Atlantic Puffins

 Here are shots of three different birds from my recent trip to Skomer. I will take a break from posting pictures of the birdlife on the island and go onto other subjects, so I wanted to make this post special with some really nice shots. I have already written about some puffin related facts in previous posts so I won't repeat that here, instead I will just let the pictures do the talking. These are such stunning, beautiful birds and it was a real privilege to photograph them.

Stonechat

 For today I am taking a break from the puffin and other seabird shots and have shared a few images of male and female stonechats. I photographed these on Wooltack Point while waiting for the crossing to Skomer. There were lots of songbirds flying about and singing loudly but most were very difficult to spot let alone photograph. With a bit of patience however I managed to get these shots and I really like the colours with the gorse in full bloom as a backdrop. It is very likely that I was close to the nest in these shots because they commonly nest in gorse, and why not? with its sharp thorns it provides a natural protective barrier to would be predators. They lay 5 or 6 eggs and will generally have 2 or 3 broods in a nesting season. That seems like a lot of work for such little birds.

A Heck of a View

A few more from my trip to Pembrokeshire and Skomer. No doubt you you will be excited to see some shots of Puffins, after all that was the reason I went to Skomer in the first place. I have chosen to share some more shots of the spectacular sunset but if it is puffins you want I have included a little teaser below, just keep scrolling...

The pictures above were taken from Woolpack point, the sky genuinely was that gorgeous golden glow which belies how chilly it actually was with the wind coming right off the sea. It was nice to be up on the point on my own for a little while but I was soon joined by a trio of guys who were, like me there to enjoy the sunset at the end of a wonderful day. I think the addition of the three figures in the first two shots really adds something to the scene and I really like the solo guy silhouetted in the third shot. I also like the impact of the single seabird in the fourth image.

Before you scroll down to the final image I should warn you that it is not going to be what you expect. It is not a "cute" shot of a puffin but is instead an example of how timing is everything in getting the shot and is a good capture, even if it makes you groan.

 I had taken one shot of this bird close to the edge of the cliff and as it started to hunker down I thought it might be about to take to the air and I had tried several times to get pictures of these birds in flight. However instead of taking to the air it was heading back underground to its burrow, presumably to sit on its nest and as it did so it jettisoned its load quite spectacularly.

All at Sea

 This week I had the privilege of traveling to Skomer Island which lies just off the Pembrokeshire coast and which is home at this time of year to over 42,000 Atlantic Puffins, over 710,000 Manx Shearwater and a host of other sea birds including Razorbills, Guillemots, Kittiwake, Fulmar and Gannets all of which come to the island as it provides a safe nesting site and abundant food in the local waters on which to raise their chicks. I will say more about the birds and share some of my favourite photos from the trip in future posts.

However before I get onto that I have some shots from the night before that are worth sharing over the next couple of days. I took the opportunity to make this my first solo camping trip of the year and stayed on a site overlooking St Brides Bay and after I had pitched up and got myself organised I took a short walk along a section of the Pembrokeshire coastal path to enjoy the scenery and the sunset.

The first of todays shots was taken from Wooltack Point looking out to sea past Skomer. It was taken at a similar time to the third image which is why the colours in the sky are similar. The second image was taken a little earlier and at the time the sun was still just above a bank of cloud so the colours are not so warm as when it dipped below the cloud and and set over the horizon.

The sea during the evening was pretty calm considering there was a strong westerly breeze, it was much more lively then next day on the crossing to the island.

The ships in St Brides Bay (there were about 10 in all) are oil and gas tankers which have unloaded their cargo at Milford Haven. They remain at anchor until they are dispatched to their next location, apparently they can wait for anything between one week and six months before moving on, all the time with a full complement of crew aboard.

What's a Wogan?

This is...

Under Pembroke Castle there is something referred to in the guide book as a wogan. This is a cave which was likely home to the earliest inhabitants of the Pembroke area. Apparently it has never been excavated but there is a similar cave nearby which has revealed traces of human activity dating back to 10,000 years ago which is in the mesolithic era.

The castle is built above and there is a narrow stone staircase which leads down from the relatively modern courtyard. The entrance to the cavern has been enclosed by a thick stone wall with high windows and a steel gate and being a cave its really quite dark inside, fortunately my camera is able to pick out the detail even in low light and without flash so that is how I am able to share these pictures with you.

An Ancient Stronghold

The magnificent castle at Pembroke was clearly built to impress and I am sure that in its heyday it certainly did that. It has an imposing presence overlooking the river and with its high, thick walls surrounded by a moat it would have been more or less impregnable. Although it is in ruins the fact that so much remains intact hundreds of years after its construction says a lot about the intentions of the architect and the skills of the craftsmen and labourers who put it all together.

