Field work update: seals

There can be few sounds in the British Isles more evocative than the cries of seals echoing around a rocky cove on a grey, bleak island morning. Standing quietly and peering into the autumnal drizzle, Skomer feels smaller and more remote than its actual position less than a mile from the busy Pembrokeshire mainland. Perhaps it’s not surprising that seals have long since featured in Celtic and Norse folklore. Selkies are described as melancholic mystical creatures with the ability to shape shift between human and seal, and often described as having the souls of drowned sailors trapped within...

Known primarily for its bustling seabird colonies during the summer months, Skomer Island and its surrounding waters are also an important breeding site for the Atlantic grey seal Halichoerus grypus. Approximately 4% of the UK population of Atlantic grey seal, breed in Wales. Of these, most are found in Pembrokeshire which has the largest breeding population in southwest Britain (Stringell et al., 2014).

Once the seabirds have returned to sea for the winter, staff and volunteers monitor all the main pupping sites around the island as part of the seal fieldwork programme from late July until mid November.

Skomer’s seal monitoring programme

Since Skomer’s seal monitoring programme started in 1983, observations have been carried out annually generating estimates for:

1.       Productivity (number of pups born)

2.       Survival (of these, how many survive)

3.       Population (how many seals are present during the breeding season)

Pups are followed through regular observation from vantage points above key pupping beaches. The busiest sites around The Neck are covered every two days, with quieter beaches visited every four days. To maintain consistency and provide optimal conditions for finding pups, monitoring is undertaken two hours either side of low water (though at the height of the pupping season fieldwork can stretch to six hours or more per visit).

A widely used classification guide (Smith, 1966) is a useful tool for estimating the age and condition of each pup. Pups take roughly 21 days to become fully weaned and independent. This three week period is divided into five: Class I (1-5 days), Class II (6-10 days), Class III (11-15 days), Class IV (16-20 days) and Class V (21+ days). Class I pups are small and thin with a clearly defined neck, whereas healthy Class IV pups are barrel shaped and are usually moulting their white coat revealing a glossy first year pelage. Each pup is also given a condition score from 1 to 5, with 1 described as thin and weak, and 5 being exceptionally round and well fed.

To estimate the island population, counts of adult seals are also carried out every two days, with these counts split into three categories: male, female and immature. Numbers of weaned pups are also recorded. All the island seal data is transferred from notebooks to a database after each site visit from which annual statistics can easily be generated. 

To date, this season Skomer has recorded 239 pups across 14 sites.

Our colleagues at the marine conservation zone (MCZ) based in Martin’s Haven monitor the local mainland beaches the same way. By using the same methodology, island and mainland data can be combined to provide a comprehensive picture for the whole marine conservation area.

Any data set increases in value, the longer the timeframe, and the more consistent it remains. That Skomer has over 40 years of continuous data for Atlantic grey seals is just another of the many reasons that makes it such a valuable place for conservation science.

Autumn fieldwork

Unlike summer seabird monitoring which is undertaken on fine, dry days with little wind, seal monitoring is much more of an all weather sport. Seal ‘rounds’ are conducted regardless of wind and rain, and in the poorest weather can bear a considerable likeness to caving back home in some of Derbyshire’s muddier potholes!

To keep a low profile and avoid disturbance requires a considerable amount of careful crawling around  amongst the honeycomb structure of abandoned seabird burrows. Adults and pups have an impressive ability to get into the most convoluted of places, so a careful scan from different vantage points is essential to cover all possible hiding places. Often braced against the weather, with the added difficulty of peering through misty optics in the driving rain this can be a considerable challenge, but one which gets easier with the experience gained from multiple visits. Waterproof notebooks are order of the day, with boots, full waterproofs and warm layers. Autumn days are varied though, and for each soaking visit, there are plenty of others which are still and calm, or even bright and sunny.

Like most fieldwork, each visit brings a rollercoaster of emotions: from odd moments of mild peril such as chasing a notebook caught by a sudden gust of wind, to the exhilaration of being out in all weathers and seeing big Atlantic seas thundering into the island cliffs. Then there’s despair at seeing adult seals with horrific injuries sustained through entanglement with fishing gear, and the brutal reality of seeing bloody pups lying still - attacked and killed by aggressive bulls - or wedged tightly amongst large boulders having been drowned by big waves and high spring tides. Then there’s also amusement, even joy, in watching a young pup gently playing with a tuft of grass at the top of a beach, exhibiting surprise and frustration each time it blows back in its face after being batted away. Or a weaned pup playing in the shallows and chasing its tail on a warm, calm afternoon.

With the rapid increase in technology for wildlife monitoring, observational fieldwork such as this is rapidly becoming seen as archaic. But for all the benefits new technology brings, I think much can still be learnt using this approach, and that useful data can still be collected simply with a pair of binoculars and a notebook. I count myself lucky to have been able to spend time observing seals through this autumn whilst contributing to the 42^nd season of data collection for the project. 

