me – the more the merrier I say and besides, we could share each others eyes and ears in our bird watching exploits, and possibly get to see the elusive Short Eared Owl. So… a plan was formed, and we were to meet just outside the accommodation block in 1 hour.

Weather update: the rain had at last stopped, and even the fog had cleared, and although the skies were not blue there were breaks in the clouds and the sun was shining through on times… for those who have not visited the heavenly country previously – this is typical Welsh weather ☺

In this free hour before we were to head off again, I decided to pop over to the staff/volunteer rooms to have a chat with some of the volunteers there, and to see if I could get some first hand information as to what was about and where we could perhaps find the Short Eared Owl. Luke was there, the volunteer I had met briefly when I first set foot on Skomer, and we started chatting. What a thoroughly nice chap Luke is – one of those people with whom you feel an instant liking for… affable, with a wonderful (and in my case – shared) enthusiasm for Skomer/birds and nature. I only wish I had managed to get his email address as I would very much like to have kept in touch. Anyway, Luke was only to be a volunteer for a single week – from the Saturday to Saturday – and so had only been there a few days, but wow, was he was a plethora of information, you bet he was. After a discussion about what we could find and where we could find it, Luke offered to take me just a few hundred yards to where we could possibly get a glimpse of the Little Owl.

I was delighted our luck was very much in as, just as Luke had suggested moments earlier, the Little Owl was sat clearly in view on top of one of the old dry-lined walls that run across the island. For those who these posts may entice a visit for you to Skomer this year, this particular wall is the one that runs North to South and intersects the main path from the jetty only 200 yards East of the farmhouse. The Little Owl was a little too far away to get any form of decent shot, but I fired off a few so I can show Heather when I return home… if, what with the weather, I do get to return home! The images were not good enough to post here I’m afraid… just a little brown blob in the center of the frame that only I would know was a Little Owl ☺. I used the ever present Sigma 50-500mm for the shots, but the wind was blowing quite hard and in this light, even with the excellent IS on the E-3 it was difficult to get a decent shot.

One thing about Little Owls – they are very much as their name suggests… i.e. very small, and seem to flitter about with short fast wing beats reminiscent of a Lapwing (though obviously a lot smaller). They jump up, flutter about, then land only a few feet from where they were originally sat and seem to have no concerns about the presence of people close by. Not what I had imagined of an Owl at all.

Having fired off a few shots and feeling very happy that I had seen the Little Owl (though there is one at my local RSPB reserve, so wasn’t a ‘first’ for me), Luke and I made a slow stroll back to the farmhouse where I was to meet up with the others for our early evening stroll. It was interesting to hear from Luke about volunteering on Skomer and it was obvious that he was thoroughly enjoying the experience. Nice chap, simple as that and I am glad I met him. He also advised me of a WWT site close to Llanelli that I should visit - little did he know I was to pop in there on the way home and get a few 'firsts' for my list whilst there too.

Ok, so the hour passed by very quickly and I met up with those also keen to take the early evening stroll. The route was to be back past the Moor Hide I had spent some time in earlier in the day, then a turn West towards the Wick (where the majority of Puffins are found when they are present on Skomer), then further west to meet the track that cuts across the island from West to East back to the farmhouse, then for me - was to pay a visit to the other public hide on Skomer which I think is called the North hide, in the hope of a glimpse of the Short Eared Owl.

I wasn’t to be disappointed.

Just the one shot to close this short episode. At the briefing given by the warden when you arrive on the island, they advise that as there are no foxes on Skomer, rabbits are abundant, I even spotted a black one! So, seeing one scurrying around I wanted to try to get a decent shot for Heather as she likes Rabbits and managed to get this one…

Skomer Rabbit

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 9

Off we headed once again, out into the moors of Skomer – it’s really a great place that captures ones imagination. Wherever you go you are always close to some birds; you can nearly always see and hear the Greater / Lesser Black Backed Gulls, the Ravens and Jackdaws, and when close to the cliffs – this time of year the Kittiwakes, Gannets and Fulmar can easily be seen. You can also hear the Meadow and Rock Pipits, the Wagtails, the Warblers – though even these lovely birds will soon be on their way to their Autumn/Winter locations too.

