Skomer birds and seal update

Today
Couple of Black Redstarts around South Plateau and a mistle thrush. 5 Snipe.

Yesterday......(from Dave B)
Been pretty quiet over here for the last few days, we seem to have missed out on the big thrush movements but we're having a good autumn for Mistle Thrushes - normally only see them once or twice been they've been quite regular in the last couple of weeks.
There's been just a few finches and Skylarks going over in the mornings, including the odd Siskin, Brambling, Redpoll and lapland Bunting, and about 500 Woodpigeons flew west on Friday morning

In the meantime we have lots of these (c130 born)
Seal pup video here

And some nice chilly sunsets:

Chris

4th November - Firecrest and help with Purchasing Puffin Geolocators

Firecrest has been hanging out in North Haven for last few days.
Number of pups born on the island total 135.

Dave Boyle witnessed a seal giving birth during the day which is quite unusual as they are generally born overnight. He also commented that the pub "flew" out and landed approximately 4 feet away. Apparently it gave the mum a shock to. Normally the mums gently guide them out using their back flippers - not this time.

Also if you are interested in helping the Skomer/Oxford research team raise some funds for purchasing some Puffin Geolocators follow this link:

http://rockethub.com/projects/3818-tracking-the-migration-of-the-atlantic-puffin

Geolocators are small devices that can track puffins over a long period (their winter migration). Understanding their movements at sea helps inform the conservation of the species and other marine life. There are only 40 days left to raise the funds. There are some great rewards too - depending on the amount you donate!

Chris

3rd November - yellow-browed warbler

This Yellow-browed Warbler was a nice surprise down the bottom of North Valley and the Firecrest is still in North Haven
All in all a bit quiet the last few days few finches and Skylarks going over first thing and Jerry saw a Ring Ouzel again at North Pond.

Dave via chris

Skomer recent highlights

113 seal pups born on beaches around Skomer
450 chaffinches on 25th
40 Greenfinches
500 starling on 25th
Bullfinches (last seen in 2007)
Turnstones in North Haven
Fieldfare
Siskin
Crossbill

Other activities - last week of volunteers so it will just be the boys left on the island, myself, Jerry (Skokholm Warden) and Dave Boyle (Seal researcher) and hopefully some interesting migrants.

It has also rained so the ponds are full and the well is full.

Chris

Picture blog of recent highlights

Some highlights in picture form (pictures by Dave Boyle unless otherwise stated)........

Wrynecks (up to 3 individuals) have been around the farm and Bull Hole for the past 3 weeks (picture by Dave Askins)

Greater Spotter Woodpecker 22nd September Then a Flurry of brown things!Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling has been hanging around the farm since 29th Septmeber. Also a Red-brested flycatcher (no pictures)


Common Rosefinch


Red-veined Darters
Migrant moths "up to about 20 Vestals now, 1 Cosmopolitan, 1 Gem, and 2 little micro-moths called Hymenia recurvalis [picture below] - they used to be really rare but I think they've become a bit more regular in recent years" Dave Boyle
Crimson Spekled - jumped on and placede in a pot by moth expert Dave at Skomer Head
Apart from these there has also been large passages of Swallows towards later september. Great and Arctic Skuas and the seabird highlight being a Sabine's Gull flying over mine and Dave's head whilst doing some filming for TV. Very distracting.

Ray Mears TV programme for ITV WILD due to be aired on 21st October- programme is called "Skomer" cachy title.

Chris

Old posts from the past - grumbles about the boatmen

On the 8^th September 1961...

… Sunny day.

We crossed to Martinshaven at 0845 hours. I went in to Marloes for stores. A large number of Swallows were flying E. along Marloes peninsula. 2 Choughs near West Hook farm, Shirley saw a Buzzard over Martinshaven.

We returned about 1030 hours, stocked up now for about a fortnight at least.

Alfred returned today and brought a total of 38 visitors including two dogs and two tortoises (being carried in a box)!!!! Again people were grumbling that it wasn't worth coming just after 1300 hours and leaving at 1400 hours, he took the ones who landed first at 1500 hours, a most strange arrangement.

P. Pearson landed 11 from his motor boat at Welsh Way, they left about 1630 hours, after one and boiled a kettle on the S.Haven driftwood beach.

A yacht and 2 other motor launches came into S.Haven during the afternoon, no one landed though.

Alfred brought Miss Havard Rae Jones and one female to stay the night at the chalets, he has gone back to Milford, after arranging for the Edwards to call tomorrow for the two visitors. He obviously doesn't intend to come tomorrow, good or bad weather, although he knows full well that there are people due for the chalets. Most unreliable, thank god and the W.W.F.S. that we have a boat and are entirely independent of Alfred.

Owing to interruption with boats I could only skin and dissect 7 today.

Maria Gill leaves her mark

Maria Gill arrived at the beginning of May to work for two months as a Long Term Volunteer. We soon discovered she is a talented artist and that’s how it all began!

Having visited the two public bird hides on Skomer Maria suggested brightening them up with some very useful bird identification boards. We sorted her out with some paints and brushes and she found herself some suitable plywood boards to use. Some of our wonderful volunteers sanded them down and Maria got to work designing the boards. With the locations in mind, Maria carefully selected the species which frequently visited North Pond and Moorey Mere.

Work progressed quickly once the boards had the templates pencilled on them. It was great to pop into Marias kitchen and see the boards develop into beautiful scenes. The birds were painted with their identifying features on show and words accompany every bird highlighting these key features.

They have certainly brightened up the bird hides and I am sure they are used frequently by everyone who visits the islands hides. Having recently seen the feedback forms from our overnight guests I have discovered just how much identification boards were sought after in the bird hides! So it’s great to have them up on display now.

