News from Skokholm

This news bulletin was posted on 8 September 1997. Many thanks to Graham Thompson and Theresa Purcell, Skokholm's wardens, for the information.

After spending one whole season on Skokholm, we knew exactly what was needed to see us through our second year. The winter months were spent planning and writing a huge shopping list. At the end of February we made numerous trips to Dale Sailing Company at Neyland, and with valiant assistance from the Trusts finance officer, Ewan Love, and Ken and Karl of course, we loaded the Dale Princess on Monday the 3rd of March, for it seemed likely that crossing to the island would be possible in the following few days.
At 0900 on Tuesday we cruised into the Milford Haven waterway, admiring numerous waders feeding close by on the mudflats. On board with us were Stuart Rogers, John Waddington and Yvonne and Susan Rees. Nobody quite knew what sea conditions lay ahead of us. but all looked good as we rounded the notorious St Anns Head - hardly a wave in sight - and then Skokholm came into view. We were all elated. What a contrast to the previous year - no oil. of course and no dread of what we would encounter once we reached the island. But as we got closer we began to have doubts about being able to land! South Bay was being pounded by a moderate swell, and South Haven itself was hardly better .
With the boat heavily laden, Ken was unable to prevent the Princess from lurching about dangerously, so Karl, who had managed to jump ashore and fix a rope, had to leap back on board. 'It's Blacksmith's landing or nothing Gary", said Ken. "Then it's Blacksmith's please Ken!," was my reply. Ken nosed the bow onto the rocks, and the unloading began - sand, gravel, cement, timber, gas. coal, clothing, six weeks supply of food, etc, etc, etc. After a couple of hours sea level was becoming too high to allow an easy climb back on board the Dale Princess, so our marvellous helpers had to leave while they still could. At this point less than one-fifth of the materials had reached the top of the dreaded Blacksmith's steps. But what did that matter, for we were back on the Dream Island ! All perishables had to be moved that day, so thankfully the dumper started first turn of the handle and Theresa and I started to ferry materials back and forth until we were exhausted. Of course by this time the tide had dropped and the water in South Haven was as flat as a mill pond.
Sleeping on a damp bed and with no curtains at the window were the two main reasons we awoke early the next day, the other being the aches and pains after lifting tons of materials. A quick walk around the island revealed that we had been beaten to it - the lighthouse staff had arrived a day before us. Here to service the machinery, they had kindly installed spot lamps in order to illuminate the building after dark, so hopefully preventing attracted birds from flying into the walls.
When we vacated the island last December, we left behind a Whimbrel, which presumably overwintered, for one was again present on The Anticline with Oystercatchers on our return. This had been recorded before in 1968-72. The Ravens had moved nest-site from Twinlet Bay to Raven Gully - a Fulmar occupied their previous nest (of three years), so perhaps they had been ousted - but as usual it was impossible to see into the nest cup. And one male Blue Tit remained in the courtyard - we had been feeding 5 the previous autumn, and had encouraged them to roost in a hastily erected nestbox - but alas a mate did not appear for our lone survivor despite him singing constantly for days on end, and our hope of the first breeding record disappeared with him.
Spring tides (extreme lows, and highs), and no nesting birds to disturb, meant that a visit to The Stack was possible. Jutting out of the water like a mountain peak, it was a daunting sight from the base, but the climb really was just a stroll and the view from the top stunning. The cairn there is one stone higher now! Low water also revealed a "kelp forest" with very little foliage, a result of rough seas during incessant winter gales. Fresh water on the island plateau was in relatively short supply after a dry winter, and we did fear the worst for the drinking water from the well. One advantage of the dry spell though was relatively little mould inside the buildings for a change! And cloudless skies made for excellent viewing of comet Hale-Bopp.
