Pembrokeshire - Part 3

It would be fair to say that the boat over to Skomer on a rough sea would be one of the more terrifying experiences I may have encounter, luckily the waves were pretty small so the 15 min crossing from Martin's Haven jammed in like a can of sardines wasn't to bad. On entering the North Haven you are instantly transported to a place where birds rule the roost, the shear numbers of Razorbills, Guillemots & Puffins heading out to fish is staggering. A quick briefing from the Wardens and we were off, deciding on the opposite direction than the Puffins which most of the boats passengers seemed to head for. We instantly picked up a Short-eared Owl being harassed by a Gull as it glided low over top of the island. The one thing that strikes you immediately other than the large quantities of Rabbits and Gulls is the colourful carpet of Campion and Bluebells which seems to cover the entire surface of this treeless island. Quite the sight to behold.

Lesser Black backed Gull in amongst the Campion

Flowers as far as the eye can see

As mentioned before the amount of Rabbits on the island is gargantuan with no natural predator they've been left to thrive and its hard to tell whats a Rabbit, Puffin or Manx Shearwater burrow. Amongst the local population were quite a few pure black colour variants.

Black Rabbit

Perched on the various scrubby bushes throughout the island were a lot of smaller birds, Linnet, Whitethroat, Meadow Pipit and Sedge Warbler all picked up within minutes, one particular Sedge Warbler happily singing away in its territory near the middle of the island, and pausing in the open enough for me to grab a few shots.

Campion Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Other than the song of the Warblers on the Island, there is one call that resonates throughout, with Footpaths crisscrossing the land at various points, the best spots to nest seem to be fairly close by, and with a fair amount of traffic walking past the resident Oystercatchers kick up quite a din. But also means they're quite photogenic.

Oystercatcher

Part 4 Coming Tomorrow

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