- Will Whittington, field worker

Sensational Seabirds – September 2025

The group sea watching

We again feel so honoured to be able to contribute a blog about our recent visit to Skomer in mid-September.

We arrived on the 14^th, with - it felt like too much food/ luggage, as by the time I reached the top of the steps I was exhausted. Maybe there’s more steps……… or just maybe I’m not as young as I was.

But here to greet us were the most amazing, friendly, incredible people you could ever meet!

After a touch and go few days regarding the boat running, we made the weather window and we were on the island, just in front of a rapidly approaching deep depression and storm (originally labelled as Storm Amy).

We planned to spend as much time as we could seawatching over the coming days, as well as helping out with ‘jobs’ and any other birding we could squeeze in.

The storm coming looked pretty intense and surely some good seabirds were coming our way too, but nothing could have prepared us for the next few days – it was mind-blowing !!

We rapidly unpacked, stocked up with food and got ourselves to the public hide as the storm unleashed torrential rain and really strong winds.

Our plan – sit it out in the hide and wait for the waders to drop into North pond.

Well, not too much happened for a long while, then a Ringed Plover flew over, and then just as the rain eased a bit, waders ! And a big flock of them. Panic ensued in the hide as cameras and binoculars flew around in case they didn’t land- but luckily they did, 16 in total, 15 Black-tailed Godwit and a single Bar-tailed.

Godwits arriving in the rain - Mike

Godwits on North Pond - Ted.

The rain stopped, we walked West looking for grounded American waders - none, but we did see a nice Pied Flycatcher.

After doing some work it was an evening seawatch at the Garland Stone on the agenda  – the sea was wild, really wild ! And there were birds, lots of birds, with flying white blobs all over St Brides Bay.

Highlights for what was quite a short seawatch were –

1 Juv Sabines Gull

1 Balearic Shearwater

1 Little Tern

5 Black Tern

2 Arctic Skua

31 Common Scoter

A juvenile Sabines Gull - Ted

 

The following day looked like – THE DAY – for seabirds, we got to bed early, everyone was planning and excited for the next day, we couldn’t wait to wake up 😊 

September 15^th

WOW ! What a day.

Storm force winds, force 10, due West, with the weather Buoy at St Ann’s Head recording 11 metre waves.

Many of us settled in behind rocks near Pigstone Bay for a long seawatch and after a short break for lunch we went back and did the same in the afternoon/ evening.

There were so many birds in St Brides Bay, with easily 500 terns on show at the same time. Birds filtered out of the bay, around the headland and out into the Irish Sea. Within minutes the first adult Sabines Gull passed, then Skuas, then terns, it was crazy stuff and at times difficult to keep up.

The sea was huge, we were getting whacked by the wind, even behind our rock, but my goodness were we happy, smiles all round, and the birds just kept coming, all day!

All four Skuas in a day, masses of terns and 19 Sabines Gulls during the morning watch, the seawatching of dreams 😊

Sabines and seabirds - Ted

Totals for the day came to –

C2000 Commic Terns

33 Arctic Skuas

2 Long-tailed Skuas

1 Pomarine Skua

6 Great Skuas

20, yes 20 Sabines Gulls

31 Black Terns

5 Balearic Shearwaters

 

The 16^th September was much of the same, I think we all felt like we had been staring at the sea too much by the days end, but again it was so worth it!

Highlights were –

16 Arctic Skuas

1 Pomarine Skua

2 Great Skua

14 Black Tern

11 Sandwich Tern

11 Sabines Gulls

 

An Arctic Skua - Ted

17th September

Four of us braved the conditions at Skomer Head as the wind had shifted to the WSW. The weather was pretty awful as we got covered in sea spray and drizzle as well as being battered even more by the wind.

Then somehow Ted found not one, not two, but three Grey Phalarope on the sea really close in by the cliffs.

I simply can’t adequately describe how tiny these birds were compared to the enormous seas driving them into Skomer’s coast. They were so close in, but unless they flapped their wings it was virtually impossible to see them, even with a scope, due to the weather and the waves.

Ceris ran from the farm, and she made it 😊 In time to see a Skomer Grey Phalarope, it seems that Ceris enjoys running for seabirds (she did the same in Sept 24 for a Great Shearwater).

Little did we know that during the afternoon/ evening seawatch at the Garland Stone that Ceris would find her own one - just how cool is that.

Highlights for the day –

4 Grey Phalarope

4 Sabines Gulls

10 Black Tern

56 Common Scoter

21 Common Tern 

Seabirds kept coming - Ted

The 18^th was to be our last day, and it looked like there was one boat, in the morning, but as a number of us seawatched at the Garland Stone we received the joyous news that the boat was delayed until lunchtime – whoop, whoop !

