Fratercola arctica, Puffin. specially up the stairs!

A planned trip to South Wales, in particular the Pembrokeshire coastline, was certainly going to be interesting. My last visit to this rugged and stunning coastline was in 1978 or there abouts. The plan was arrive Friday set camp and explore the area, gaining correct information on the ferry! and of course prices.
With Gannets and Chough  around the Martin Haven bay, Swallows in and out of the Toilet block feeding young it was to be a fine trip.
The sea state was calm with a good Southwesterly, Puffin, Razorbill, Guillemot, Gannet, Northern Fulmer and Kittiwakes were all on the sea and around the boat at times, even a nice small pod of Harbour Porpoise. With the boat carrying 50 people (bit like Sardines) the camera had to stay protected against the salt spray.
Arrival and unloading was at low tide so the number of steep stairs were more than expected! But with a large raft of Birds very near the landing point and getting closer the climb was put of for a while.

Herring Gull with Stolen nest material

Resting above the waterline

Having a Kip

Razorbill fly by

The walk over the Island was a keeping the eyes open for Little & Short-ear Owls which are doing well here. The cliff tops are literally covered in Burrows of either Puffin or Shearwater, which gather in very large numbers at dusk ready to move into their nesting burrows under the cover of darkness. The vantage points were humorous as the Puffins, arriving, beaks full of eels. With the on shore wind they were able to out-manoeuvre the Gulls and drop right into their burrows, a few would even land in front of the onlookers and walk through the feet to the burrows on the other side of the path. The cliffs were covered in Kittiwakes, Fulmer, Razorbill, Guillemots and the scavenging gulls.

The corpses of Shearwaters, that had not left before daylight lay every where you walked. proving the value of getting up and out early!

Gannet

Damn tourists!

Not what you would call a shout!

Breakfast delivery

To include some of the larger stuff.

Chough on the cliffs were screaming for Mum.

Juvvy following the pack.

Needling for tasty morsels.

The trip to Skomer is well worth the £17 cost however you only get 5 hours on the Island, but for £25 per night there is self catering accommodation available, right bugger getting all your kit there to say the least. They do have a tractor to take the heavier things to the building, travelling light could be the order of the day!!

A definite return is in order for this lovely Island to include Grassholme and the Shearwater rafts.

Paul