Skomer
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Skomer is an island off south west Pembrokeshire in Wales. It is best known for its huge bird population, including Manx shearwaters, guillemots, cormorants, kittiwakes, puffins, gulls, storm petrels, shags and various birds of prey.
Location
Skomer is one of a chain of small islands a few hundred metres off the Pembrokeshire coast.
Puffins
in the early 00s the island was cleared of rats which were reckoned to have devastated puffin numbers. By 2004, there were many, many puffin burrows on the island and adults flying back with food run across the walkways within feet of tourists.
Manx Shearwaters
Not easy to see as they come and go at dusk, but in 2005 the RSPB had placed a CCTV camera in one of the burrows, and their nests could be seen on the screen in the lodge.
The three square kilometre island is also home to grey seals and a variety of wild flowers.
The island has been uninhabited since 1958, but is known for its stone circle, standing stone and remains of prehistoric houses.
Boats sail to Skomer from Martin's Haven on the mainland. There are limits on the numbers allowed to visit the island each day, so the sailings are hourly, and long queues develop early each morning.