Throughout August, butterflies and bees flit amongst the bracken, providing vibrant flashes of colour wherever they wander. Along the coast, Atlantic grey seals can be seen hauled out at low tide, seemingly bathing themselves in the late summer sunshine. Several, you will notice, appear much rounder than those surrounding them… it won’t be long until these seals are accompanied by bright-white pups, who begin to appear on our beaches and coves from mid-August. 

As we move to September, the mournful calls of seals echo around the cliffs during the day. The night, however, is very much owned by Skomer’s most numerous (and noisiest!) resident: the Manx shearwater. Manx shearwaters are present on Skomer from March until the end of October. This latter part of the year however (from late-August onwards), is arguably the most exciting time to see these night-time wanderers – in particular the fledglings. Adult Manx shearwaters raise a single chick, which spends much of its young life hidden underground, nestled in the safety of its burrow. As the chicks continue to grow, so too does their confidence. As they approach fledging, Manx shearwater chicks begin to emerge from their burrows at night, to practice flapping their large wings – building muscles that will be vital in carrying them all the way to the seas off South America! There is something very special about seeing a Manxie chick finally fledge, knowing full well that it will not touch ground again for at least 5 years, when it will hopefully return to Skomer to breed.