Exiting the farmhouse, up the hill to the right, we headed out on our evening adventure. Immediately one could see the Jackdaws on the top of the mound of stones – apparently the highest point on Skomer, so well worth the small diversion to the top to say you did it and you’ve been there. I did this the last time I visited and so hung around keeping a lookout for the Short Eared Owl whilst a few of the others went to the top for the view. Not much higher, maybe only 40 feet or so, but you just have to do it I guess.

The light was fading by now, but mainly due to the weather rather than the time of day, and so opportunities for decent photographs were diminishing every minute. So, my apologies to you all for the next few shots, which are not quite perhaps up to the standard of my earlier ones, they are quite poor and are all ‘grab’ shots, but they do at least show several of the different species of bird one can easily see on Skomer - even from the many paths that criss-cross the island. A glance out across the bracken and sedge will always yield some movement and a bird can be seen.
The first one we spotted was the Meadow Pipit. I managed this shot when she had something in her beak, but I wasn’t sure if it was a tasty meal for herself or for perhaps a late brood of chicks she was rearing. We waited to see where she headed but she disappeared into the undergrowth before we had time to spot where she went. We heard her rather loudly before we actually spotted her; this is the ‘grab’ shot I managed to get;

Meadow Pipit with Food

Continuing along that path, past the Moor Hide I visited earlier, I spotted another LBB (Little Brown Bird) and fired off a few shots. Taking a look on the E-3’s monitor screen, I Identified her as a Willow Warbler – which was confirmed by one of my fellow ‘overnighters’ and also later by one of the RSPB volunteers.

Willow Warbler

We then arrived at the 'Wick', and even now at this time of year the place is a hive of activity. Anyone visiting Skomer now will be disappointed not to see any of the thousands of Puffins that breed at this area as they are all now departed, but there are still thousands of birds to be seen.

Spotting scopes and binoculars came out, as did notebooks and Collins reference Guides (mine too!!) and the list of birds I spotted in just the 20 minutes I spent here were;

• Raven
• Greater Black Backed Gulls
• Lesser Black Backed Gulls
• Kittiwakes
• Fulmar
• Jackdaw
• Chough
• 1 Puffin
• Juvenile Wheatear
• Skylark
• Meadow Pipit
• Rock Pipit
• Carrion Crow
• Manx Shearwaters (out at sea)
• Black Headed Gull
• Magpie

A great place is the Wick, a birders paradise, but quite spectacular for other reasons too – it is a ¼ mile sheer rock face that plummets several hundred feet into the sea. Nesting Kittiwake seem to be balanced precariously on the edge of the smallest crevices and nooks. Their eggs are not the usual oval shape of a birds egg, but are almost triangularly shaped so that there is less risk of them rolling off the edge of the cliff. One of my ‘overnighters’ also said that they though the eggs were individually marked so that should they fall off the cliff and survive the fall, the parents could identify which was theirs and try to incubate the egg where it landed. Not sure if that’s true, but amazing to think that it might be eh?

Continuing the evening stroll we eventually arrived at Skomer Head – the West most point on Skomer. Here’s a shot of Skomer Head looking back towards the Wick - from an earlier visit to Skomer;

Skomer Head from an earlier trip to Skomer

By this time I was like a little kid, starting to get really excited about the thought of maybe spotting the Short Eared Owl. It was starting to get darker, the conditions and time was spot on for the Owl to be out on some early evening hunting exploits, and I was looking forward to the challenge of spotting this wonderful bird.

Did I get to see one… you betcha I did… more to come later ☺

Enjoy.

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 10

Skomer Head would have been a wonderful location to sit, relax, enjoy the sunshine and have some light refreshments – if only the Sun had made an appearance! So, just a brief stop at one of the Western most points on Skomer, and we were off again. One of the younger kids who had accompanied her Dad on the afternoon/evening stroll had begun to get a little bored, and had started to make her way back to the farmhouse and accommodation block… we could see a pink blob further up the trail where she was heading. Dad wasn’t at all bothered, and was there with Telescope out, trying to determine if some birds were Rock Pipits or Meadow Pipits. Sadly… we all joined in with his attempts to correctly ID the birds… ☺ (they were Rock Pipits)

Skirting the West shoreline of Skomer, we spotted several more Chough, as well as many Ravens and various species of Gull. The high point for me was watching the Fulmars gracefully rise up from beneath you on the wind that blows up the cliffs having come off the sea.

