Island update - October

I have just spent six incredible weeks on Skomer Island assisting with their annual grey seal monitoring as part of a collaboration with Swansea University. During those six weeks I watched the lively island bustling with visitors, volunteers and Manx Shearwaters transform into a sleepy refuge for wildlife which I miss terribly.

Sunset seen from North Haven

My main role on the island was to count the seals at the six busiest sites on the island, as well as recording their sex and age category. This role certainly wasn’t glamorous, I spent many hours shuffling on my belly through grass and mud so that I remained hidden from timid groups of seals, but I loved every minute of it! As well as counting the seals, I photographed the distinct scarred seals I spotted and matched them up with photos from the island’s records. This was incredibly interesting work as I was able to identify seals by their scars or markings and see where they had been in previous years.

Top: a cow with distinct scars at Driftwood Bay in 2023. Bottom: The same cow at the Slabs in 2024.

Hard at Work

With no visitors on the island, autumn is the season for repairs and construction. When I wasn’t counting seals, I got stuck into some tasks around the island and with so few people around an extra pair of hands was greatly appreciated. I assisted Visitor Officer Rob and Assistant Warden Ceris to prepare the Wick for the Winter. This involved removing the surprisingly heavy metal fenceposts, rope and benches from the Wick and taking them to the farm. During this task, I did go head-to-head with Rob in a wheelbarrow race, which I unfairly lost!

Ceris slaying as she carries fenceposts away from the Wick

Gull Roost Count

Initially, Bird Log sounded like another language, and I would desperately try to understand the meanings of “chiffchaff at Moorey Mere” and “Dunnock at Captain Kites”. OxNav students Layla and Bridget and long-term volunteers Nick and Pete were all admirably patient with me and helped identify the birds I had seen that day from my puzzling descriptions. It didn’t take long for me to get hooked and I began spending hours wandering around the island searching for birds.

Great Black-backed gull at Driftwood Bay

This newfound passion for birding meant I was excited to assist with the gull roost count on the island. To do this, Ceris, Will, Rob and I counted the number of gulls at known roost sites around the island as they arrived at dusk. It is important to record the number of gulls roosting for datasets are there has been growing concern over the decline in Great Black-backed gull populations in recent years. Great Black-backed gulls are now a red-listed species as their populations have declined by around 28% in Europe and 68% in North America.

My favourite birdwatching experiences on Skomer had to be watching the owls at dusk. After nights of listening to Rob and Ceris discussing the pellets they’d seen and sounds they’d heard; I finally spotted a stunning barn owl flying above North Valley Willows. I was also exceedingly envious of Nick and Amy who watched four short-eared owls as they flew near the farm, but I was eventually lucky enough to see some myself!

A gorgeous short-eared owl photographed on Skomer by Amy Compton

My Last Seal Round

My final seal round was an unforgettable farewell. After almost ten days of dwindling pup numbers at South Haven, I was delighted to see two exceedingly tiny yellow pups laying besides their enormous mothers. The sunny afternoon got even better when I arrived at Castle Bay to see my largest haul out yet, 110 seals on a single beach!

Some of the 110 seals at Castle Bay on the 10^th October

This was the perfect finish to the six extraordinary weeks I spent on Skomer. It was an honour and a privilege to work alongside some of the most devoted, knowledgeable and kind people I’ve ever met. I cannot wait to come back!

- Emma Whatley