Following a few wet and windy days we've had some calm, sunny weather to enjoy. It may be getting colder and the bracken and other vegetation may be dying back but there's plenty of life around.
We've well over 50 seal pups now. The one on our landing beach whose mother has given us so much trouble (attacking the tractor as we try and launch the boat) is looking fat and starting to moult. It'll soon be independent, it's mum is already becoming more interested in the big bull seal that patrols that stretch of island - they mate soon after pupping, when all the males and females are together in the same place.
Visitors have had some great views of the seal pups on the beach feeding, learning to swim and mainly lazing around.
Elsewhere in the sea there's been some big groups of Porpoise around the west side of the island.
It has been a good few days birding too. A Wryneck around the farm was probably the highlight but it's been almost as exciting seeing an influx of common garden birds which are quite a rarity on Skomer. Great-Spotted Woodpecker, House Sparrows and Blue Tits (amazing how exotic they look when you've not seen one for seven months).
As boats didn't run for a few days over the weekend Skomer it felt very quiet. I was on my own up at the farm and it feels like nature is trying to reclaim the place. Chough have started coming back to feed in the courtyard while each morning there's been at least one Buzzard perched on the trig-point, chicken sheds or old building itself.
Jerry Gillham,
Skomer and Skokholm Assistant Warden.
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