Saturday 16 May 2009

Sunshine through Bluebells........











Welcome to the new Skomer Island blog



We plan to update this weekly and hope to have input from all sorts of people that stay on the island to give a complete view of life on the island. We will include news on what we've been up to on the island, how the breeding seabirds are doing and what migrant birds have been seen. For more details of the birds and wildlife check out the monthly reports at......http://www.welshwildlife.org/birdandwildlifereports_en.link



A busy and varied May week. The weather has been unpredictable (predictabley!) with some spells of watery spring sunshine, some quick wind driven showers, some thick fog patches and lots of wind. This mixed bag of weather has bought in some good birds on some days. Lots of Spotted Flycatchers, a Cuckoo, Lesser Whitethroat and a Golden Oriole were the highlights. Mike managed to get a record shot of the Oriole.





Golden Oriole, M. Wallen




This week a lot of time was put into counting Gulls, Mike W counted Lesser Black, Tessa mapped Greater Blacks and Jo Herrings. Some of the Herring counts were done from Kayak, which was challenging in choppy conditions!


Our six volunteers this week have been merrily helping day visitors, particularly at the Wick using the new telescope to show them great views of the Razorbils, Guillemots and Kittiwakes.
First Greater Black chicks this week and Kittiwakes are incubating. A puffin count late in the week estimated 13508 Puffins.


The bluebells have been at their peak this week and looked stunning in North Valley with the low spring sunshine shining through them. There is a gale blowing at the moment which sadly is going to ruin them.


Jo Milborrow
Skomer Warden

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