By the middle of March young rabbits began to appear, an obvious sign that numbers had indeed been very low at the end of 1996 (regular counts had shown a decrease of 75% from 1995 ), with two diseases affecting animals. The cold, dry winter would certainly have made matters worse. Black rabbits were conspicuous though, so perhaps they have a greater degree of immunity? Meanwhile. the white lighthouse light again began to take its toll on migrant birds, as a Chiffchaff and a Meadow Pipit were found dead on the main roof beneath the tower after a night of fog and drizzle. Two dead birds too many, then, but had the spotlamps saved others from a fatal collision?
Three weeks after our arrival, we were certain the Peregrines would be nesting in North Haven, since they had been spending lots of time on a ledge there. So the last of the gas and coal (still half a ton in weight!) had to be brought up from Blacksmith's Landing, before egg-laying occurred! This we accomplished in a frantic half an hour, so that we could then close off the Haven and hope for the best. And, just as exciting, a pair of Buzards had built a beautiful, grass-lined nest in Wreck Cove, and the Choughs were taking wool from a specially pegged-out fleece to line their nest in Steep Bay cave. The annual Work Party week in early April was a splendid affair as usual, the main task this year being the extension of the rabbit -proof fence around Green Heath, to encourage further heather growth. There is always lots of digging to be done during the week, with various items of dubious historical interest sometimes unearthed. However, whilst constructing a new drainage system at the back of the cottage (to take away puddles of water which gather behind the room there, causing damp inside), an ancient gully was found beneath. Ronald and Doris Lockley did of course have the room Gunner's as their kitchen, so it was assumed to be theirs, and carefully re-covered after taking many photographs.
There are now no excuses for failing to identify passing seabirds in gale-force winds, for the seawatch shelter is now totally weather-proofed, with glass at the windows and a door! In addition, numerous other jobs were carried out, and an Osprey much admired as it flew directly overhead as we were all conveniently gathered after a meal. Many thanks to John Lewis, Ray Saunders, Stephen, Anna and Ben Sutcliffe, Rod Billen, Sam Robbins, Jim Poole, Jack and Dai Rogers, Graham's mum Rosemary who helped to feed the crew, and to brief visitors John Revnolds and mate Dai from Dale Sailing Co. Also with us that week was distinguished naturalist and Bardsey Island lynchpin, Peter Hope Jones. Peter has vast experience of the fatal attraction of lighthouses to night-flying birds and was able to impart much information for us to apply to our problem on Skokholm. In addition to spending half of each night at the lighthouse. in rather uncomfortable conditions, Peter somehow found the time to set up and begin a photomonitoring programme which will be instrumental in directing various aspects of island habitat management for the foreseeable future.
Changes to the lighthouse continued with the removal of the foghorn on the 1st May, so now earplugs are no longer required, assuming you can sleep through the crooning of the Shearwaters. And sea-watching is all the more pleasant. Plans to run the lighthouse on solar power from late 1998 will mean no more diesel fumes either!
The Saturday changeover on the 10th May was delayed until the following Tuesday by strong winds and rough seas. Those marooned on the island had even more luck when they saw Skokholm's first Bee Eater shortly before the boat did finally get across to collect them, with Trevor Goddard capturing the bird in the act of decimating the island's bee population on video! The run of bad luck continued for the new arrivals though - our "bird of the year" had gone! Of course, it wasn't the fault of Anne and Arthur Izzard despite their run of bad luck in the past! (Editorial note: We wish to make it clear that our reputation as Jonahs is (almost) entirely undeserved, although there are those who consider our whale watching trips to be ill advised.) Graham's mum Rosemary returned to relieve Audrey Rogers and Venessa Wood from a spell as Assistant Cook-come-general-handyperson until 10-week stayer Russel Hobson arrived to continue to produce top class lunches.
A mini-invasion by Sponed Flycatchers, with a couple of birds singing, prompted Mick Brown to rapidly construct a suitable nestbox, the perfect cue for them to disappear, which they duly did, of course! It was splendid to see them, all the same, and hopefully a pair will take to a somewhat weathered box next year.