So we settled in and got focussed, Will had to go and look at Seals, soon it was just Ceris and the two of us, but the birds continued to thrill and amaze us with Sabine’s Gulls right in by the Garland Stone and Skuas chasing Kittiwakes all over the place in front of us. 

An Arctic Skua chases Kittiwakes - Mike

Incredibly we then saw a Tuna leap out – a sign of things to come as our seas warm and these huge fish move further north.

Highlights for the morning were –

4 Sabines Gulls

5 Arctic Skuas

83 Arctic Tern

21 Black-headed Gulls

1 Balearic Shearwater

1 Tuna

 

Then it was time to go.

Never before have we paid so little attention to Skomer’s bushes.

Never before have we stared so hard at crazy, awesome seas.

 

Bearing in mind that in 40 years I’ve only ever seen 1 Sabine’s Gull (2024), no Black Tern, no Grey Phalarope, and probably about 25 Skuas…………

Selected totals for the 4 incredible days 

45 Sabine’s Gulls

77 Black Tern

80 Skuas

5 Grey Phalaropes

 

We were sorry to go, to leave this magical place, the ridiculous numbers of seabirds, the breathtaking seas, the most beautiful place on Planet Earth.

But like anywhere else in the world, it’s the people that make it – whilst Rob was off island, could you honestly find anyone more genuine and wonderful than Leighton and Sarah, Ceris and Will, and Anna who had to watch us eat mountains of food – Thank you all, you are amazing 😊

Ted sea watching - Mike

 

Until May 2026…………

Mike + Ted Wallen

How Many Young Birders Long is a Humpback Whale? And other island conundrums.

An August / Early September Update

Events:

Black to Nature

Our events season for 2025 was kicked off with a visit from a group of 11-16 year olds from the Black to Nature group based in Bristol. This group aims to increase access to nature for young people from visible minority ethnic groups. The group got involved in a range of activities including moth trapping, a bird race, rockpooling and seal pup watching! 

Day 1 involved an introductory walk and wildlife spot around the island - it was good day for it with plenty of birds and a group of Common Dolphin making an appearance at Garland Stone. Day 2 started off with moth trapping. Despite the early start the group got stuck in with our moth matching game - learning to differentiate between a campion and lychennis and recognise the shapes and patterns on everything from cetacous hebrew character to a spectacled moth. There were high stakes in the final rounds of moth matching - with several of the young people giving Rob our Visitor Officer a run for his money! Later on the group headed out to see the seal pups from Captain Kites and went down to North Haven for some rockpooling. The group had some fantastic finds including Cornish Sucker Fish, a Porcelain Crab, a Common Prawn, Velvet Swimming Crabs and Edible Crabs. Day 3 was the bird race and island scavenger hunt - where the group were split into smaller teams to find a series of items around the island beginning with each letter of the alphabet and as many different bird species as they could. The day was finished off with a quiz and prizes for the winners of each activity! We had a fab time with the group and we look forward to seeing them back next year!

A group of young people on the Black to Nature trip exploring the island with Assistant Warden Ceris.

Manx Shearwater Week

We had three groups come out to the island for Manx Shearwater Week this year to learn more about these fantastic birds that are so special to Skomer. Groups had a talk from the Oxford University Navigation group that conducts Manx Shearwater research on the island and a chance to have a go at chick weighing with them! Evenings on the island were spent looking for rafting manxies off the coast before heading out at night to see the fledglings. In spite of some slightly mixed weather the week was greatly enjoyed by all!

Yoga Week, Art Week and Folk Music Week

Some of our creative events this year included our yoga, art and folk music weeks! Despite a delayed start to the yoga week with the stormy weather, the group enjoyed exploring the island and practising yoga in some scenic spots around the coast of the island. Our Art week group had a go at a variety of techniques to capture some of Skomer's natural beauty including cyanotyping and ink work which produced some beautiful results. Everyone on the island enjoyed a viewing of the artwork set up on the final evening! The Folk music week was a fantastic event - hearing folk music playing around the farm and courtyard throughout the day was particularly special, and everyone enjoyed sitting around the hostel lounge of an evening listening to the group play. On the last evening we had a Ceilidh in the courtyard which was fantastic fun (although featuring some slightly questionable dancing skills) - it was the first Ceilidh held on Skomer that we know of!

An evening performance from the folk music group.

The end of week viewing of the Art Group's work.

