Skomer Island

The most popular bird here is probably the Puffin and close up views are guaranteed at the right time of year, and the carpets of Bluebells, Red Campion and Sorrel are an amazing blaze of colour unique to this island.

Where is it?

Eight miles almost due west of Milford Haven, through the village of Marloes is the tiny cove of Martins Haven. This is the jumping off point for Skomer which is just a fifteen minute boat ride away. It’s a popular destination for anyone interested in wildlife with some of the easiest to see seabird colonies in the UK, you can even stay the night and experience the extraordinary wildlife spectacle of Manx Shearwaters arriving at their colony.

What’s There?

Skomer is the largest and most important island for seabirds in the southern Britain holding probably the largest colony of Manx Shearwaters in the world, a good sized Puffin population and large numbers of other seabirds.

It is a floral wonderland every spring and a hotspot for migrant birds, at the height of summer the butterfly numbers are unforgettable and on wet evenings the island is alive with frogs and toads.

Other notable species include Short-eared Owl, Curlew, Peregrine and Chough and there are also numerous breeding duck. Each autumn Grey Seals breed on the beaches and caves around the island.

When to visit?

Skomer is a National Nature Reserve managed by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales open to the public from 1st April (or Easter if earlier) until 31st October each year. The best time (and most popular) for seabirds and flowers is mid May to mid June.

In April and early May the birds are often present and the cliff top flowers are emerging. In late June and through July the seabird chicks are fledging and by the end of July the cliffs are mostly quiet but the shearwaters are around until late August. In September and October the migrants can be really good but it is the breeding seals which draw people to the island at this time.

Species

Puffin

Puffins are quite small but comical and endearing auks with brightly coloured bills. They are around from late March to late July and are probably the islands most popular bird. In some areas they are very tame and will walk past people on the footpaths.

Manx Shearwaters

Manx Shearwaters are the commonest bird on the island nesting in burrows at densities of up to 3,000 per ha - but they only arrive on the island after dark to avoid the large gulls & ravens which predate them so most people don’t see them at all. Over a third of the world population breed here and on dark nights their eerie calls fill the air – a fantastic wildlife experience.

Flowers

Bluebells and Red Campion dominate the floral scene extending to over 100ha each spring but the cliff top Thrift and Sea Campion also create their own displays. There can be few places of comparable beauty when everything is in full flower.