Climbing The Walls

A couple of weeks ago I visited Pembroke Castle. There are high walls, narrow passages, a huge circular keep and a wogan (more of that later in the week)

Although I have some pretty decent shots of the castle itself I wanted to share these pictures of flowers that were growing in the cracks in the mortar of the walls. 

I have tried to identify the two types of flower but I haven't been able to so if anybody can help me out I will be very grateful, I have included a crop of the tiny purple ones to make it easier...

It's not all black and white

The first of today's picture shows two Guillemots and one Razorbill, they seemed to be getting along really well, I wonder if they "speak the same language" or how they can communicate with each other.

The second shot is of three Razorbills. These birds, part of the Auk family spend most of their lives out at sea in the Northern Atlantic, they only come ashore to breed and they mate for life.

Guillemots are also members of the Auk family (so they probably do share a language, maybe...) and like the Razorbill only come to land in order to breed. Their plumage is more brown than black and their bills are clearly a different shape. The pair in the last two pictures seem quite content, almost sleepy even though they are perched on such a small rocky ledge. I was amazed at the skill and agility of these birds as they flew at the cliffs and landed without crashing.

Songbirds on Skomer

The first two of today's pictures are of a Dunnock perched on a fence post. I was alerted to its presence by its song and at first I couldn't see it until it settled on the post, just long enough for me to take these two shots before it flew off. I am really happy with these pictures as they are so sharp.

The final bird was a puzzle to me at first. I had been watching some skylarks and at first that is what I thought this was, it was too far away for a clear identification at first but now as you can see it is a Whitethroat. As far as I can recall this was the first whitethroat I had ever seen so I'm really pleased with this although as it was on a bramble buffeted by the wind it was hard to get a clean shot.

A Summer Visitor

Something quite different for today and something much harder to photograph than the puffins.

This is a breeding pair of Wheatears that were flitting about the scrubby ground and burrows of the Manx Shearwaters sleeping below my feet. 

With my long lens (Tamron 150- 600mm f5 - 6.3) which is quite heavy, the strong wind and the speed at which these little birds were darting around getting a clear shot was incredibly difficult. I don't think I have really nailed it with these pictures but these are the best I could do on the day. I think I needed to be settled down and possibly in a hide to get better than these but as I had never seen these birds before I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to get the shot. It has inspired me to do more proper wildlife photography.

Fratercula arctica

I have rather a lot of photos of the Atlantic Puffins on Skomer, well with so many to see it would have been rude not to take them, and it is tempting now to post them all over the next week. 

However I don't want to overload you so after today I will change things and for a day or two I will post a few different subjects.  You can be sure however that because I am so pleased to have such wonderful images of these wonderful birds I will definitely be choosing some more puffin pictures for you.

As I said yesterday this trip was the fulfillment of a long held ambition and getting up close to some of these birds (less than a metre away in some cases) was actually quite an emotional experience for me. Call me soft if you like but I know I was not the only one affected in this way. While taking this group of pictures I was talking to a Polish photographer who also quite clearly couldn't believe that he was there, and he was almost rooted to the spot. There is really something magical about the Puffin.

A Firm Favourite

Yesterday I promised that I had a real treat in store for today, and I defy you to say that I have let you down...

A couple of weeks ago I got to visit Skomer an island bird reserve in Pembrokeshire, managed by The Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales. It is only accessible for a few hours per day and visitor numbers are limited to a maximum of 250 people per day. It is a short boat ride from Martins Haven to the island and then a steep climb from the landing point to what is a wonderful home to colonies of seabirds and many other species of birds. On the day I visited there were only about 100 visitors to the island and it felt like a real privilege to be there. I enjoyed speaking to other photographers (about the birds and about kit) and to some of the warden volunteers whose knowledge really added something to the experience. 

I was especially keen to visit to see the Puffins that were breeding on the island and to be able to get up so close to these iconic birds was a bit of a bucket list item for me. Puffins are on the international Red List of Endangered Species and with decreasing populations they are vulnerable to extinction; although seeing the numbers on Skomer in their burrows, on the cliffs, in the air and on the water it is hard to imagine their total demise. It underlines the importance of places like Skomer where they  enjoy a degree of protection.

So for today I hope you enjoy the three pictures above. I really love them and in the coming days I will share some more. I have pictures of several of the other species from around the island too, and even some landscape shots to share so make sure you come back to see.