Amser Paned?

Where would we be on this place without tea? A preference for Yorkshire, but we’ll cope with most other varieties. Time for a brew, and an opportunity to briefly reflect on a busy couple of weeks or so since our arrival. 

 

First job. Start the dumper. First time! This done, it was back to the sales point in North Haven to start ferrying all our gear to the farm buildings in the centre of the island. It was a beautiful day, which made all the lifting and shifting more bearable. It was very satisfying to have all the bags and boxes stowed and the kettle on by lunchtime. More tea, and the first island brew for 2026. Lovely.

 

No time for a second mug, mind you, as since then each day has been very full with a mixture of practical work, admin and getting out to see what wildlife is about on the reserve – see the recent sightings tab for all the highlights. 

The days following our arrival were dominated by opening up the farm buildings. The usual mixture of surprises – welcome and otherwise. Some rooms have remained in good condition, but others with mouldy walls and flaking paint due to the unavoidably high humidity over winter have all needed attention.

 

Starting the island domestic systems is another job which is always done with some trepidation each spring (and usually several mugs of tea). Water is sourced from the island well via a series of pipes and pumps, bottled gas fuels the stoves and boiler, and photovoltaic panels (with a back-up diesel generator) provide electricity. Thankfully, other than a series of ongoing battery issues, it’s good to report that most things are working well. 

Admittedly, some things go easily and happen quickly, whereas others put up more resistance. “Anything yet?” Rob’s voice booming down the echoey corridor on the first Monday. “No”, I reply from the upstairs corridor. Long pause. “How about now?” he asks again from his station by the kitchen sink. And so it went on. Working airlocks out of the water system is a tedious job, but one with which all Skomer staff past and present will be familiar. Perseverance usually pays off, and after a morning of trying different combinations of open and closed taps we achieved success.

Wednesday 4^th March was calm enough to allow the Dale Sailing barge Kitcat to make the six-hour voyage from Neyland to retrieve all the contracting plant equipment used in the winter track works along with off-island rubbish from 2025, and deliver building materials for 2026. Subsequent days were spent lifting, shifting and stacking all the materials at the farm. Grateful thanks to all those involved in making quite a complex operation run smoothly, including Greg and Jinx from RSPB Biosecurity for Life who checked the barge for prior to sailing.

The weather has been highly varied, and we’ve enjoyed clear, bright calm days and others much more reminiscent of autumn with lashing rain or thick fog. A reasonable weather window saw island warden Leighton arrive back on Saturday, and chance to catch up with a cuppa (and cream scones – what a treat)! Thanks Leighton.

Tasks this week have been focused mainly around the hostel buildings: scrubbing, painting and cleaning. The compost toilets have been emptied, workshop set up and the yard is looking much improved after a clear out. Away from the farm we've been monitoring raven and chough along the coastline and enjoying a steady trickle of migrating birds.

The team is now almost at full strength and we’re looking forward to welcoming the spring work party on Sunday for another great week... with plenty on the to do list, as ever!

 

Will Whittington, Skomer Fieldworker