Hi All,
Some months ago, I asked for information on where and when to see Puffins in
the UK. Several people kindly responded with information and advice.
Rosemary Royle and Bob Way convinced me that Skomer Island, on the south
west coast of Wales, was the most suitable for a day visit.
We (me, my wife, daughter and 3 year old grandson) had a most successful
visit on Wednesday 12th June. The weather was cold, overcast and windy. It
had rained all day Tuesday and was still raining early on Wednesday morning.
However, at 8.30 am the rain stopped for the time that we were on the
island. The small boat was packed with about 50 people for the 12 minute
trip, and the swell was moderately high. The scenery, on both the mainland
and island, was wild, rugged, green and generally spectacular.
All the main species were ticked off while still in the boat. `The rest of
the day involved close encounters with the birds of the Auk group - puffins,
guillemots, and razorbills. Seeing puffins go in and out of burrows at two
paces just served to confirm my belief that puffins were originally designed
by someone at Disney Corporation for a movie - and they somehow escaped into
the real world. There were also a few rarities, some we saw, some we
didn't. The island has several walking trails and some old buildings. We
managed to cover all the trails but one before it was time for the return
boat trip. A highlight of the return boat trip was the sighting of a pair
of Manx shearwater.
We all agreed that we had a special day at a special place. Thanks once
again to all.
Carl Weber
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