Young Birders Week

We had two groups of young people age 18-25 visit us for Young Birders Week in early September. This event is also aimed at increasing access to nature, in particular for young people. The groups enjoyed exploring the island, moth trapping and watching seals and cetaceans around the coast. Whilst looking for cetaceans we decided to try and work out how many Young Birders Long (YBL) various cetacean species are. We measured everything from a Harbour Porpoise (1 Young Birder Long / YBL) to a Humpback Whale (16 YBL = 1 YBG/ Young Birders Group)! To finish off the week the groups, staff and volunteers enjoyed taking part in a (very competitive) bird race, with some fantastic sightings all round. We were all impressed by the fantastic creativity on display with the team names for the bird race, including the 'Alpha Shearwater Squadron', Puffin it to win it' and 'Volun-Shearwaters'!

A Harbour Porpoise is 1 YBL (Young Birders Long)

A Humpback Whale is 16 YBL = 1 YBG (Young Birders Group)

Autumn Migration Sightings and Wildlife Updates

The last few weeks has had some great birds seen around the island with Autumn Migration. Some particular highlights from August included a Wryneck, a Western Bonelli's Warbler and a Spoonbill flying over the island! With stormy weather in September we headed out sea watching and saw  Arctic Skuas, Great Skuas, Pomarines Skuas, Sabine's Gull, Black Terns, Comic Terns, Arctic Terns and even several Grey Phalarope!

Seals have been keeping Will and Anna busy, with us now being in the midst of pupping season! We are currently up to about 130 pups around the island coast! Seal pups are graded based on age and condition and monitored as part of the fieldwork on the island.

Some of the more varied weather over the last couple of months has lead to some fantastic views and photos around the island which I've included below.

Lightning striking over the trig point.

A sunrise over Captain Kites.

A double rainbow in North Haven.

Some stormy seas at Pigstone Bay.

An evening sea watch at Pigstone Bay.

A Hwyl Fawr From Me

I've had the most amazing time as an LTV here over the last three months am very sorry to be leaving this week! I've learnt so much and am very grateful for the opportunity I've had. Skomer is somewhere I've loved visiting since since I was very small and to be able to come over here as an LTV has been a fantastic experience. A big thank you to all the birds, people and other wildlife that have made it so special!

Diolch yn fawr am ddarllen!

Anna 

Long Term Volunteer for July-September.

Seals, Steps And Generator Sheds - A July/ Early August Island Update

Seals, Steps And Generator Sheds - A July/ Early August Island Update

Wildlife and Monitoring Updates

Goodbye to the Auks & Amy

In July we said goodbye to the last of the razorbills and guillemots! The final chicks fledged (or became Greater Black Backed lunch) and the last of the adults left the island. Amy, Will and Pete's study plots were completed! We still had one or two puffin stragglers about in early August, but the Wick was looking very empty and quiet compared to just a few weeks previously. With the auks leaving, so did Amy (fortunately fledging, not eaten by a Greater Black Backed Gull) - one of our LTV's from the April-July season. We were all very sad to see her go! Amy has included her goodbye message at the end of this blog.

One of the last puffins enjoying a sunset before their departure.

Vole Monitoring 

At the end of July we started monitoring of our endemic vole subspecies - the Skomer Vole (Myodes glareolus skomerensis). We were joined by Dr Claire Risley to start the monitoring off, before the project was handed over to the island team. Longworth traps are set up with some cosy hay and vole snacks for the night, and then checked early in the morning. Voles are weighed, measured and marked before being let go, to help us obtain population data and learn more about this unique species. Skomer voles are larger, and generally believed to be more docile than the mainland Bank Vole. Getting to be a part of this project and see the voles up close was a fantastic experience, I'm sure the whole team would agree we all found the project greatly enjoyable!

Amy (right) with Claire (left) checking one of the Longworth Traps for a Skomer Vole.

Cetacean Monitoring

For my research project over the next three months I am monitoring and aiming to Photo ID cetaceans around the island. So far we've had some pretty good turn ups - with several sightings of Risso's dolphins, a large pod of Common Dolphin coming in very close at Skomer Head and regular sightings of Harbour Porpoise. Based on markings, notches and scarring on the fins of these animals I am hoping to be able to identify individuals and give them a unique ID code. This would then give us an idea whether the animals we are seeing are the same individuals regularly feeding in the same sites, or different groups of animals passing through. This involves working with the Porpoise Photo ID catalogue already put together by my colleagues at Sea Trust Wales, to see if any of the porpoise I spot around the island are the same as the individuals we see at Sea Trust's other survey sites around the Pembrokeshire Coast. 

Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) at Skomer Head.

Greater Black Backed Gull Nest Site Surveys

At the start of August Amy and Anna headed out with Will to survey Greater Black Backed Gull nest sites. The aim was to count the number of Manx Shearwater remains within 10m of the nest site to try and see the affect of GBB predation on their population - to do this we used a tripod and rope to form a circular area surrounding successful nest sites (aptly nicknamed 'The Wheel of Death' by previous LTV Nick). The sites had been cleared of Manx Shearwater remains at the start of the season, so all remains counted we knew would be from this season and can therefore attribute a rate of manxie predation to one season of GBB gulls nesting on the island.

