Skomer Puffin Trip!!! (2 Adults and 1 Under 12 Months) (1 Viewer)

A few weeks ago in early July my small family headed off to see the Puffins of Skomer island (Pembrokeshire).

The party included myself (as navigator) my partner Jacquie as driver and our daughter Bonnie (10 months old at the time).

We set off late on friday afternoon from Walsall and chased the sunset across South Wales. The roads slowly turned from 3 lane motorways, down to the final 10 miles of B road and the 1 laner with passing places. We arrived 30 second before sunset at our sleeping place for the night 'The Lobster Pot Inn' in Marloes Pembrokeshire. I recommend it.

After a quick bite to eat we went to sleep. The following day it was up bright and early, down for breakfast, feed the baby, pay the landlord and bail out, squeeze the fold away cot back into the boot and bring out the papoos.

After a 5 minute trip we arrived at Martins Haven car park (south west tip of the mainland.

Child winched onto my back, we awaited the ferry to Skomer. It (The Dale Princess) runs three or four times a day in summer (15 minute trip across). Leaving for the island at 10, 11 and 12 and returning from 3pm onwards.

The boat arrived and we walked the plank (or in this case the metal boarding jetty) out to the boat. The boat fitted 50 people knee to knee in the back sitting around the edge and on the packed life raft. It was a tricky getting my daughter on board, with the narrow boarding walk and small size of the boat, but we managed it perfectly safely.

The boat trip across the sound was very good, with the boat rolling over the waves and great views of the island and coastal cliffs in gleeming sunshine. Though if you're facing the wrong way then it's a distant view of Ramsey island instead.

As we got nearer the puffins started to appear in the sea and flying past. From then on it was total puffins. Not forgetting the Razorbills and Guillemots.

Our arrival on Skomer was 'interesting'. With good weather the sea was quite calm but the landing was still not for the faint hearted. It involved us leaving the boat via the front and climbing some exposed and narrow steps until safely on the wider cliff side path. It was again with well placed careful steps that myself with my daughter papoosed on my back left the boat. Jacquie kept a watch from the higher steps as we left the boat behind.

We then spent a lovely 4 hours on the island watching primarily the Puffins but also the other birds of the island and the brilliant cliff edge views. We also had some good seal sightings in the coves.

One thing I've noticed over the last 6 months is that having a smal child strapped on your back gets you noticed. We had plenty of conversations from fellow visitors to the island who remebered us from the crossing and also plenty of smiles (for my daughter) as we walked by. She does a very good impression of a rucksack (except she swings more, is heavier, and it's like carrying one of those large water bottles on your back, as she swings from side to side especially when your trying to exit the ferry boat).

We had our sandwiches, fed the baby, I got a wee bit lobstered in the sun and we met a volunteer warden who was manning a view point. Sadly for him he hated birds (after his zooology degree but loved insects). So sadly for him he was stuck with us cooing over Puffins as they flew by or ran between us to gain access to burrows. Though he helped us coin the phrase 'Puffin Virgins' as we had been till that day and I hope he is now happily studying the island insects and bugs as he'd hoped.

The journey back was equally beautiful with large numbers of Puffins in Skomer islands harbour bay and return views of the islands and mainland that couldn't be matched.

One warning for those (like myself) who are 'Lilly Livered Land Lovers' on the way back (west to east) we caught the (North South) tide through the sound. The boat rocked and rolled quite a bit which brought a few scary thoughts to my mind, but only a smile and a short giggle from my Bonnie.

Anyway, we made it back, and had a great time.

I'd recommend a trip to Skomer to eveyone.. and only caution those with small children to be cautious of the boarding and landing points as they are a bit risky especially if the winds up and the boat is rocking.

Apart from that it's a smashing place...and if you're PUFFIN mad like we are.. then make sure you're going in breeding season or else it's just you and the seals.

Sounds like a good day out in a part of Wales I've never visited (but read a good article on in the latest Birdwatch). It's a bit harsh that the warden "hates" birds. Not being interested is one thing but hating them..... So it is possible to bird with babies! My wife is encouraging me to get as much birding in as possible before we have kids because once they arrive she says that's my lot!

And if you are Puffin mad, I'll send you a copy of the Icelandic culinary classic, "101 ways to cook a Puffin!"

E

Thanks for your reply... I think when I visit Iceland proper then I'll pop in a restaurant to see the menu, but maybe, maybe not eat Puffin???

I've been to Iceland for about 3 hours, landing on stop over to Minneapollis USA while flying with Iceland Air. But that doesn't really count, unless your hobby is watching people in departure lounges.

I've promised myself I'll visit iceland one day properly and bring the family.

You stick up for yourself and tell the wife...'You'll get a papoos and carry the baby on my back when I go bird watching!!!!'

Paul, that is a good write up. Pembrokeshire and it's islands is on my list of places to bird one day.

Paul

My wife and I with friends from Pembrokeshire booked and arrived at Maitins Haven on the evening of 23rd May with a cold gale blowing for the Seabird Spectacular ( watching the birds from the boat under the cliffs ) Whilst waing 5 oystercatchers flew in and started feeding at the waters edge and a brave male linnet perched on some gorse and sung its little heart out. Unfortunatley after a half hours wait somebody said the boatman had said that the "sea was too lumpy" and we would not be going. Disappointed we trekked up to the weather station on the headland to see what we could see along with a couple of other well wrapped up birders. It was interesting walking uphill leaning to the left into the teeth of the gale and the sunset looked beutifull when viewed from shelter in the lee of the weather station. There was a guy already there with a Swar scope who had been across the previous day, unfortunatley for him it was flat calm with a sea mist and he had not seen any birds, but he had heard them. Looking down the hill towards Martins Haven one of the other birders pointed out a Winchat which I missed, and the guy with the scope said there were Manx Sheewaters out in the bay. I looked through my cheapo 10x bins but all I could see were the white splashes of some fish jumping. I was invited to look through the scope and what I thought were splashes of fish were the wings of sheerwaters flashing black then white!. There were literally thousands of them. We also saw in the distance two Gannets and numerous unidentified dots flying low and fast a long way out. And we missed the puffins!.

We visited our friends again two weeks ago, too late for puffins so didn't try to go out but we walked around the headland. It was still blowing a gale but this time it had lumps of water in it. When I say lumps I mean a very fine rain which feels like lumps when it hits you. Birds seen, Numerous Lesser BB Gulls, a juvenile/female chat? and a dove/pigeon of some sort which flew down into the cliffs.
All I can say is Pembrokshire is beautiful, iif you pick the right day of the year.:stuck:

ALan, you did well there getting a few goodies despite an aborted sailing. I still haven't got Manx Shearwaters but should get some soon.

Great report, thanks Paul, I enjoyed reading it and am glad to hear that Bonnie is imbibing birding with her milk! What a great way to bring up a child! This adds another place to my list of 'have-to's if I ever get overr to the UK!