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Wildlife And History Of Skomer Island

Find out all about the wildlife of Skomer Island - one of the most important seabird sites in southern Britain. Its maritime grassland, lush inland vegetation, bubbling streams and man-made ponds support a host of wildlife including Atlantic Puffins, Manx Shearwaters, Guillemots, Razorbills, Skomer Voles and much more.

Please note, Puffins start arriving in mid-April. They are present from May-July. The first ones start leaving in mid-July and all Puffins are gone by the end of July.
Species

Yorkshire-fog

The soft, downy look of Yorkshire-fog makes it an attractive plant, even if it is considered a weed of cultivated land! It is also attractive to the caterpillars of the Small Skipper butterfly as…

My Wild Life

My muse

Mark suffers from Paranoid Schizophrenia, meaning that in bustling areas the voices he can hear become overwhelming. They are his muses, but can get overpowering. When he’s outside in the garden,…

My Wild Life

My observatory

Bill has spent much of his life on Hampstead Heath. Although he feels like he's miles away from anywhere, a break in the trees offers one of the best views of London City - when it's…

Species

Purple emperor

The male purple emperor is a stunning butterfly with a brilliant purple sheen. Look for it feeding around the treetops in woodlands, or on damp ground, animal droppings or even carrion in the…

Species

Ringlet

The ringlet gets its name from the small rings on the undersides of its wings. These rings show variation in the different forms of this species, even elongating into a teardrop shape.

Species

Speckled wood

The speckled wood prefers the dappled sunlight of woodland rides and edges, hedgerows and even gardens. Despite declines, its range has spread over recent years.

Species

Black-headed gull

The black-headed gull is actually a chocolate-brown headed gull! And for much of the year, it's head even turns white. Look out for it in large, noisy flocks on a variety of habitats.

Species

Slow worm

Despite appearances, the slow worm is actually a legless lizard, not a worm or a snake! Look out for it basking in the sun on heathlands and grasslands, or even in the garden, where it favours…

Species

Swift

Swifts spend most of their lives flying – even sleeping, eating and drinking – only ever landing to nest. They like to nest in older buildings in small holes in roof spaces.

Habitat

Northern hay meadow

These beautiful, herb-rich meadows are at their best between late-May and mid-July (after which they are cut for hay, weather permitting). Later, after the haycut, pale fields with geometric…

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Put your garden to the test!

Our two-minute survey can score your garden and offer ideas to make it even better for wildlife, but why is this so important?