Amy and Will examining a Greater Black Backed Gull pellet.

The First Seal Pups

With the start of August came the first Skomer seal pups! We had three spotted off the Neck and another in at South Haven. With the puffins departing just a few days prior alongside a couple of chilly misty mornings this definitely felt like a marker for the turn of the seasons into Autumn. We're looking forward to starting up our seal monitoring again over the next few weeks and seeing plenty more cute seal pups!

Autumn Migration

Autumn migration was kicked off with the appearance of flying lemons in North Haven (flying lemon refers to Willow Warbler fledglings, not airborne citrus fruits - something which initially caused some confusion with the LTV's), which were closely followed by the appearance of Reed Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Blue Tits and Turnstone - keep an eye on our recent sightings page to see what else shows up this Autumn!

Island Life Updates

DIY and Step Repairs

With bad weather causing a couple of no boats days in July it gave us some time to crack on with jobs that are usually harder to do with visitors about. Ceris taught Anna and Amy how to rebuild some of the steps on the slope at North Haven. We learnt and practised various DIY skills including how to properly drill screws in place, how to saw a square edge, how to make the step level and how to deliver a solid kick when the wood for the step edge won't fit in place!

The DIY work continued following a barge delivery with a new back up generator for the island. The old generator shed was disassembled and volunteer Martin arrived to help us build a new one for our shiny new generator. Anna was able to further her DIY skills education to include cladding and using a circular saw! A picture of the completed shed can be seen below.

Anna securing one of the new steps in place.

Amy, Ceris and Anna with the newly repaired steps.

The new generator shed constructed by one of our
volunteers Martin, along with some help/ hinderance from Anna.

Girl Power

With Leighton and Rob both off on leave at the end of July the island had an all female team of staff and volunteers for the week! We had busy few days - including a gas delivery with a number of full gas canisters to get up the 87 steps at North Haven, think it's safe to say we smashed it!

Two of our weekly volunteers (Grace and Emma) and LTV Amy carrying one of the (very heavy) gas canisters up the steps at North Haven!

The War of the Rosebay

Rosebay willowherb is an invasive species on the island and over the last few weeks I've been trying to map it's presence and pull it up where it's found. This has been an interesting opportunity to see some parts of the island I haven't visited before, as well as to learn more about this plant - it spreads through rhizomes (sometimes called 'runners'), which are like long arms that spread from the plant's roots. I've also discovered that Rosebay plant stems can be cooked like asparagus and the leaves can be eaten in salads - very handy when I'm running low on fresh of fruit and veg!

I've had a very enjoyable first few weeks on the island and am very much looking forward to the rest of my time here!

Diolch yn fawr am ddarllen!

Anna - new LTV for July, August, September

A Goodbye Message From Amy

What an incredible unforgettable few months it has been, it feels just like yesterday I was stepping off the boat, full of excitement ready to start my journey on Skomer. It has truly been the best few months of my life, I’ve learnt so much and gained so much experience, I’ve loved that each day would always bring something totally different. From giving the visitor welcome talks, sharing my passion for the island with new arrivals to helping with the seabird counts and Manx shearwater census, to doing the bio security checks and the thrill of learning to drive the gator was a definite highlight! I had the amazing opportunity to monitor the productivity of my favourite seabird the razorbill, sitting down at bull hole everyday, scope and binoculars at the ready looking for the first eggs, waiting for the chicks to hatch and seeing those tiny fluff balls grow into fledglings was a real privilege & something I’ll never forget. I also loved my time working on the curlew project, following these beautiful birds across the island, mapping their movements and behaviour, gave me a new appreciation for these beautiful waders.

Skomer is a place of magic, everyday has been an adventure, a chance to witness nature in its rawest, most beautiful form. From the sights and sounds of seabirds echoing around the cliffs, to short eared owls gliding across the bracken, seals basking on the rocks and the amazing spectacle every night when the Manx shearwaters return to their burrows under the cloak of darkness, their calls a haunting chorus in the night.

But it’s not just the wildlife that has made this experience so incredible. It’s the people. The small, tight knit community on Skomer that feels like family. There’s a unique camaraderie that comes from sharing a place so special. The Skomer team is a group of passionate, dedicated and kind hearted individuals and I’m so grateful to be apart of it. 

As I pack my bags, my heart is full of gratitude. Thank you Skomer for the sunsets that set the sea on fire, the friendships that will last a lifetime and for the memories that I’ll cherish forever. This isn’t a goodbye, but a see you later & I can't wait to be back soon!