Heading back inland now on the final leg of the track back to the farmhouse, I was greatly anticipating looking out for and trying to spot one of the 3 the Short Eared Owls we were informed are resident on Skomer. We heard lots of Pipits, Warblers and even House Martins and Swallows – but no real opportunity for any close up shots so I decided to take a few simply of the terrain and landscape features of Skomer Island, besides – believe it or not, the clouds had small breaks in them and Sun was actually beginning to make an appearance. As I didn’t want to be out walking heavily laden with loads of lenses etc, I had only brought the Sigma 50-500mm lens out with me, and thus this was the lens that I used to take these two unremarkable shots; with it set @50mm.

Skomer Landscapes

Side note: One species of animal/insect that were out in force that day... were Slugs. They were everywhere, and there were thousands of them too, I had never seen som many slugs, jet black slugs. Didn't fancy a photo of a slug though

Just as the path veers back to the right towards the farmhouse, there is another small path that leads one directly to the 2nd public hide on Skomer, the North Hide. On the way to this hide I heard the easily recognisable and short zzirrp, zzirrp, zzirrp (not sure if I have the spelling right there ☺ ) of a Stonechat, who was making a vein attempt to keep me away, managed to fire off a few ‘grab’ shots, of which these two were the better ones.

Stonechat

Stepping into the North Hide I was greeted by an RSPB volunteer who was already there (with his Nikon D40 and what looked like a 150mm lens) who excitedly informed me that the Short Eared Owl was out hunting, and was continually drifting from his roost, to a point around a third of a mile West, then returning back to his roost.

Wohoooo… I was going to spot the Short Eared Owl.

First though, I had a quick glance around the small North Pond directly in front of the hide and spotted something in the grass that the RSPB volunteer had advised me he thought was a Whimbrel. [Personally, I disagreed] and politely suggested that it might perhaps be a Curlew. A quick look through the scope confirmed that it was a Curlew as the Whimbrel has quite distinctive head markings and a much shorter beak – which we eventually thought this particular bird wasn’t showing. Though she’s a little too far away for a close-up – see what you think, is she a Whimbrel or a Curlew…?

Curlew…?

Within a few minutes of pointing the binoculars out over the moorland I had spotted him, the Short Eared owl was indeed hunting, but he was way, way off in the distance and unfortunately far too far away for any sort of shot. From where we were sat in the hide, he looked as though he was out hunting over the edge of the North shoreline and not on the moorland that is a feature of this area of the island. Watching at first him through the binoculars, then through the spotting scope, was magical… he was so graceful in flight… slow, purposeful wing beats, and even hovering above the ground like a Kestrel when he spotted something moving on the ground beneath him. He must have gone back and forth several times - right in front of the hide – bit too far away for anything decent.

Nonetheless, he was a truly magnificent sight to sit and watch, and I did manage to bag a few library shots with just the one being ok'ish enough to post on here (1/125th, f6.3, ISO1600);

Short Eared Owl

Feeling thrilled to pieces after an hour or so in the North Hide, and quite content that I had seen a Short Eared Owl in the wild, it was time for the short walk back to the farmhouse and for some grub… I was starving.

More soon...

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 11

One of the great things about an overnight stay on Skomer Island is that the RSPB Wardens invite you to participate in their record keeping; encouraging you to jot down and record what you see, what time it was seen and where you saw it. Some might say sadly, but this is exactly what I had done – from my first visit to the Moor Hide earlier on this afternoon, to my watching the Choughs at the Wick and the Curlew and Short Eared Owl at the North Hide - I had noted each species I had seen down and where I had seen them. I have several small pocket notebooks that sit neatly inside my 'gift from Olympus' (the Olympus Back-Pack) and I am quite vigorous with keeping it up-to-date with what I spot and where I spot it. So, we were invited to the RSPB meeting at 21:30 in what was termed the covered area - adjacent to the farm old buildings – the time now was 21:00, and it was getting dark.

I went to my room and tried to switch the lights on, but alas there was nothing… it was dark, getting darker, and the lights were not working. I strolled back to the RSPB Staff quarters and asked if there was to be any electricity this evening and was advised that the weather had been so poor that the Solar Panels had not generated anything, and that we’d be in the dark for most of the night. The emergency generators would be turned on for an hour or so in order to shower etc, but then… that would be it (which was fine for me as it wasn’t an emergency after all was it!!).

