May Bank Holiday in Pembrokeshire



puffin at Scomer



Wheater at Deer Park

 


Red kite

 


chough  at Deer park.

 


 

Red kite





Glossy Ibis at Martin Sands

 Robert , Jimmy, and myself set off for a long weekend toWales we will meet brian and my daughter- in- law sue who are already down there for their 30th wedding anniversary they stay in a very nice cottage just outside Tenby. Robert alway's come's every year to wales but find's it hard to do the local stuff he like's to see the rapture's and big bird's. Rob booked a travel lodge, a bit cramped but not to bad. On the way down we stop off at the red kite feeding station, a man put's food out at 3 o clock every day , and you pay £3 to see a great show of maybe 30 or so red kite's swooping down very close in front of you, a really wonderful sight, On to camp down for the night we have to get up early tomorrow as we are going to our favorite birding place Skomer Island. Up and off to meet up with Brian he would not let us go without him and we like to be all together for this trip. we get  to skomer early and finger's crossed hope to find that the boat can go over today, It's a nice day but the boat will not alway's go because it's down to how strong the wind  and how rough the water is.Bingo we are told the boat will go over to the Island. we have a couple of hour's to wait,  so we go round deer park because we know we will get a few year tick's here. first off we see Wheater and think nice, but as we go round we see Wheater everywhere we look ,each time a bird pop's up it seem's it's a Wheater. after a while we start to see Stonechat  a lot. then the reason we come here, Chough start to fly in off the sea and fly around our head's nice view's, about 48 counted, then up pop's 2 raven's. Rob and myself are now back to the booking office for the boat is nearly ready to sail, no sign of Brian and Jimmy and we get a bit worried they may miss the boat, starting to stress now, but just in the nick of time over the hill they came  a smile on their face's, pushed that to the limit we say, no good timing was the reply, yes but we could see sweating on their brow's.Off we go on to the boat for the 10 minute trip over to the island . After a short talk about the island and to tell you what you may see, it's off to paradise. we start off looking for owl's but dip out, not to worry we know what's round the corner.looking out to sea it is full of Kittiwake, Gullimot, Razorbill, Fulmar,Gannet,and Shag, everywhere you look hundred's of them. Also at the bottom of the cliff we see seal's swimming about and laying on the rock's in the sun. Rob has parked up as he has to carry a very big camera len's with him , so he plonk's himself down and just click's away. That is what he like's to do anyway. It put's a smile on his face once he is settled down  as I said paradise.Now round the island to the other side to see what most people come here for, the wonderful sight of the puffin's.They walk about so close to you you have to be sure not to tread on them.Rob's with us again now and we sit down and just look and look till it's time to get the boat back. we miss first boat because they have to cut down on how many they can take as the sea has got rough. About 30min's wait and we start to load up the boat. I get a nice seat out of the wind, Brian think's we can do better and ask's the boatman where is the best place to sit, he say's go a bit more down the boat as I stand up the boat rock's and I go flying, FUNNY, but I was the only one on the boat that didn't see it that way, The thing's I do just to give the boy's a laugh and they did laugh, I think I did get "are you alright" but it was said with tear's rolling down their face's.The 10min trip feel's like 30 the boat is really rolling about now, It tilt's over on my side of the boat and a great wave soak's all of us on that side.It never spoilt a really great day.Back on dry land it's of to feed our face, I think a beer may go with that and to get  a early night ready for Dinas tomorrow. On the way back Rob wants to go to Martin sands to see a Glossy Ibis, so not being to far away we go there. We head to the hide where it has been seen already today, and we see it as soon as we get there, this is the best view Robert has ever had so well worth the detour.