During late May - early June the breeding seabirds are counted. We enlisted Greg Morgan, Lisa Chalwin and Dai Rogers to help assess gull numbers, involving recount after recount to ensure a good degree of accuracy, and trial of new methods. We hope they will return next year, for their counting was excellent! Lesser Black-backed Gulls remained approximately stable at 3000 pairs, whilst Herring Gulls increased by 6% to 336 pairs (after a recent decline) as did Great Black-backed Gulls, from 37 to 39 breeding pairs. Razorbills continued to increase, up 6% to 584 egg-laying pairs, and Guillemots made a partial recovery towards pre-Sea Empress numbers, with 613 individuals counted. Fulmars continued their quest for world domination with an astounding leap to 170 Apparently Occupied Sites, an increase of 24%. The Seabird Group Annual Seabird Census at Twinlet and Little Bays, involving ten counts of auks and Fulmars in the first three weeks of June, mirrored the whole-island counts, suggesting that they were indeed real increases.
Yvonne Rees, one of our valiant helpers who didn't see beyond Blacksmith's Landing in early March, returned with husband David to redecorate and reupholster the furniture in the common room. What a splendid job they made of it, almost too good to sit on! David also constructed numerous refuges situated on the lighthouse roofs for attracted shearwaters, because it was now considered to be more useful to "capture" birds and then count them on release, rather than let them escape up a ramp (if they could find them!) and us have no idea how many were actually flying into the tower.
Another bout of gales in early June caused numerous Herring Gull nests situated on low-lying parts of the island to be washed away. Whilst the salty breeze caused the bracken to die back False Oat Grass took advantage of this and the lack of rabbit grazing and became dominant in South Valley Basin. This was reminiscent of 1988 when myxomatosis had swept through the island's rabbit population. Meanwhile Russel and Summer Assistant Ben Watson made great strides with vegetation survey work (as well as carrying out their other duties), re-mapping the distribution of Adderstongue Fern and counting thousands of heather seedlings in the new rabbit exclosure! We did have one worrying moment when they discovered spoil from fresh digging outside a burrow within the exclosure. Thankfully it turned out to be a shearwater rather than a rabbit!
The Art Course led by Peter Partington was a tremendous success as always, culminating with not one, but two exhibitions at the end of the week - one by the students and the other by the master himself - both tremendous affairs. Complete beginners and experienced folk rub shoulders and all are guaranteed to have a great time, so why not book your space for next year now and revel in capturing the island's wildlife and scenery on paper other than photographic!
An Osprey flying low over the island is certainly special, but even that couldn't compare with the Hercules transporter aeroplane which passed VERY low directly over the courtyard on 24 June - part of a Franco-British European Air Group humanitarian relief exercise apparently - causing the Lesser Black-backed Gulls to rise into the air in total panic! While we all admired its huge wingspan, there would have been far more "relief' felt by all island inhabitants if it had stayed away!
Late June heralds the beginning of "fledging" time for Razorbill and Guillemot chicks, where the youngsters are encouraged to leap down to the sea from their cliff-ledge homes while just one-third grown. This strategy is presumed to assist the adults because they can remain out at sea with the food supply, rather than have to fly back and forth carrying more and more fish to a rapidly growing chick, on wings which are not really suited to keeping heavy loads airborne. The adults can then moult sooner too, a process which requires much of energy, so lots of readily available fish will speed it up before the onset of winter. The chick meanwhile, moves out of reach of land-based predators, like Herring Gulls. In any case, the event makes riveting viewing, as father and offspring rapidly reunite after the descent and excitedly swim off into the sunset. Many wonderful evenings were spent by a group of dedicated visitors at Twinlet Bay again this year. revelling in the excitement. The same people have booked for the same week next year, so if you would like to experience one of the wonders of Nature, reserve your space now-! Birdwatching at its very best!
