Skomer Island revamps the idea of a perfect wildlife experience!
By Dee Crute
Like many birdwatchers, I wanted to see a Puffin.
You may spot them along Pembrokeshire's coast in Wales or Yorkshire's Flamborough Cliffs. But if you are desperate—as I was—and don't want to take your chances, there is only one way to grant you this unparalleled experience. Pack your bags, book the boat and sail to one of the most off-grid islands: Handa, off the west coast of Scotland, or Skomer and Skokholm in Wales!
But hold your horses, adventurer! Upon embarking on Skomer shores, you are a guest of the National Nature Reserve, critical for Puffin and Manx Shearwater breeding. To protect the island's natural integrity, only 250 visitors are allowed daily, and overnight stays in the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales's Hostel are limited. So plan ahead and plan well! And remember, we all have a responsibility to preserve this unique habitat.
Rocks, auks and the perilous approach to Skomer Island
Aren't we used to constant access and availability? But if you want to explore Skomer—forget about that. Once you descend into Martin's Haven, your embarkation point nestled in the North Bay of Marloes Peninsula in Pembrokeshire, you enter the zone where nature is in control, and we are at the elements’ mercy. Weather permitting, the boat operates twice a day to and from the North Haven Steps, jutting from the precipitous cliff of Skomer. However, with ceaseless, strong north-westerly winds, you may be stranded on the Island for days, as I was—albeit to my delight!
There is another thing to consider—accessibility—something I did not care to check. Due to my disabilities, I found it challenging to access the Island via its 87 steep steps, and the narrow paths meandering around Puffin burrows make it impossible to use a wheelchair.
Yet, that day, the weather and my health conditions allowed me to experience the most magnificent wildlife encounters...
I was utterly oblivious to what was happening beyond the boat, feeding a Herring Gull—a stowaway perched next to me—on some mealworms that had somehow found their way into my pocket, when the commotion broke out... Shrill "kittiwaaaaakes" and raucous "arrrrrs" drew my attention to the cliffs of the Neck—Skomer's section separated from the main island by a constantly eroding isthmus—its ledges bustling with nesting populations of auks!
There are five species of those deep-diving seabirds in the UK, with three right in front of me! Guillemots with chocolate coats and thin, pointed bills; jet black, white-bellied Razorbills with striking yellow mouths; and, of course... Puffins! Thousands of them!
Soon, we were also accompanied by Fulmars, Gannets, and various Gulls. And once we passed Rye Rocks welcoming us to North Haven, I saw hauled-out Grey Seals! I was ecstatic!
Plains of Skomer
Visitors must be briefed on safety before exploring the island. Skomer is honeycombed with shallow bird burrows, which can easily collapse under a foot, crushing a nesting bird.
With Puffins out at sea during the day, it was the perfect opportunity to explore the Island while saving the famous auks for the evening.
I did not walk far before logging my first sighting onto the Birda app: a Sedge Warbler followed by a Grasshopper Warbler—my two new "lifers!" Skomer Island is a twitcher's paradise: Wheatears, Rock and Meadow Pipits, Skylarks, Linnets, Swallows, Pied Wagtails, and Choughs - all recorded on Birda!
The island trail is 4 miles long, so it goes without saying that I needed to recover before dusk...
Bamboozled by Puffins
Auks spend most of their time in the open waters, diving and bobbing on the waves. But it is at eventide that they are most active, sashaying around their burrows and interacting with each other—and Puffins are the most social and inquisitive of them!
While walking to the visitors' landing, I heard a swoosh over my head: hundreds of Puffins returning from the sea! Their burrows were everywhere! One Puffin peeked out of its nest, tilting its head adorably, but I reminded myself that they were not pets. I was in their territory, and I felt intruding.
The next day, Wildlife Trust staff advised me that Puffins aren't bothered by us and recommended I visit the Wick that evening to see them at close quarters. But I never got there!
As I hoofed it to the Wick, the sound of a muted chainsaw startled me... With fewer than a dozen people on the Island after 5 p.m., it felt ominous!
But I had been bamboozled! The sounds were made by Puffins! As I descended onto the Welsh Way by the High Cliff, they appeared out of nowhere, bustling on both sides of the track and along the path ahead and behind me.
I lay on my front, watching them as they studied me. They were surprisingly small at just over 7 inches tall. Though they appear chubby, their strong muscles make them excellent underwater fishers. Their set-back legs make other auks clumsy on land, but Puffins' relatively long legs allow for, very amusing, walking and running.
Always elegantly dressed in tuxedos—black tops with white underneath—they look so dapper that the contrasting colours of their eyes, beaks and legs make them look like slapstick characters! Upon closer inspection, the blacks and whites reveal a spectrum of hues, as if shaded by an artist.
Their eyes captivated me the most! It seems their irises are red—but they bamboozled us again! Their eyes are bluish grey with just about visible whites—an uncommon feature for animals.
Surrounded by red eye rings and black triangular ornaments, they earn the nickname "Clowns of the Sea." However, I see them more as Pierrots with their sad faces and bashful demeanour.
Only a couple of feet from me, two Puffins shook their heads from side to side and then rattled beaks together.
During the breeding season, the dark grey inner beak extends to the iconic grooved outer beak, vibrant in oranges and reds. The yellow mouth corners, known as "gape rosettes", are fleshy fish-holding adaptations.
After beak rubbing, one Puffin tossed its head back, a sign of bonding and affection. They mate for life but only cohabitate during the breeding season, returning to the same colony each year like a large family.
During my stay, Puffins were still arriving on the Island, but by now, all the best burrows had already been taken by the firstcomers. The most desirable nests had the easiest take-off, and latecomers must excavate their own burrows.
Moments later, after the fascinating display of affection, a Puffin dived into a shallow hole just next to me, sending mud flying at nearby birds and occasionally kicking back his foot, which made me chuckle.
Soon after, I saw another amour—a Puffin strutted to his beau carrying an offering of grass and twigs in his beak. Infatuated with these wee avians, I returned to the hostel for the night, awaiting new adventures to come...
Reflection
It was the most intimate wildlife experience and one I will never forget. Skomer Island is the ultimate destination for truly connecting with nature. I just wish it was more accessible for disabled folk without endangering the underground nesting.
Dee Crute is a disabled adventuress, photographer, naturalist, journalist & campaigner specialising in Women’s Rights, Disability, and Inclusion.
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