The thing is... there's dark, and then there's real dark! For anyone who has not been where there is no lighting at all, and very little ambient light reflecting off clouds from other parts of the mainland - what 'dark' actually means is,... 'almost pitch black'. It was really dark, and though one could see ones hand in front of ones face, for anyone with claustrophobia or a fear of the dark - then this wouldn't be doing you any good at all.

The meeting was very interesting, with many people participating - enthusiastically providing information on what they had seen during the day – nice to see that the RSPB tries to encourage overnight visitors to the island to participate in some of the record keeping. They also keep records of any Butterflies and Moths that have been seen… though I have no knowledge there and couldn’t contribute anything other than ‘I saw a white one earlier’!

Another side note: I must admit to correcting a thread I had made earlier in this series where I had omitted the ‘000’ or ‘thousand’ from the number of Manx Shearwater breeding pair numbers I had quoted in that first post. I had said there were 125 breeding pairs of Manx Shearwaters – haha, what a joke – I had meant to say there were 125,000 breeding pairs of Manx Shearwaters – yep, a quarter of a million birds, of just one species, coming in to land… all at once – what a sight.

Nearly everyone who was staying overnight had plans to be out during the night to see the Manx Shearwaters come in to their burrows and to feed their chicks. We were advised of the best location, agreed to meet up at 11:00 and make our way back towards the jetty and greeting point – which apparently is one of the better locations to see the Manx’s.

We were also asked to cover our torches with red filter paper as the bright lights of the non filtered torches might distract and disorient the incoming birds. We were also asked if we could refrain from photographing them in the air with flash, and keep use of flash to a minimum. So… only ground shots of the Manx’s then…!

So, at 23:00 prompt – we all set off along the pathway heading back towards the jetty hoping to get a glimpse of Puffinus puffinus – the Manx Shearwater – once again, Skomer was not going to disappoint us.

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 12

As I mentioned earlier, the darkness could be considered quite overwhelming – it was almost pitch black, and we most certainly could not have found our way along any of the paths without the use of torches. Turning them off to see what it was like yielded almost pitch-blackness, and I will freely admit to feeling a little claustrophobic in this darkness.

How absurd really is that feeling eh? i.e. feeling claustrophobic in such a vast open space… it sure is very weird how the body and mind can get confused isn’t it…? Anyway, for peace of mind I had ensured I had a placed my set of eight new Duracell AA batteries safely in my back-pack, with one pair being on hand in my pocket – just in case the ones I had in the torch felt like running out on me!

So... we all moved along the path, in almost blackness, towards where we were advised the best vantage point was to get sight of Puffinus puffinus.

Another thing that I found quite astonishing, was the sound of the Manx’s as you gradually moved away from the farmhouse and along the path into the darkness to where they come in. At first, one can hear the feint sound of squawking, but as you move further away the sound becomes frantic, in fact, the sound becomes more than frantic, it becomes massive… and you can hear it literally all around you – everywhere. Then you start to see shapes coming towards you in the dark, that always seem to veer off at the very last minute, sometimes though those shapes come to an abrupt halt after hitting your legs and you feel the wave of adrenalin hit your body... there are thousands, literally thousands of Manx’s here – and they are everywhere. The feeling is quite astounding, and it is nothing like I have experienced before… it is fantastic, and is something every living person should experience. I feel myself becoming overwhelmed by these birds, totally overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of them, their calls, their frailty and clumsiness when they land on the ground and scurry away from you.

Fantastic… is all that I can say about this… it is simply wonderful.

We finally made it down to the greeting point where we could relax and sit on the benches, and once again the Manx’s were literally everywhere. They landed at our feet, they landed in the sedge right behind us, they landed on the paths… it is an awesome experience.

There is some ambient light at the greeting point, light that was being reflected off the underside of the clouds from the mainland; the huge Milford Haven oil terminal, and the ships and tankers that were moored out in the bay. This light allowed us to see the birds coming in from the sea, flying over only feet from our heads; and I saw many 'overnighters' arms come up in protection and anticipation of an imminent ‘hit’… thankfully they always seemed to veer off though and never made a direct hit!

What can I say... in the excitement, noise and general overwhelming experience that seeing these Manx Shearwaters brought to me, I simply forgot about the camera, and forgot to get decent shots… all I can say is that the whole experience simply ‘got to me’ and I was away with the fairies in my own little world!

