#Puffins | Judith Barrow

Last year I wrote – “At long last! After living in Pembrokeshire for the last forty-six years and despite walking many miles of the Pembrokeshire coast, and meandrering around a lot of the Welsh countryside discovering wonderful places, lakes, waterfalls … scenary, we hadn’t been on Skomer island.”

That post here: Crossing off the Bucket List: Part One.

This week we managed to visit Skomer again. Like last year, it was a glorious day’s adventure, and though warm, it was slightly … hmm … a lot more windy, especially on our walk along the rocky path to the far end of Skomer Head, the one place we missed seeing in 2025.

Skomer Head

The wind was so strong at this point we struggled to walk. It gave the Photographer an excuse to stop many times.

After being buffetted so much we were relieved to find that, when we turned inland, it was slightly calmer.

This rabbit took not the slightest notice of us.

Unlike the Puffins …

Skomer is internationally important for seabird, especially Puffins. When the Photographer stopped to take their photos at The Wick, they were as curious of us as they were last year. Wonder if some of them were the same birds!

Last year I wrote about the geological fault activity and basaltic lava flows that long ago formed The Wick in Crossing Off the Bucket List Part Two). Looking over the edge of the cliff was just as scary to me as then. And, like last year, the Fulmars and Great Black-backed Gulls swooping and riding the air currants, were just as noisy.

After almost four hours of walking we finally stopped by an outcrop of rocks to eat a belated lunch and admire the sweep of the glorious coastline.

Packing up, I looked at the path we needed to take to get back to the harbour. It seemed a long way!! Undaunted the Photographer set off. “Come on,” he said, cheerfully. ” It’s further on where we saw the Manx Shearwaters, Guillemots, Razorbill, and Kittiwakes last year.” I followed. After all, he had the last bottle of water (and the chocolate) in his rucksack.

And, after all, who could resist a last look at the magnificent scenary of this island and another chance to spot different seabirds?

We arrived back at the harbour in good time to see the boat coming in. And to take a final Puffin photo.

A short reminder of the history of Skomer Island:

Around thirty-seven thousand years ago, Skomer would have been part of the mainland, only being cut off, following rising sea level, by the end of the last Ice Age around twelve thousand years ago

There is evidence of untouched remains of huts, fields and cairns that appear to prove that between five and twelve thousand years ago there was an Iron Age settlement of a small farming community on Skomer. Near the Garland Stone, a pyramidal (shaped like a pyramid), just off the northern tip of the island, there is a short circular detour off the main path across a ridge where a group of nine small cairns have been identified. This is probably a prehistoric cemetery. In North Valley, looking towards North Pond when conditions are suitable the remains of a number of circular Iron Age huts in pairs can be seen. This is the most complete and untouched remains of this period in the whole of Europe.

But then, except for some evidence of Medieval buildings on the island there is no clear record of any habitation until around the thirteenth century.

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‬Author of Domestic Thrillers, Domestic Noir, Contemporary Fiction & Historical Family Sagas.

Link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Judith-Barrow/e/B0043RZJV6

At long last! After living in Pembrokeshire for the last forty-six years and despite walking many miles of the Pembrokeshire coast, and meandrering around a lot of the Welsh countryside discovering wonderful places, lakes, waterfalls … scenary, we hadn’t been on Skomer island. This week we finally managed to go. And it was a glorious day’s adventure.

Boarding the Dale Princess

Arriving on Skomer …

To be greeted by numerous curious puffins who seemed as interested in us as we were in them….

Skomer is internationally important for seabirds and, of course, there are necessary rules to protect the birds so we were told where and how we could walk the paths. One of the National Trust volunteers told us about the numerous species of birds on the island which included the Puffins – now in their last week before they leave the island – we were so lucky to see them.

The colony of Manx Shearwaters is the largest colony in the world. Unfortunately we found quite a few remains of these on the narrow paths, apparently caught by the Great Black-backed Gulls. Later in the day we came across a crowd of people watching a Manx Shearwater chick which had wandered out of its ground nest. Seeing the amount of Gulls flying overhead, we hoped it managed to shuffle back to safety.

We weren’t lucky enough to see the Storm Petrels that are usually here on the island (they probably were but our binoculars were of slightly less quality than those hired out for five pounds by the National Trust). But we did see Guillemots, Razorbill, Kittiwakes, and so many of the ubiquitous Carrion Crows and Ravens

And at the Bird Hide, we watched Fulmars, Herring, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls as well as a pair of Canada Geese around the North Pond. (Well, I think they were Canada Geese, the Photographer said they were … ducks!) Huh!

Two watchful Kittiwakes

And, later in the day we were followed by a pair of these little birds – we think they were trying to lure us away from their nest.

We thought they were Stonechats – or Linnets – but maybe someone more knowledgeble will be able to correct us?

Some of the paths are so narrow they were designated one way paths – we were warned not to stand on the grass alongside in case there there were still Puffin burrows with chicks in them. Others are wider and surrounded by ferns, daisies, wild flowers … a treat to see.

We arrived at the old farmhouse where we stopped for our picnic.

History of the farmhouse:

There are unsubstantiated records of a house built in the centre of the island, thought to be around seventeen hundred on which are the ruins of the old farmhouse, itself dated from about 1840. This was once an impressive and substantial house, built in the traditional Pembrokeshire style with small slates fixed in mortar, protecting the front of the house. Early pictures show a metal veranda running the length of the house, and at the back of the building, an old smoking oven where fish and meats would have been preserved.
The slightly thicker soils in this part of the island and access to water in North Valley enabled a range of crops to be grown. There are records of the farm supporting three families at one time with cows and sheep grazing on the land as well as horses to help with the heavy work. Farming was largely abandoned after the outbreak of the First World War and all agriculture on the island finally ended in 1950.

And onwards to today:

In 1959 the Island was bought by the Nature Conservancy (the Government department that became the Countryside Council for Wales) helped by the West Wales Field Society (the charity that became the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales). It was declared one of the country’s first National Nature Reserves and is now owned by National Trust and managed by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.