Skomer in September - Seabird Spectacular!

Ted and I are once again truly honoured to be asked to write a blog about our most recent visit to the most beautiful place on the planet.

For weeks we had been talking about the weather, hoping for a week of easterlies before we went, then switching to a west or northwest when we arrived as we really wanted to spend lots of time sea-watching. Little did we realise just how much of the latter we would do!

But the weather did exactly what we wanted.

Pretty early in the morning on Sat 7^th September we received a message from the very wonderful Ceris to say that there were no boats for at least five days, except for this afternoon at 3.30. Ted and I had to move so fast, nothing was ready, we hadn’t packed and we hadn’t shopped. We flew around the house (and loft) and an hour and a half later, we were off. We dived into the local supermarket where I’m sure the shoppers thought we were doing ‘Supermarket sweep’. No-one got hurt (we don’t think) as we flew around the aisles filling the trolley, we threw it in the car and drove.

With half an hour to spare we were on the beach at Martins Haven at 3pm having hastily packed the rucksacks at Marloes.

We met one of the young birders and then Beth came over the steps to meet us – amazing ! Soon we were on the Dale Queen with Carl + Co and our stunning destination came into view – emotional? Oh yes!

Onto the island, meeting the rest of the team – Ceris, Pete, Nick, Lisa, Will and more friendly and welcoming faces, it was so good to be back, in paradise with wonderful, warm, human beings 😊

Both Leighton and Rob were off island, with Rob doing the amazing thing of running a marathon for charity – well done Rob. And Leighton was off being Best Man- what a great person to be your best man!

There had apparently been a bit of a ‘fall’ of birds, so very quickly we were up to the Farm and we were birding. Indeed there were lots of birds, the bushes were positively jumping with small birds - warblers and flycatchers in particular.

It didn’t take Ted long to find the Wryneck that Ceris kept on seeing, perched in a bush in North Valley – how we love our Wrynecks.

There were lots and lots of Spotted Flycatchers and a few of the Pied variety too, one at North Valley crossing actually allowed for a pic or two to be taken. 

Pied Flycatcher at North Valley Crossing, by Ted.

 

Spotted Flycatcher at the farm, by Mike

We really didn’t have anywhere near long enough on this day to cover in depth what we wanted, but the Island already had us encapsulated once more 😊

We slept well !

Sunday 8^th was wet, very wet, for much of the day, so we camped out in the hide at North pond for a long while enjoying the 2 Dunlin and some White Wagtails, before helping out with some conservation work in the afternoon. As it dried up the birds popped out once more, with Whinchats being really evident, in fact they were throughout our stay. 

Dunlin at North Pond, by Ted

We headed to South Plateau in the afternoon and spent some time casually looking out to sea, well it was casual until Ted picked up a BIG white bird flying south, Spoonbill and Egret went through his head until the reality set in, it was far rarer!! A Swan! Panic to try and get the scope on it, it was going south and going fast, luckily we got it. Nope, not an early Whooper but a Mute Swan. I’ve been visiting Skomer for many years and never seen a swan of any kind, this was mega!

We were also watching a pod of Common Dolphin around the Mew Stone, hunting and jumping out of the water – what a truly special place Skomer is 😊

Whinchat in Wick Valley, by Mike

Monday 9^th saw us casually walking past Green Pond in the day where we both glanced at a dark bird on the water, we looked a bit harder as we both realized it was a Coot, another great bird, Coots are unusual out here and neither of us had ever seen one here.

There were also 6 Teal on North Pond from dawn which were great to see up close.

Coot on Green Pond, by Ted. 

Teal on North Pond, by Mike

We did some more work and then in the evening went sea watching at the Garland Stone as the wind had really got up, blowing from the northwest.

Things really started to kick off here, and were the start of the next few days of magical sea watching, making memories and brilliant life experiences!

There were terns going past, including Common, Sandwich and Arctic – more unusual birds, Arctic Skua and Scoters. Then a ghostly white tern came along, close in near the Garland Stone, surely not? Surely yes - a Roseate Tern. It even did the decent thing and flew alongside Common Terns, what a beauty.

This spurred us on for the next morning, the wind was increasing and so surely was our chances of decent seabirds.

The wind was due west and seriously strong, we knew we couldn’t sea watch at Skomer Head, way too exposed, so with Pete and Nick we tried at the Garland Stone, it was pretty bad here.

It was obvious pretty quickly that birds were passing to our west and there was little in the bay, so we moved further west between Pigstone Bay and Bull Hole and tried to hide behind some rocks, it was so difficult to get out of the wind. But birds were moving south and soon Ted picked up a lovely pale phase Pomarine Skua. Pete and Nick had to go, but despite being hammered by the wind we knew we had to stick it out.

It wasn’t too long before Ted pulled another rabbit out of the hat, well a Shearwater out of the sea to be more accurate, and one of the Balearic variety at that, a fantastic bird.  

Not long after, I picked up a bird sitting on the sea, initially my brain just couldn’t work it out, then it finally clicked it was a Shearwater, but it looked massive, then a Manxie flew over it, the bird was huge, indeed it was - Boom !!!  – A Great Shearwater, and it was sitting on the sea, not too far out. Total adrenalin rush at this point. Between us we made sure that one of us was always locked on it, as the other tried to get photos. I then somehow managed to ring Ceris whilst keeping my eye in my scope eyepiece, it was a brief conversation! I didn’t hear what happened at Ceris’s end, but Ceris told us later - Ceris was briefing the volunteers when she took my call, then she said something like – CHANGE OF PLAN – Run !

It didn’t take long until the first footsteps were running up behind us and soon nearly everyone on the island was looking at the Great Shearwater. We later found out that this was the first Skomer record for 30 years.

The Great Shearwater, by Ted

The Great Shearwater twitch, by Mike  

The morning of the 11^th was going to be our extended seawatch day, and with Ceris, Will, Beth and Lisa we camped out at Skomer Head – it was exciting. Skuas, ducks, auks, waders, all going past in spectacular seas. Then Ted ………. did it again !!!!!!

Somehow Ted found and then stayed locked onto a juvenile Sabines Gull – Wow, just wow, but none of us could get on it. Then it settled on the sea, we still couldn’t get on it.  I simply can’t describe the pain and frustration as 5 good birders tried and tried and tried - it just shows how difficult sea watching is. But in the end we managed it with Ted's considerable help, and it flew around with it’s Kittiwake chums, somehow Ted even got some photos – I simply don’t know how.

The young birders arrived, they were happy, everyone was happy.

The Sabines Gull, by Ted.

It wasn’t a difficult decision where to be at dawn on the 12^th - Skomer Head of course!

We enjoyed lots more seabird passage including more Skuas, some really close, lots and lots of terns, significant numbers for Skomer. Also divers going south and a Bar-tailed Godwit going north-west.

We watched as a huge passage of Kittiwakes came past us out of Broad Sound, with an estimated 4000 in only 90 minutes.

Other exciting news - Rob returned 😊It was great to see him!

Fri 13^th dawned clear, bright and beautiful, the wind had dropped to virtually nothing, we had less than 2 hours to the boat.

Sunrise, by Mike

We bashed around as quickly as we could, watching a Water Rail run down the length of North Pond and a Grasshopper Warbler pop up in the vegetation there, this was our parting gift.

Water Rail at North Pond, by Ted.

All too soon (it’s always too soon) we were saying our goodbyes with heavy hearts, to our little bit of paradise on Planet Earth, and to the most amazing, wonderful people 😊

It’ll soon be May …………😊😊😊

Mike + Ted Wallen

Sept 2024

A Marsh Harrier, by Ted.