I did eventually come back down to reality and to my senses on the way back to the farmhouse, and managed to get this one shot of a Manx as he/she landed right in front of me;

Manx Shearwater

… and this of one of the many Toads along the path who I presume were feeding on the many thousands of slugs that were still about.

Toad and Slug

I don’t mean to sound trite here, but I can honestly say that apart from my wedding day, and my kids being born, this experience was up there as one of the most profound experiences of my life… it was simply awesome.

Not much more to say at this point really.

 

[theMusicMan]

The Overnighters Skomer Island Experience... Part 13

The ‘Manx Shearwater’ experience over, back at the accommodation sitting on my bead in the dark having said goodnight to my fellow ‘overnighters’ – I only wished Heather (my daughter) was here with me, as I am sure she would have loved the experience just as much as I did.

[… and to cap this off – just as I write this first paragraph of part 13 - right now, Heather has got up out of bed and immediately came into my sanctuary (for those who have read this thread will know that ‘sanctuary’ is my conservatory) for a good morning hug… how I feel blessed!]

I sleep well that night, very contented – despite the darkness.

Morning comes soon enough, and with it the same fog and cloud that was present the previous day – but at least there’s no rain. However, I find myself in a bit of a quandary – do I pack everything away ready to leave, or wait until 08:30 until Tansy advises me if the boats are sailing today…?
I decide to clear up and pack up my gear as, even though the weather looks much the same as it did yesterday morning, I consider it not rough enough to warrant no trips to Skomer today. So it’s off with the pillow case, off with the under-sheet, and away with the sleeping bag – with the secret hope that the weather is poor enough such that there are no sailings today. I know that sounds awfully mean to those waiting at the jetty in Martins Haven hoping to come across to Skomer themselves, but I mean no ill – it’s just this place, I love it.

A quick 30-minute stroll before breakfast along the Northerly path just outside the accommodation block yielded the usual crop of Gulls as well as several Reed Buntings frolicking about in the sedge, but I didn’t take the camera with me this time, just the binoculars so no more photographs today I'm afraid.

When I got back to my room Tansy was in the lounge and had advised the family from Ilkeston that there were indeed going to be several sailings to and from Skomer today – so for me it was the end of a wonderful day and night on Skomer Island.

I packed up my gear and placed it all in the area where the staff collect it from to load onto the tractor to take it down to the jetty for you – leaving me lightly laden with only my Binoculars and a free hour to roam around before the boat I needed to get on leaves. I decided to simply take a slow stroll along the route back to the jetty and see what I could see… it doesn’t matter really where you are on Skomer, there’s always birds about… they are everywhere. I did manage to spot several more Buntings and Pipits, as well as a Chiffchaff, Ravens, Crows, Willow Warblers – and the Little Owl was at the same place as yesterday afternoon – on the Southerly running wall about 150 yards from the farmhouse én route to the jetty. I took a quick look at one of the many Lime Kilns – the one to the left of the path close to the jetty, then headed down to the jetty itself as I had spotted the Dale Princess only 500 yards from the island – and needed to get down to the boarding point.

As I waited at the boarding point I met Luke, and he informed me about another excellent birding location – Llanelli Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Reserve. Now then… I’ll leave this story shortly by firstly asking if you have any idea where I spent several hours that afternoon? ☺

In summary: Skomer is a wonderful place, it really is. It is a place that takes you away from everything and places you right in the heart of nature at its very best. It has that air of magic, and that feeling one experiences so often as a child – that of excitement and anticipation of what surprises are around the next corner, what’s over that next cliff or down that path… I had a wonderful experience staying on Skomer and I very much look forward to going back, and... I know I will, the thing is... will you…?

The end – hope you enjoyed the read everyone.*chr

 

[IanC_UK]

an even better read 2nd and 3rd time John

 

[OneTen]

I'd 2nd...and 3rd that.

 

[Kip²²²]

Interesting read. You've definitely sold it to me! Thanks.

 

[groovemaster]

very interesting thread

 

[Impspeed]

I'm going to pull this one back up to the top for anyone on the TP Skomer Island trip next week or anyone planning an overnighter on Skomer in the future!


DB

 

[theMusicMan]

Well that's very nice of you fullframe... Thanks.

I had forgotten about this thread, hope it provides some useful information to those going to Skomer in a week or so.

 

[Hairyduck]

Great thread, I'm even more excited now

 

[Nick T]

Lovely read