Skomer Island - Puffins and Short Eared Owls

[Unit]

Hi All,

I am new to the site and new (~ 1 year) to the joys and pains of Wildlife Photography.

I am planning a trip to Skomer Island for birdcount week in May and wondered if anyone had any experience of the island.

I will be checking out the puffin colony, but i am also interested in getting shots of the short eared owls.

Any advise on lenses, camera settings etc, but mostly locations, times of day and tactics would be much appreciated.

I have scanned most of the websites on skomer and the two species, but first hand info would be really usefull.
:)

[Ruth Daniel]

Welcome to WAB Unit!
I've no experience of Skomer but I'm sure someone will be along to help before long!

[STEinGUZZ]

Hi Unit

I'll be watching this post, I was about to ask for info on Skomer Island and the Pembrokeshire Coast Area myself. Heading up there next week for a few days camping / walkabout Wildlife Photography. Never been to Skomer or South Wales so hopefully some people can give us the down low

Yours Aye Ste

[NicolaB]

I went last May and it was fantastic Used a Nikon D60 and 55-200mm short zoom lens (as that was all I had at the time) but still got some good shots as the birds are really tame and come very close. No doubt I'll be going back again this year with my improved kit, as I've bought my Bigma and D300 since then, so I can't wait!

The best area (and the only one where you'll see Puffins in huge numbers) as The Wick, and the birds are so close that they're literally getting under your feet at times! There are Chough on the island as well, and I was also lucky enough to spot a little owl on a wall near the old farmhouse. The short eared owl are best seen in the marshy area in the centre of the island, although sadly I didn't see any, probably because I was only there for the day and they tend to be more active during the early evening once I'd left

I went on the 2nd or 3rd weekend of May, and there was lots of nest building going on, with Puffins heading in and out of burrows with beakfuls of twigs. I think if you went a bit later, June sort of time, you'd have a better chance of getting those classic "beak full of sandeels" shots!

The puffins are incredibly easy to photograph, but to get something different, just sit and watch at the Wick for a while and work out the routes they take to their burrows, and the points where the land on the cliffs, as you can get some fab landing shots that way with their orange feet sticking out and looking comical You can get these either by tracking flying puffins, or manually focussing on a cliff edge and then pointing the lens at an area just above it where the puffin is likely to fly into, and shoot when it does! It's a bit hit and miss but you can get some nice shots this way too.

As for camping...Newgale is pretty good and has a pub right next to the campsite, but it does get a bit full of surfers. I think there's a nice site at Caerfai as well (just South of St Davids on the coast).

Another great place for wildlife is Bosherston Lily Ponds, where you've got a good chance of seeing otters, the lilies are spectacular in early summer, and theres a fab beach nearby too, plus loads of chough in the area. If you wander further round the coast you reach St Govans chapel, which is built in a cleft in the cliffs and well worth a visit, and even further is Stack Rocks, where you can see huge guillemot and razorbill colonies.

For red kites, The feeding centre at Llandeusant is worth a visit and is vaguely en route to Pembs

Feeding station for Red Kites bird watching in Wales

The WWT centre in Llanelli is also fantastic for bird photography

Hope that helps!

[DavyG]

I'll be watching this thread also.

We're thinking of going there around early July this year, would that be too late to see the Puffins carrying the sand eels?

Thanks for your very informative post Nicola.

Dave

[STEinGUZZ]

Thanx for that post Nicola plenty of information there ,

Pembrokeshire it is next week for sure and Scotland (Isle of Mull) week after, at last I can go on my little adventures (had a busy year in work) I can finally get some use out of my Camera Equipment and hopefully have some images to upload.

Now you and DavyG have mentioned puffins, I really wan't to capture one of them Puffin Classics (sand eels in beak / feet first landings) I suppose its the wrong time of the year though

Ste

[Unit]

Thanks Nicola,

Really great info I had heard the Wick was the spot for puffins - the landing shot idea sounds like just the challenge i'm after.

Dave - from what i've read you will need to be there late june very early July as the puffin chicks fledge that time of year and by mid to late july the adults have left and are back out to sea.

By the way Nicola, I will also be taking my 150mm macro with me - are the puffins tame enough to get full close up head shots with a bit of patience if you sit tight ?

The info on the Owl location is just what i needed.

I have been lucky enough to book myself in for the week at the end of May when they close the island for the bird count, so i am hoping that some late afternoon/evening sessions would prove productive for the shorties. You have given me a great place to start looking for them.

Apparently they nest on the ground and the chicks are born mid-late may. I'm hoping to identify a nest site and locate myself in the males flight path as he brings back voles etc. for the chicks and the female.

Does anyone know of any issues with this other than the usual precautions ? I have no intentions of photographing the chicks or nest site I just want to use it as a focal point for my stake out. Is ~ 5-10m enough of a safe distance ?

Are they on the amber or red lists ?

Let me know as the last thing i want to do is cause abandonment of the nest

[NicolaB]

150mm macro should be fine for the tamer puffins...sometimes you're literally trying not to stand on them as their burrows are the opposite side of the path from the cliff edge and they're all scuttling across where you're trying to walk

I'm not sure about any owl photography restrictions but I'm sure the wardens will have lots of advice

[NicolaB]

Here are a few of the shots I got last year, they're not bad seeing as I hadn't had a DSLR that long back then, and only had the shortish lens.

[Unit]

Nice Shots Nicola !!!!,

I particularly like the one of the puffin peaking out of its front door and the other one poking its head up out of the grass.

I was excited enough about the trip already - but now the weeks cant go by fast enough.

I will definately try with the macro - looks from your shots that getting close isnt a problem - not getting in the way seems the hardest part.

By the way - as the birds are black and white did you have any exposure issues or did you just use the grass to take a reading ?

Ref: the owls - i will definately have a chat with the wardens.

You also mentioned in your first post the Red Kite feeding station - whats that like ? i cant pronounce the name but were you talking about grygrin (not close i know). Apparently the man "Rouse" went there a while back and the shots on his blog were vgood.

Unit

[Unit]

Sorry Nicola,

Should have clicked on the link - got the info on the kites

[Unit]

By the way Ste, what are you hoping for on the Isle of Mull - otters ? or Sea Eagles - the latter would be really cool

[STEinGUZZ]

Hi Unit,

Been browsing on the net, the campsite i'm looking at is just outside Tobermory, which is in the vicinity of Loch Frisa where I believe there are Sea Eagles. I'm into the out doors in general but will be trying to capture some images but the main reason i'm heading up there is to see some eagles hopefully, Sea or Golden. I read on the net that the otters are quite common so seeing them would be a bonus also. My lens set up is a 300mm + 1.4x converter so my range would be limited, so i'll be rambling with camera in hand and see what I come accross

Also agree about Nicolas image, my fav is the one at the front door too

Ste

[STEinGUZZ]

Hi

Just thought I'd post a few pics captured on Wed 8th April, first time I'd seen these before. Beautiful Birds, very graceful, I didn't manage to get any pin sharp or close images but really enjoyed trying. I will post the details on the area where I seen these, there was 2 of them displaying for about 20 mins, but I had to rush for the boat

I think my visit was too early, although I enjoyed it and the owls made my day

yours aye Ste

[Unit]

Hey Ste,

Considering you only had 20mins - these grab shots are pretty good. Fills me with hope about my trip.

I look forward to hopefully sharing some similar results.

Hope you have agreat time on Mull

Regards,

Unit