-Amy

Island update - June/early July

Take a look at what our LTVs Molly and Amy have been up to during June and early July!
 

Seabird counting

We both feel extremely grateful for the opportunity to help the island team with seabird counts this year as long-term volunteers.

Counting guillemots, razorbills, fulmar and kittiwake from both land and boat takes great practise, land counts enabled us to get a good feel for counting, with the Mew Stone as our first mission. Razorbills tucked away in crevices and guillemots huddled together tight on the cliffs; it was fun to get our eye in and learn how technical, but rewarding, counting can be. Boat counts were great too, with a little more experience under my belt it allowed for the added element of sea swell! Seeing Skomer Island from the sea is extraordinary, the volcanic geology and beautiful lichen covered cliff faces really blew me away. Counts are done as systematically as possible, with the island split into sections using boundaries such as cliff cracks. Teams of two will take a species within that section and using clickers the counting begins! Teammates will compare counts completed in a section and must be within 10% of each other, an average is then taken. All counts from each section are then combined to give a total island population for each species.

Helping with manx shearwater census involved playing calls into burrows, across many plots around the island, and documenting call back response. This yearly census allows members of staff to assess the current state of the manx shearwater population on Skomer Island. Whole island counts are completed every 10 years. Helping out gave us an opportunity to see some areas of the island usually left unvisited; all covered in tall bracken and hidden burrows!

 

Amy counting the guillemots and razorbills at the Pigstone

Molly counting the seabirds at The Wick

Chough update

Chough have been a joy to monitor on Skomer Island. Locating nest sites tucked away in the cliffs, distinguishing each pairs breeding stage throughout the season and differentiating adults with fledglings has allowed me to learn so much about this member of the corvid family. Currently, 8 out of 10 pairs holding territories have fledged chicks. Completing my report will give clear evidence of breeding behaviour, location of nest sites and foraging areas. It will be interested to compare Skomer Islands 2025 productivity with other chough populations around Pembrokeshire once reports have been released.

Razorbill and Curlew updates

The razorbill monitoring has been an absolute highlight from my time here on Skomer. Getting to spend so much time at Bull Hole every day, sat on a cliff edge, scope at the ready and binoculars glued to my eyes! Looking at my 117 pairs to see what they were doing, waiting for each one to move to see if they’d reveal an egg or a chick that was hiding beneath them, an excitement like no other! Then watching the little grey fluff balls grow and then fifteen days after hatching watching them take the leap of faith as they begin to fledge. Day by day the cliffs would become quieter as more and more chicks took the plunge and now only a few remain.

A razorbill chick being closely guarded by its parents, photo by Amy Compton

The curlew on the other hand have been slightly trickier! Trying to locate nest sites of a brown bird in brown bracken at the beginning of the season to trying to locate tiny chicks as the dense foliage grew. But in the end, they finally decided to show themselves and I confirmed that two pairs were successful in fledging chicks, and although this project has been frustrating at times, I’ve learnt so much about these amazing bids and have loved every second!

 

A curlew chick running down the path, photo by Amy Compton

A curlew in a pretty pink sunset, photo by Amy Compton

Grassholm Trip

To celebrate the completion of seabird season, staff, volunteers and researchers had the opportunity to take a boat trip around Grassholm Island. I had never been before and seeing this magnificent island up close was like nothing I had ever experienced before. Grassholm is visible from Skomer but distinguishing its size and the seabird colonies that call the island home were always difficult. I can now confirm, as I have included in many Skomer welcome talks, the island’s white appearance is for certain gannets and all their guano! The island was truly covered. The array of juvenile plumage, adults soaring above the boat, groups diving, it was a spectacle. The speckled white and black of juvenile wing pattern resembled the keys of a piano, with everyone looking slightly different. As of 2024, Grassholm Island is home to 19,199 AOS (Apparent Occupied Sites) of gannets. Due to a huge hit of Avian flu in 2022, Grassholm gannet numbers dropped from 34,491 AOS in 2022 to 16,000 AOS in 2023 (Morgan and Stephens 2024). Let’s hope 2025 numbers continue to show an increase in gannet numbers as seen between 2023 and 2024.

 

Everyone looking up at the gannets in amazement

All smiles after a great boat trip to Grassholm 

A gannet gliding over the water at Grassholm, photo by Amy Compton

Skomer Pride

As a team on Skomer and as part of the wider Wildlife Trust community, representation is extremely important to us. It was great to celebrate Pride and demonstrate to others that diversity is what makes this world a wonderful place. Queerness can be seen across nature; humans are no exception! Some bird species breeding on Skomer Island are also included in Bagemihl’s (1999) list of birds displaying homosexual behaviour. Kittiwake, raven and guillemot are all included, how amazing and beautiful are our ecosystems. The evening involved a potluck and an array of party games, welly throwing, egg and spoon race and even hide and seek. Once again, I am left unsurprised at the level of competitiveness this island holds. We all got rather invested. I am however, left surprised at how hard welly throwing is I must admit! The Trig Point made for a lovely sunset watching spot, the sky was set on fire with pinks and oranges. The celebration was bought to a close with a campfire, sing song and vast quantity of Manx shearwaters darting above our heads in the night sky.