A weekend visit by members of The Royal Dutch Natural History Society resulted in the discovery of a single specimen of Heath Spotted Orchid, the first record for Skokholm. "Botanising" was the order of the day, the maritime flora new to the group of course. However, they didn't take much encouraging to put down their hand lenses and take part in the annual dawn 'til dusk Puffin-carrying-fish count, for our "Sea Parrots" were a revelation to them too, as they remain to we regular observers. Our visitors did encounter an upsetting side to island life though, as four SCUBA divers proceeded to clamber ashore beneath the Guillemot ledges at Steep Bay, causing most of the adult birds to fly from the cliffs and knock two chicks off in the process. Seabird colonies, and Guillemots in particular, cannot tolerate people close-by, and unfortunately many eggs and chicks seem to be lost each year due to overcurious or unthinking people.
Our Peregrines mysteriously failed in their breeding attempt, despite us being sure to prevent any disturbance from the land. Jim Poole came across from Skomer to climb down to the empty eyrie in order to check for remains of racing pigeons as part of a survey for The Hawk and Owl Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and The Wildlife Trust West Wales. None were found, this despite regular flights of racers being seen. What we have encountered are very tired pigeons which spend a few days sitting around the buildings, not eating food offered to them, and subsequently dying of starvation.
The figurehead of the "Alice Williams" was sent off the island to be filmed at the "Antiques Roadshow" in St. David's, in a programme to be broadcast in the autumn, with the Wildlife Trust's David Saunders as co-star! "Alice" was returned to the island, meaning that she wasn't priceless in their eyes, but she certainly is to all "Skokholmites"
Fine weather at the end of July was welcome relief from an unusually unsettled spell, and perfect timing as far as a pair of Swallows were concerned. Nesting in the dumper garage, the 5 chicks were almost set to fly, and rather than cause them to fledge prematurely, we were able to leave our vehicle outside in the sunshine and the youngsters flew when they were ready! The numerous gull chicks this year also had perfect conditions in which to make their tentative first flights.
Three splendid volunteers in the form of Rob and Ian from Cardiff University and David Hill began their week pulling bracken alongside Ben and regular bracken-basher and horsefly exterminator supreme Michael Wiles, but were eventually called away to a more urgent task - to begin gridding the island into 100 metre squares, for proposed burrow counts in order to ascertain Manx Shearwater numbers. Their sterling work was continued the following week by the WATCH group, who enjoyed reaching parts of the island that most of us can't reach! Meanwhile, local carpenter Paul Warren fitted new steps and boardwalk to North Pond Hide as the old ones had rotted virtually right through!
At this stage of the season, Puffin chicks are leaving the island at dusk but unlike Razorbill and Guillemot youngsters, they are virtually full grown and will leave alone. Large Fulmar chicks are about to begin shedding their down, as are the shearwaters underground. The island will soon turn yellow as Goldenrod and Ragwort begin to flower and the air will vibrate with the hum of pollinating insects. Last year, the period from mid-August onwards meant nightly observations in the vicinity of the lighthouse to watch for a) migrant birds attracted to the white light and b) any attempts made by Great Black-backed Gulls to predate young Manx Shearwaters as they exercised their wings on the surface of the island illuminated by the lighthouse. Thankfully there was very little evidence of either nasty. This year our watches will be aided a great deal by an image intensifier, purchased thanks to a super donation of one thousand pounds by an anonymous benefactor to whom we are very grateful.
Finally a very big THANK YOU is due to all Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers for all their help, and to visitors for making the year so far so special.
Graham Thompson & Theresa Purcell Island Wardens

Our arrival on the island was greeted with 4 Black Redstarts which remained in the vicinity of the farm buildings until the end of the month.
The spring migration was aided by numerous days with south-easterly winds, but some birds were still obviously exhausted after their journey - a Grasshopper Warbler sang in snatches from the willow 'tree" in the garden for 4 days in mid April, but was usually seen simply sitting there, looking weary. Another sang for a whole day in late April, together with singing Whitethroat, Blackcap and Garden Warbler (in the same bush, at the same time, and certainly the best way to distinguish between their somewhat similar songs of the latter pair!)
A drake Green-winged Teal was seen on Oystercatcher Rock on 17 April, the same date as last years bird! Was it the same individual? It was then seen on the sea before it (presumably the same bird) appeared later on Skomer. where it remained for some time. A female Brambling here on the same day was another surprise.
