Skokholm Island is a very small gem of a place situated off the coast of South West Pembrokeshire.
And every year, the small island–which is just a mile in length and half a mile across at its widest point–is home to thousands of puffins and manx shewarwaters.
The best time to see the Puffins is early June.
This is what famed wildlife photographer Jonathan Lewis has to say about the place. (His work is stunning!)
Skokholm offers fantastic opportunities to photograph puffins, gullimots, razorbills, fulmars, manx shearwaters, peregrine falcons and more in an isolated, wild and tranquil environment. For me it is one of the most beautiful and magical places on earth.
You won’t have to go far to find amazing photographic opportunites. The small island is home to 4500 puffins and around 2000 Razorbills and Guillemot and a whopping 90,000 manx shearwaters! The trip is timed to coincide with the best time to view the puffins when they are constantly bringing in sand eels to their young. In many ways it is the perfect place for photography, with so many puffins shooting in and out if you miss one shot you get another chance just minutes later! There are also several hides set up around the island which can be used for photography which are handy if it rains.
Skokholm Island twitter account has been full of puffin sightings. It’s been a record year for them with nearly 7.000 sighted so far, the highest number since the Second World War.
This evening's whole Island #Puffin count totalled 6692 birds, 27 more than last year & the highest post-War count. pic.twitter.com/UWoSM6WJUZ
— Skokholm Island (@SkokholmIsland) April 13, 2016
It wont be long now before our Puffins are incubating their single eggs. pic.twitter.com/7EmI2EUJpO
— Skokholm Island (@SkokholmIsland) April 15, 2016
It wont be long now before our Puffins are incubating their single eggs. pic.twitter.com/7EmI2EUJpO
— Skokholm Island (@SkokholmIsland) April 15, 2016
Puffins were back in their thousands today. Lots of pairs getting reacquainted after a winter apart. pic.twitter.com/6UzmqqmjDp
— Skokholm Island (@SkokholmIsland) April 12, 2016
h/t: Skokholm Island Twitter, The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, BBC, Norfolk Wildlife Photography