 

Island staff and volunteers celebrating Skomer pride

In action! Welly wanging fun!

Midway through the egg and spoon race

Jumpling watching

As dusk began to settle over the island, anticipation fell over the small group of us gathered at the Amos. The air was filled with the calls of the guillemot chicks as they prepared to take the plunge! Then it began.

One by one tiny fluffballs no bigger than a fist, detached themselves from the rock face. They took the leap of faith, tumbling, rolling and bouncing off the cliffs and most of them hit the water with a surprising gentle splash! Waiting patiently below, bobbing on the waves were the proud fathers, ready to guide their courageous offspring out into the vast open sea.

Watching a jumpling take its leap is not just watching a bird fledge, it’s a heart wrenching moment waiting for each one to make the plunge, gasps and cheers could be heard as each one successfully made it, it’s a privilege to be on Skomer at this time of year, to witness this extraordinary natural phenomenon.

 

A guillemot with its cute fluffy chick

Weighing chicks and gull ringing

Over the past few weeks, we have been lucky enough to get involved in hands on experience helping out Freya and Duncan with the weighing of the cutest little razorbill chicks and pufflings! Each chick had its tiny wing length meticulously measured, they were carefully weighed and if they were big enough, they would be ringed too, this is all done to measure their growth rates.

Another recent island activity we got involved in was the lesser black backed gull catching, this is done to monitor their breeding success. This involved searching through dense tall bracken for the chicks some of which would hunker down and be easily caught while others would decide to run and put up a fight! So, you’d then have to quickly follow the rustling of the bracken and sometimes run after them if they came out into a clearing, and try to avoid being bitten, scratched, and thrown up on when you eventually caught them! They would then be ringed under licence before being released.

Amy holding a razorbill chick

Molly holding a cute fluffy puffling

Amy holding a gull chick after hunting through the dense vegetation 

Goodbyes

In mid July I said my goodbyes, or rather a see you soon! Skomer Island has unsurprisingly left me feeling more connected to wildlife than ever before. I will be eternally grateful for my time on this magnificent island, and I can’t wait to return again.    -Molly

Thanks for reading

Diolch yn fawr

Gull Counts 2025

Ted and I are once again so honoured to write a blog about our most recent visit to the most beautiful place on Planet Earth.

The anticipation and excitement that had built up for weeks was suddenly upon us and we arrived on the 8^th May for 6 days of counting Lesser Black-back (LBB) gulls, hopefully finding some scarce birds, fresh air, flowers, seabirds and all with the most friendly, lovely, warm, welcoming human beings 😊

We were soon meeting up with familiar faces, people that now feel like family! Leighton + Sarah, Ceris, Amy and later Will and Molly. I wasn’t sure whether the smiles on their faces were because they were just happy or was it the doughnuts that accompanied us 😊

We walked up to the farm, emotions were high, we were so happy to be back – amazing, breathtaking Skomer !

We caught up with Leighton some more and discussed the gull work ahead, chucked our bags into the accommodation, loaded up with food, drink and the gull maps and we were off.

We headed south to start, onto South Plateau where some large ‘Barrel Jellyfish’ were below us by the Mew Stone, and an apparent new sub-colony of both LBB and Great Black-backed (GBB) gulls was clearly increasing in numbers.

 

Pic 1 – Jellyfish - Mike

We encountered 2 Chough very close to us, one of Molly’s projects, and that’s just another wonderful thing here, your sightings, your observations are all valuable and help build the scientific picture of Skomer over the season and over the years.

Pic 2 – Chough - Ted

We counted gulls up until tea-time and then began 'migrant bashing'.

We were at North Valley Crossing, now the best area of bushes, all now numbered off so we can get onto birds quicker. There were some Willow Warblers/Chiffchaffs and then a bright warbler popped out in front of us, a delicate and lovely Subalpine Warbler! We watched, took pics and got the news out really quickly and soon anybody who wanted to see it had, a nice little Skomer twitch.

Subsequent analysis of the photos (particularly the tail pattern) suggest it is probably a Western Subalpine, but females are very tricky and without a feather for DNA we might not resolve which one of the recently split ‘Subalpine Warblers’ it is, over to BBRC.

Pic 3 – Subalp – Ted

Wow, what a sunrise to start day 2, and with clear skies and easterly winds surely more good birds were coming- and they duly arrived.