Splendid birds in splendid settings are guaranteed on Skokholm, and one species in particular will stand out in our mind this year. Two Little Egrets flew over the neck to Northern Plain, then headed north towards Skomer, but before leaving Skokholm's territorial waters(!), they turned back and flew past us again with a spectacular sunset backdrop behind them. Amazing!
Our pair of Ravens, meanwhile, had successfully raised 3 young. During the first week after leaving the nest, the juvenile birds are so approachable (read naive) and allow splendid views, making an early May visit even more worthwhile.
Skokholm's first ever Bee Eater on 13 May was part of an influx into Britain. Even eighteen in one tree (in Oxfordshire) couldn't have compared with our lone bird perched on the top of the elder bush next to the cottage. Another special bird in a special setting! An altogether less showy bird was heard and eventually seen on 18 May, as a Quail called incessantly from dense vegetation before finally emerging and flying over the buildings.
Last year we saw Skokholm's first Great Crested Grebe, a bird surely long overdue. This year things returned closer to normal, I guess, with a somewhat less scarce grebe (for Skokholm that is ) on the sea - this time of the Red-necked variety!
Our second Osprey of the year flew north over Home Meadow on 24 May, and a timely telephone call to Simon and Christine on Skomer resulted in them seeing it there too.
A Water Rail in Orchid Bog called each and every night from 28 May - 6 June. but supposedly failed to attract a mate and was not seen nor heard again. Another disappointment then, after breeding couldn't be confirmed in 1995 despite a presence all that summer.
A pair of Linnets were seen carrying nest material into a gorse bush in the Well Exclosure in late April, and in May breeding was confirmed as the pair were seen taking food there too. On 30 May three young were seen in the vicinity, and the nest located shortly afterwards - the second breeding recordfor Skokholm ( the first being in 1929, R.M.Lockley), in gorse planted just a few years ago in an attempt to increase diversity and to bring something of the past back to Skokholm. A success! A pair of Whitethroats did likewise in the base of a willow, the eighth breeding record. Amazingly few when you think that both species are abundant on the nearby mainland. "Changeover Day", i.e. Saturday, is often when rarities seem to appear on the island. It often means that two groups of visitors get to see the bird, but surely the newcomers are the luckiest, since our feathered friend has to withstand a lot of noise as the dumper truck thunders past and down to the landing! A Woodchat Shrike did just that on 31 May, remaining on the fence of the Well Exclosure for the whole afternoon, snapping up passing insects continuously.
June is traditionally an excellent month for "rarities", and one appeared on Skokholm on 23 June in the form of a Greenish Warbler, virtually a year to the day since the appearance of one on Skomer! Frequenting Lighthouse Rocks, its energetic jizz proved entertaining as it did Flycatcher impersonations by hovering and snapping at insects whilst a family of Rock Pipits watched somewhat enviously, one presumes. The bird did not call though, and the record awaits adjudication by the British Birds Rarities Committee. It would be the fourth recorded on Skokholm, the previous three having been all caught and ringed, all in different years, but on the same date, 31 August. Terns are seen infrequently from Skokholm, unfortunately, but sea birds were not on Theresa's mind when she entered North Pond Hide on Saturday afternoon, 5 July. A raucous screech soon brought memories of terns flooding back though, and an Arctic Tern flew directly overhead! If only they all did that! Meanwhile, a Short-eared Owl was entertaining the rest of us as it twisted and turned over Home Meadow, totally bamboozling dozens of irate gulls!
The dawn-dusk observations of Puffins bringing fish to burrows (and hence chicks) was rewarded with the highest total ever, so they're certainly doing something right! Meanwhile, the study plots at Twinlet Bay revealed another good season for Razorbills and Guillemots, with 83% and 95% of pairs respectively raising a chick, to it leaving the ledge at least.
