Skokholm Visits

 NRG GOES TO SKOKHOLM 2025

 

Fifteen folk safely made their way to Marloes, or nearby, on the evening of Sunday, 24^th August, ready for a sailing the following morning from the jetty at Martin’s Haven.  A jolly supper was taken at the Lobster Pot where the coming week was discussed and old hands reassured ‘newbies’ that whilst the logistics for getting 18 people onto the island with all their kit and mountains of food sounds complicated, it all becomes clear once the cars are safely parked at West Hook Farm, and the luggage is manhandled down to the jetty and loaded onto the boat and the mainland recedes into the distance.  Once Skokholm appears round the headland in the sunshine and the island welcoming committee is ready to assist getting the bags and boxes up to the farmstead all seems much better!!

By 1pm everyone was sat round the table with tea and coffee in the sunshine while Richard gave us the customary welcome and briefing and plans for the week’s ringing were discussed, which depending on the weather, were to include night-time ringing of Manxies and anything else we could catch with a landing net, and the day-time use of the many mist-nets already positioned around the island, the pushing of the 4 Helligoland Traps at regular intervals throughout the day and then the employment of the many Spring Traps and Potter Traps of various sizes (and even Richard’s Whoosh Net) – especially when the wind stopped the mist nets from being used.

 

Sadly, this afternoon was the last we saw of the warmth and the sunshine and the rest of the week was somewhat breezy, or extremely windy, and although many of the rain clouds parted either side of the island and left us mostly dry, it was not as bright or sunny as we would have liked.

 

With such a lovely large number of ringers and birders we had all the available tasks covered;  those who had not been up into the wee small hours hunting and ringing Manxies, gulls, Meadow Pipit and the like, were available to rise at dawn (around 6am at this time of year) to push the Traps and see what might have taken refuge in the trees and bushes from the night’s wind and/or rain.  Occasionally, a few of the nets could also be opened for a couple of hours after dawn until the wind got up later in the morning.

 

The staff completing their morning census of the island met the night shift waking from their lie-in for moth-o’clock at around 11am when the contents of the moth trap(s) were logged and released.  For those who don’t do a lot of mothing, it is great to see so many species and have them identified for us.

 

Occasionally during the day, a few of the less exposed nets could be opened (typically in the Courtyard, behind the Wheelhouse or in the Cottage Garden) and the Spring Traps and Potter Traps were bated with mealworms and caught many of the Meadow Pipits, Wheatears and the odd Pied Wagtail on the meadow or north plain.  And as regularly as possible (about once an hour) a team of 2 or 3 pushed the Helligoland Traps throughout the daylight hours.  

 

Meanwhile, towards the latter part of the afternoon, in the kitchen the gallant volunteer cooks were beginning to prepare the evening meal(s) for their team-mates.  We have found over the years that having one or two of the team cook for the whole gang each evening makes for the streamlined use of the kitchen and it is also very nice to all sit down at the table at the same time for the evening meal.  One evening the weather was even good enough for a BBQ – thanks to Kenny for standing over the coals and the smoke to grill everyone’s choice of Brioch filling.

 

Then, after the washer-uppers (the members who have not been part of the cooking teams) have tackled the dishes, there is an hour or so for a short nap, or down-time in the lounge in the Cottage, before (at 9pm) everyone gathers for the daily Log, where Richard expertly enters all the sightings and ringing numbers onto his mega spreadsheet to add to the digital database of all the wildlife that has ever been recorded on or from the island.

 

And then, at around 10.30pm, the daily routine has come fully circle.  Those who have been up since dawn retire to bed to be ready for the next day’s dawn surprises, and those who have the stamina, set off with their landing nets and a pocket full of rings and pliers to catch their night-time targets – hopefully under a clear, starlit night – but sometimes under threatening skies and strong winds and rain!!

 

Rough estimates for the ringing totals came to around 1,000 birds handled, which considering the weather, is a commendable achievement.  Of course, the Manx Shearwater made up the greater part of this total and the highlight was a bird with a Spanish ring which may prove to be the first such bird to have been caught in the UK – we await hearing more details.  A small number of Storm Petrel chicks were ringed as part of the study of productivity from the nests in the wall crevices.  Sadly, we caught very few gulls this year as these intelligent birds have got wise to the gull trap and will no longer oblige – a couple were caught by the lamping team, but alternative day-time plans were thwarted by the weather - Richard had his whoosh net primed and ready, but this cannot be safely fired in windy conditions.  Birds during the day were led by Rock Pipit and Meadow Pipit, followed by Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Swallow.  A Nightingale was a noteworthy bird – this was the second to be ringed this autumn, but only the fifth bird in the last ten years.  It was still around some days later, feeding up nicely prior to its onward journey.  

 

 

At night, Manxies are easily attracted into buildings by lights and the offer of somewhere to take respite from the elements
One night this leucistic Manx Shearwater fledgling was caught and ringed.  It will likely attract notice from gulls if seen, but was happily still around several evenings later

 

And so the 2025 Not-Northants Skokholm visit came to an end.  Having got soaked loading the boat, the sun came out as we crossed and shone beautifully as we transported our empty boxes and soggy bags over to the roadside ready for loading into our cars ready for journeys home.  Our group this year came variously, but not exclusively, from:  Newcastle, Devon, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Shropshire and of course Milton Keynes and Warwickshire!!  Only two of the team actually live in Northamptonshire!!