... and denailed it. A blustery start to April meant a string of no-boat days. In the absence of day visitors, staff and volunteers started tackling the island’s long (and somehow ever-growing) to do list.
Teams of weekly volunteers with claw hammers and saws have been denailing and cutting scrap wood from the dismantled hide at a tremendous rate. The monster wood pile in the back yard has diminished to a shadow of its former self after sterling efforts in sawing, sorting and stacking. It’s the first time we’ve seen the ground there in several years… and having confirmed its existence, we can finally order our new whirligig clothes driers which will greatly ease the pressure on laundry day. Any resident toads have been gently relocated.
Meanwhile, volunteers brandishing paint brushes have variously glossed, painted and stained hides,
walls, doors and internal woodwork. It became perilous to stay in one place for
too long, lest you be smartened up with a coat of paint.
We’re doing our best to stop brambles growing into the walls of the farm buildings – though they appear just as determined to remain. However, after a prolonged battle and the loss of two trowels, the stalwart Skomer volunteers won the day… for now.
In the farm gardens, the talk is all of planting out, hardening off and earthing up. A gift of seed potatoes from nearby Trehill Farm has transformed into neat rows of potato plants (with the occasional rogue volunteer). We’re looking forward to the harvest… a steady diet of spuds beckons.
Although windy, we’ve had a sunny
few weeks. Leighton and Will have frequently been found either working at the
new Moorey Mere hide or transporting long lengths of wood to and fro… With only
one another and Radio Pembrokeshire for company, they can now confidently state
the relative impacts of Kelly Clarkson, Ed Sheeran and Cher on hide-building
morale. Passersby could judge progress by the sounds coming from the hide…
occasional laughter, what might perhaps have been singing, and many long,
thoughtful silences. With the cladding
complete and a bench and elbow-rest installed, the hide awaits only the arrival
of latches and catches before it can be opened to the public.
We’ve recently welcomed long-term volunteers Grace and Lou to the team. Both are quickly getting into the swing of things, with a combination of welcome talks, wildlife surveys and biosecurity monitoring making up the bulk of their current duties.
We’re on our third round of breeding bird surveys – perhaps my favourite way to start the day, although fog has proven something of an impediment recently. Nonetheless, it’s always satisfying to set out to map breeding territories, with each repeated survey serving to add another layer of evidence. The evening bird logs are a good opportunity to hear from hostel guests and volunteers, particularly as we try to work out what the short-eared owls and curlew are up to.
Skomer is particularly beautiful in May, as the island’s flowers form a breathtaking display. In the centre, the bluebells and red campion turn the island into a vista of pink and purple, whilst the coastal slopes are covered in white sea campion. Every year, I’m convinced it’s the best ever year for bluebells – perhaps I just have a short memory.
It’s been a good few weeks. For now, the sun is shining and North Valley beckons.
Ceris (Assistant Warden)