Other breeding birds included 43 pairs of Oystercatchers, resulting in just a handful surviving to fledge and 6 pairs of Lapwings, with just one chick fledging. Our ground nesting passerines were up in numbers, with 17 pairs of Skylarks, 20 of Meadow Pipits and 18 of Wheat ears. Numerous young birds of each were seen to fledge. Swallows nested in the dumper garage, raising 5 young, whilst the pair at the Lighthouse failed on three occasions at the young chick stage. Two pairs of Pied Wagtails bred, the pair in the vicinity of the buildings raising 3 broods, one in the wall of "Bull house", and two under the eaves of the wheelhouse.
Virtually continuous rain for 4 days in early August (totalling 12.5cm) resulted in most of the islands burrows being flooded, and half-grown Manx Shearwater chicks evicted by the water or drowned. Those managing to emerge were the target for attacks by hungry gulls, and although it was impossible to save them all, Theresa and I took a few dozen indoors, until their burrows dried out to some extent. ,Others were covered in situ with pieces of board, so they were still at the burrow entrance, albeit on the surface, but sheltered from the further torrential rain, and predators. One tiny chick was close to drowning when Theresa and I discovered it. It had been sat on and it's head submerged by an older intruder also escaping a flooded burrows and the gulls) in its burrow. Both were dried out until once again resembling powder-puffs, and replaced in extended, dry "burrows". Four birds with eye injuries were kindly taken off to the RSPCA, and we hope to have them back soon. Most are now currently losing their down, and preparing to fledge.
Quite an eventful season, so far, and we await the autumn migration with binoculars at the ready, and crossed fingers!
SKOKHOLM WARDENS Graham Thompson & Theresa Purcell

Fulmar One-hundred and seventy (170) Apparently Occupied Sites, an increase of 24% (137 AOS in 1996). Seventy-six (76) large young counted early-mid August, 0.45/ "pair".
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Apparently Occupied Nests (AONs) numbered 2937. Censused using a combination of transect and vantage-point counts to obtain a correction factor applicable to areas not walked through(as S.J. Sutcliffe, pers. comm. ), not because of the size of the colony here, but due to excessive damage to shearwater burrows. Circa 600 young fledged.
Herring Gull
Three-hundred and thirty-six (336) AONs, an increase of 6% (317 in 1996). A sample of 124 AONs on "The Neck" produced 55 large young, 0.44/pair. This figure may not be representative of the island as a whole, however, since some nests were washed away by rough seas during the late incubation/ small chick stage on this low-lying part of Skokholm.
Great Black-backed Gull
Thirty-nine (39) AONs, (37 in 1996). Fifty-nine young fledged, a rate of 1.5/pair. Guillemot Six-hundred and thirteen (613) individuals, up 20% from '96, but 10% down from 1995. A study plot at Twinlet Bay was watched daily throughout the season, with 66 egg-laying pairs producing 62 "fledging" young, an excellent rate of 0.95/pair. We spent many wonderful hours watching them leap from the ledges!
Razorbill
A single count of individuals, 1073, an increase of 14%. We also count eggs/Apparently Incubating Birds - a total of 584, up 5.7%. The study area at Twinlet Bay had 49 egg-laying pairs, producing 41 "fledging" young, a rate of 0.84. All nest-sites here are "open", and one Herring Gull in particular was regularly seen trying to grab chicks, even pulling at adults in attempts to move them!
Puffin
Counts of individuals: 1st April 3250: 6th July, 5190. Of 70 burrows in use in early May, 44 contained chicks in mid July, a rate of 0.63. In addition, we carried out our annual dawn 'til dusk watch on the number of Puffins bringing fish to burrows. The number of landings was up on all of the previous 9 years, whilst successful gull attacks (as in kleptoparasitism) were fewer!
The Manx Shearwater chicks that didn't succumb to the abysmal conditions of a few weeks ago (causing flooding of burrows and either drowning or predation of numerous birds) are beginning to leave the island. Thankfully the cloud prevailing at the moment is blocking out the moonlight! So something's going right for them.