Thank you very much Maria! We love them.

If you would like to find out more about Marias work please visit http://megghyll.blogspot.com/ or follow this link; www.megghyll.co.uk

Sarah Harris

on this day in 1961

Taken from the daily chatty log of 1961......

On the 17^th August 1961....

… a sunny day, very warm. Cloudy with slight rain in late evening.

Alfred brought 103 visitors today, 26 of these were scouts from Wembley, a rowdy lot I must say. One of the younger members of the troop attempted to climb the cliff in the N.W corner of S.Haven, he got half-way and no further, up or down, we heard shouts of help. I went to his assistance and got him safely down, no worse for wear.

Picked up the traps and took 4 female and 6 male for Dr Rowlands, skinned and dissected 8 of these this afternoon.

A Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Willow Warblers, 2 Robins, 2 Whitethroats, 3 Blackbirds, 1 Song Thrush – farm. 3 Swallows flying W, 1 flying E, 16 Oystercatchers mouth of S. Stream, a Teal at N.Pond.

A visitor handed in a ring found on a leg in the centre of the island.

A French crabber in N. Haven this evening, we went aboard, evidenty they go as far as N as N. Rona and St Kilda.

The first Shearwaters were coming ashore- 2215 hours. DRS

On the 30^th August 1961....

… a sunny day and very warm. Wind slight W to N.W. There was quite a considerable swell until after low tide this made landing quite difficult.

Alfred brought 76 visitors, one joined the society. 4 came with a dog, on finding that dogs aren't allowed, although it is possible to leave them tied at the beach, they went back, the first time this has happened, they said its never been tied up and they couldn't bear to leave it, needless to say it was a poodle!!!!

Picked up Grid F. 2^nd half traps, one dead Common Shrew which I have skinned.

One gets some most interesting results if the traps are visited every 2 hours, not so much from an activity rhythm point of view as there are not enough traps to give a true picture of each individual, but from the movement and territory point of view.

There seems to have been some more passage of migrants today, 6 Grey Wagtails flew W and 2 Yellow Wagtails flew W. The former all passed by flying at about 150' where as there later were only at about 20' above ground level.

Swallows passed S.E. In small numbers at various times during the morning up until 1215 HRS. At one time there must have been 30 hawking around the farm buildings, one was sat on the pole just outside the gate. 2 Sand Martins also passed S.E.

A French crabber in S. Haven this evening, 3 fellows came ashore on to the beach to collect stones for use as weights in their lobster pots. DRS.

Garland Stone By Rosie Walker-Brown

Skomer is starting to feel Autumnal with migrants passing through - recent highlights include spotted flycatchers, willow warblers and a blue tit. This is a poem written by Rosie who spent a few months on Skomer last year carrying out a research project looking into the fledgling weights of Manx Shearwater chicks. She has recently returned to help settle in Sarah who will be repeating the project for her undergraduate dissertation. The poem captures the island well at this time of year.
Chris

Garland Stone

I sit beneath a cloudless sky,

And watch the natural world go by,

Across the sea a path of gold,

As the evening sun begins to fold.

Beneath me waves thrash on the rocks,

And ravens dance above in flocks,

A dozen fearless rabbits graze,

And the browning bracken gently sways.

A chough calls from overhead,

Its beak and legs distinctive red,

Below an oystercatcher cries,

And a soaring gannet turns and dives.

Ramsey’s bathed in evening light,

The white of Grassholm just in sight,

Tankers shelter close to shore,

I wonder where they’re heading for.

Sitting in this timeless place,

The bracing wind fresh on my face,

I cannot help but feel at ease,

A scene that never fails to please.

No two days are just the same,

But even in the driving rain,

An ideal place to clear the mind,

I wonder next time what I’ll find...

Rosie Walker-Brown

Late August on Skomer

A few thoughts about Late August on Skomer - By Richard Kipling - Field Assistant 2011

Stepping out into the courtyard this morning the softness of the air had a new edge, a coolness that was not yet a chill, but betrayed the changing season. For the first time the shifting colours of the island mark senescence rather than the appearance of new flowers. Crisp brown is gently spreading from leaf tips of bracken and bramble, darkening the yellow blooms of the Ragwort. Along the path through North Valley the volunteers have been scything back the vegetation, and the scatter of cut bracken over the path is like a harvest.

At the stream the water dropwort stems are brittle and dead, the carpet of forget-me-not reduced to a few pale-flowered plants under the willow leaves, themselves tarnished and fading. In the rabbit exclosures the purple haze of heather flowers alone defies the coming autumn, and bees twist and turn between the inflorescences. The air is still and there is a quietness; the island peaceful after the frantic race to breed and fledge young, to protect new life.

Here on the north coast a gentle breeze ruffles the pages of my notepad, the lobster-pot men work below me off the Garland Stone, and the sounds of the boat engine and various clatters and mechanical noises drift up to me. From half a mile away the hum of generators on the stationary tankers percolates the silence. Although it is eleven in the morning the light has the quality of a late afternoon; the warmth of the sun is lessened by high cloud, and in the clear air the fissures and colours of the rocks are picked out precisely. There is an air of waiting. Even the sea is tranquil, though in the tidal race the smoothness is an illusion that hides turmoil beneath.

Waves lap at the foot of the Garland Stone – hard now to imagine those spring storms, when spray crested its rocky peak. Glancing up I can see the Irish Ferry, my old friend, white against the grey of sea and sky, drifting through the stillness.

Richard Kipling.
Skomer Field Assistant 2011