9 days and counting

The time has flown: only 9 days to opening. Slowly but surely we are getting a little bit nervous... Are we going to have everything ready? Are all signs up, the rope at the Wick in place, the landing steps scrubbed and algae free...?

As you can imagine we have been very busy since we got over on the 6th. We haven't really had any time off. Last Saturday Sarah and Leighton tried very hard to dodge work when they came down to North Haven library to watch a film- unfortunately I had the brilliant idea to get them to mend bird ringing nets whilst watching - which they did expertly.

The weather has been a bit of a challenge this March, it has been windy, cold and very wet - everything is muddy and we are really hankering for some sunshine. Yesterday we heard an enormous bang (not the firing range for once) and shortly after the heavens opened. It haled so hard that even the seals on the beach raced into the water in confusion.

Photo: S. Purdon

 
An hour later the sun came out, melted the hale and transformed a rather bleak looking Skomer into the colorful and radiating island so many visitors love.

The skies at this time of year are ever changing and shift hand in hand with the weather. Great photo opportunities!

On sunny days the cliffs of Skomer are full of Guillemots and Razorbills and the faithful Fulmars have been at their breeding sites since last November.

We now regularly get large rafts of Puffins sitting offshore and we have had the odd brave bird land on Skomer. We are waiting eagerly for the evening when they decide to land en masse to reclaim their burrows. Other wildlife which keeps us company are the Ravens, which are incubating eggs already and Chough, which are in the process of building nests.

Raven keeping an eye on its territory

Migrants also keep us entertained especially the stunning looking male Wheatears which are moving through.

Hope to see you soon

Bee
(Skomer Warden)

We Made It!

After the weather windows forecast continually deteriorating and disappearing, last Sunday we saw a possible chance and took it! We scrambled to do our last fresh food shop, and first thing on Monday 6^th we moved all our food and worldly possessions onto Martin’s Haven beach.

It wasn’t an ideal day for it, with rain all through the morning making everything wet from above, before we’d even got it in the boat. But, as soggy as we and everything was, we were happy to be heading out.

BFFs; Leighton and Ed

Spot the warden

It was a little splashy at times

The first trip up to the farm was a welcome site under a dramatic sky.

We are pleased to report no major damage to the buildings, so we are busy cleaning, and getting ready for volunteers and guests.

The area to the left of the house which was bare and vegetation-less all of 2016 has grown up over the winter.

Wildlife highlights

Seals, hauled out on North Haven beach

We have good numbers of seals, some of whom have been extremely curious as to what we're up to, following us in the boat, and daring each other to come closest to us up the beach. (so far, they have restrained from hijacking our boat as in previous years.)

Short eared owls, multiple hen harriers (all females) and kestrels have all been hunting around the farm almost every day, and on the cliffs the ravens are already nesting. The fulmars have been as reliably present as ever, and the auks and kittiwakes have been back on the cliffs the last few days. There have been a few puffins hanging around the island, and we spotted a few manxies out to sea. On the ponds we've had good numbers of snipe, and unusually for us we've had three wigeon and a couple of teal, and a black redstart yesterday in North Haven.

It's lovely to be back, and we're all looking forward to seeing you all this year!

Sarah (Assistant Warden)

Zugstau - the interuption of migration due to bad weather

Usually we get a calm spell at the start of March in which to make our move out to the island. Not so this spring. Since storm Doris the weather just hasn't been calm enough for us to launch the boat, load it on the beach, make several trips back and forth and off load again on the island.

Zugstau is the German word used to describe the build up of migrants (usually birds) waiting for better weather in which to continue their migration and describes our situation perfectly. Hopefully we will get out to the island next week. However, at the moment, the forecast does not look good. So it looks like we need to watch and wait. 

A fresh breeze and brooding clouds