Pic 4 – Sunrise-Mike

Early morning start to where else, but North Valley Crossing, no sign of the Subalp, but we soon found a Reed Warbler and then a beautiful Cuckoo which was really difficult to see perched in one of the bushes, the first one this year on the island.

Pic 5 – Cuckoo – Ted

We then went out west of the farm into Well Field and soon enough found another decent bird, a stunning male Redstart – what a cracker, and we hadn’t even had breakfast yet.

Pic 6 – Redstart - Mike

We were counting gulls for the rest of the day, but being out all day long with eyes and ears open, we picked up Ringed Plover and Red Kite.

In the evening the Cuckoo was still about and it was a stunning evening with Short-eared Owls everywhere you looked.

Day 3 – another early start (obvs) and we’d decided to go seawatching at Skomer Head, banking on the fact that any migrants would either turn up later, or at least hang around.

Seawatching from Skomer in the Spring is traditionally hard work, it is, but good birds came in the form of terns, dolphins were feeding - how magical, and with the sun behind us and a calm sea it was very pleasant. Then suddenly a diver, a Great Northern Diver in winter plumage flew past, very close to us at eye level, what a spectacular sight. As we discussed our good fortune only 5 minutes later Ted saw another, over our heads! Another Great Northern Diver but in full summer plumage – Wow, just wow!!!

Pic 7 – GND in front of Grassholm – Ted

Hirundines and Swifts were coming in and then the most unexpected bird of the morning came in off the sea, a Sedge Warbler!

The gull counts continued all day, in wonderful weather and then just before lunch we found the most important birds of our trip- 3 Curlew chicks 😊

11^th May - After the success of the seawatching we decided to return to Skomer head and seawatch the next morning, so at 0630ish we were settled in our spot staring at the sea, this turned into a crazily exciting morning.

Another Great Northern Diver flew past, at up to a metre long and in summer plumage these really are awesome birds, an incredible sight.

Pic 8 – GND in SP – Ted

A flock of Curlew Sandpipers flew north and hirundines and swifts were coming in off the sea.

We then picked up a falcon on the south coast as it seemingly also arrived in - it looked different and exciting! The excitement rose to ridiculous levels when Ted looked at it in the scope to see that it was ‘blue’ all over. I then watched it through the scope as Ted took pics (how on earth he managed to get something is beyond me), it was over half a mile away, but undeniably a male Red-footed Falcon – the stuff of dreams. We looked at each other in dis-belief, once it was gone - big hugs and a desperate run across the rocks to get the news out. The adrenaline was flowing so hard at this point that I (Mike) had to literally sit down!

Frustratingly the bird looked to be heading for the mainland and no-one else on the island saw it.

On with the gull counts after a late breakfast/ brunch and out to the west where we encountered a Short-eared Owl doing its distraction display – it worked! We’ve never seen one do this before, it was quite weird to watch, we took a video and quickly moved on.

Video 1 - Short-eared Owl distraction display

More excitement in the afternoon when Ted picked up an Egret spp, neither of us had ever seen an egret here. Frustratingly it went straight out of view but then just as quickly reappeared and was quite close to us, a Little Egret.

Pic 9 - Little Egret- Ted.

Lots more Gull counts in the afternoon, lots more Short-eared Owls and there were quite a few Spotted Flycatchers around in the evening migrant hunt.

The next day, our last full day had to start with another seawatch and this time we had the wonderful company of the gentleman known as Will 😊

More divers, Great Northern and Red-throated, we had 6 Turnstone go north just around the head at eye level, more terns too - Arctic and Sandwich. But the highlight was 2 Arctic Skua the second of which came really close (in seawatching terms) which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

Pic 10 - Arctic Skua underside – Mike

Pic 11 – Arctic Skua upperside- Ted

Later in the day between counts we confirmed at least 2 more Curlew chicks with a second pair of Curlew, it’s so important that Skomer hangs onto its breeding Curlews.

Pic 12 - Curlew Chick – Mike

Tuesday the 13^th, our last morning and we couldn’t resist it could we, early morning seawatch with both Leighton and Will, another great morning, a Black-throated Diver completed the diver set, pretty good for Skomer in May, 12 terns of 3 species and some Common Scoter going south. We also watched a Gannet close in below us swallow a large Garfish.

Pic 13 – Gannet – Ted

A check on a couple of counts on the return to the farm with a final look at North Pond and our time was up.

The gull numbers looked to be down again, but hopefully not by much, fingers crossed in the next couple of years the numbers will plateau and start going back up - we do hope so!

The gull counts were pretty much complete and it was time to say our goodbyes.  

It was difficult watching the Garland Stone getting further away as the boat took us back to reality, leaving behind our little bit of paradise, and the most wonderful, wonderful people 😊

 

Mike + Ted Wallen

May 2025